Ash Pact

r quarters-if they

rs, and the bed-though clean-felt more like a prison than a place to rest. A basin

k

re than he should. Abou

he let h

oak, dagger resting against her thigh. Her fingers itched to use it

hing held

f the castle, the way it breathed beneath

kn

a servan

ro

pened, Kael sto

as damp, as though he'd just bathed, and there was a jagged scar running d

eyes loc

ght he

is gaze swept the room, then settled on her with

ck. "You're the on

," he murmured, circling s

on her n

e k

ays. Who dies. Who

. "Is that what I'm do

e heat radiating from his body, the pull

-soft, amu

us

tempt

pulse st

f her arm-barely a touch, more suggest

he whispered, "but underneath it, th

ly, facing him.

hate me so much, you for

e. Hea

very instinct screaming at her to

inst

epped

er fingers curled into

," she said, low,

hers. His voice was a

ou beco

irred again-da

t clenched in her bell

lips brushing the corner of h

issed

ve. Like claiming territory

sing against the small of her back, drawing

rayal than pleasure-and he

th

dleligh

moved behind Kael, curling from

t enough to whispe

d to lea

inked.

e shaking. "But it wants yo