Page 45 of Their Fierce Little Monster

She stumbles back a step, and I’m eyeing her from head to toe, that captivating body, the fire between her thighs I want to bury myself in, the lips I crave to taste. She has no idea how entirely I am at her mercy.

“Here, hold the towel to the injury.” She tosses it at me, and I catch it as she goes to wash her hands in the sink. “Anyway, since we’re sitting around, would you tell me more about that tattoo I have? Is that a common thing for those from Grimvale?”

I nod, admiring how adorable she is tilting her head to the side, her lips pinching. “We all carry one, and it’s our soul animal. It’s linked to your family bloodline and listens to your command. Would you like to see mine?”

“Yes, please.”

I tug my shirt off my shoulder, revealing the skin over my heart. A quick call to Venom, and he surfaces as black ink across my flesh. A double-headed snake, each one facing outward, and their bodies twined at the center. One of them is coiled up over my shoulder, the other toward the middle of my chest.

Dawn’s eyes widen, and she presses her closed hand to her chest, startled.

I do love an audience, so in seconds, Venom moves both heads, tongues flicking in and out, a soft hiss peeling away from my skin.

She jumps back, paling instantly. “Oh, shit!”

Laughing, I command Venom to pull back, and I release the mark, which fades away. “He has a nasty bite, but only for people I dislike.” I adjust my shirt, covering myself.

She remains out of reach.

“You’re safe. I promise.”

“W-what are they for?”

“Think of it as a kindred connection to help you if you ever need them. I noticed earlier today from the shadows that you had a dragonfly, which is from your Ice Fire Court house.”

“A dragonfly seems pretty tame compared to a snake.”

I laugh, adjusting the towel at my throat, which has stopped stinging. “Sometimes the least scary things can be the deadliest. Don’t underestimate it. While some may have similar kindred animals in a court, each one provides its master with a different ability that you’ll discover with time. It reveals itself to only its master.”

After a moment of silence, where neither of us speaks and the tension between us thickens, she says, “Well, you’re going to live, it seems, so you’re good to go back to your room.”

I stare at this beautiful girl and can’t think of anywhere else I want to be. “Are you so sure of that? I feel ghastly sick. I may need more nurse attention.”

She offers me a ghost of a smile, and I can’t deny that there’s something intoxicating about such a little thing commanding me around, assuming she stands a chance against me.

I remind myself not to scare her either, so I follow her into the main room, which is drenched in afternoon light.

She heads to the door and pulls it open, then turns to me. “Do you think Kazak will be okay in prison? Will they hurt him?”

Worry pinches the bridge of her nose. The second my thoughts drift to Kazak, I want nothing more than to shove him off a ledge. But I see how much he means to her.

“You care that much about him? Pretty sentimental for someone who said she didn’t belong to anyone.”

“Well, he looked out for me the whole time I lived in Moonstone Village, and he kept me protected. I guess I don’t want the king to kill him. Because if there’s any hint that he will… I’ll break him out, and we’ll run.”

I blink at her. “Amusing that you’re telling me about your escape plan when I’m here as your captor.”

She shrugs, holding my gaze. Since the incident with Vivee years ago, no other woman has grabbed my attention for anything but a good fuck. More recently, the only time I felt anything exhilarating was after a fight, and yet now, her smile, her laugh, the way she pushes me away, I’m hanging off her every word.

Who the hell have I become? This isn’t me!

I remind myself she’s not human, but from Grimvale, like me. And from the court that everyone detested and ended up getting butchered.

“You’re a smart monster, and I’d say my actions are pretty transparent, right?” Those violet eyes dig into me. “The question I have for you is, will you help me in such a situation?”

Laughter roars in my head because I know the correct thing to say, what my father would have me do.

I smile at her and stroll toward the door because every damn inch of me badly wants to tell her what she wants to hear. That I’ll burn the whole fucking city down for her, along with the contract to bring her back to Grimvale, and that’s exactly why I say nothing. Not much scares me, but her question terrifies me because of what it would bring out of me.