Furious was an understatement. If she’d ever believed Dage anything close to human, the thought was dispelled in that moment. Fire glinted through the silver in his eyes and a nearly amber energy crackled along his bare arms. Instinct set in, and she eyed the door. Time to run.
“You won’t make it.” The set of his chin and lift of his brow dared her to try. His expression promised louder than any words that he wanted to chase her down.
“You haven’t trusted me, either.” She spoke softly. While she’d rather toss something at his stubborn-ass head, survival instinct kicked in as she faced the animal inside the king. “I understand your anger.”
He chuckled. Deep and without any humor. “You don’t understand a damn thing. That ends this second.”
Emma nodded, fighting a catch in her throat, in her heart. He’d leave now.
His head shot up and pure fire swirled through those immortal eyes. “Leave? You think this is over, love?” Anger punctuated each syllable. “No. This actually starts now.”
She took a step backward, for the first time in her life lacking the right words. The force before her stole any logic she may own. “I don’t understand.”
His lids half closed, power filling the oxygen in the room. “You will.”
Chapter 28
Emma’s next step back put her flush against the cool rock wall. The pulse of the earth surrounded her in the underground haven. It was no longer soothing, as if mother earth was clearly on Dage’s side.
A sudden thought occurred to Emma, and she focused her breathing.
“No.” Dage waved a hand and the air began to swirl around her. “You teleported yesterday. It’s too early to do it again.” His jaw set into granite, a muscle ticked along the powerful cords of his neck.
What the hell did he know? Emma drew up power from inside herself and began to concentrate. Her feet stuck to the floor as if bound by weights. “Hey.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “I said, no.”
She struggled to move her feet but they remained in place. “Let me go.”
“No.”
Son of a bitch. She gave him her best glare and instantly yanked the shields up around her thoughts.
A piercing pain shot through her mind. Those shields shattered. She widened her eyes on Dage and gasped, fury ripping through her body. The brand on her shoulder began to burn.
“No more shields.” He drew in a deep breath, lowering his chin, his gaze hard. “Any other new tricks you want to try?”
She set her shoulders, inhaling through her nose. Narrowing her gaze on those sparking eyes, she focused all her power into his mind. His rage and pain had her lifting her head, even as she attacked his mental shields.
He raised an eyebrow. “Be careful what you ask for, love.” His shields disappeared. He laid bare his mind, his heart, his soul.
Agony and loss slammed into her as the lab exploded, as she experienced the raw pain that had ripped through the king when he’d thought her dead. The desperation, the destruction, and the thirst for vengeance. He let her feel it all.
A force within him sucked her deep—into his soul. She wasn’t the only one who had been shielding. Raw, pure power lay at the center of the king’s being. Untapped. Dangerous. Absolute. Not even his brothers knew of the competing forces within him.
Emma yanked free. “What are you?”
“Your mate.”
Disbelief had her shaking her head. “You could’ve destroyed the entire world.”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t have?” He raised an eyebrow. “That I still won’t?”
Because at the core of that incredible soul lay pure good. Dangerous. But good. “Because I know you.” Complete certainty filled her for a moment. She did know him. In fact, her place existed right beside him.
“Yes. You give me a balance I’ve so far lacked.”
A balance he needed. A trembling set up along her spine. He’d never let her go.
“Never.” No question, no hesitation, no doubt. Politically as incorrect as possible. But the truth. His gaze met hers and held.
No one was going to dictate her life. Not even him. Lowering her chin, she focused every molecule of her thought into Dage. Into taking his power for her own.
He stepped forward, twisted one hand in the front of her shirt and tugged, ripping it down the back. “Keep trying.” The soft cotton swished to the floor.
She focused harder, a tingling spreading across her skin as she met with success.
Her jeans disappeared. Not ripped, not removed, just ... disappeared. “Careful, love. Take too much and it’ll bite you.” His fangs dropped low with the words.
More power burst into her, and she mentally tossed his shirt away. It flew across the room. Desire rose hard and fast, her breasts pebbling against her simple cotton bra. “More.”
“Take all you want.” He flicked open the bra’s front clasp, his gaze heating her nipples to a degree that had her stifling a moan. He dropped to one knee, his fangs shredding the cotton panties into pieces to fall harmlessly to the floor.
She drew more power and then tried to use it. He’d frozen her more than once, and she tried to still the king’s limbs. He placed one gentle kiss against her mound and then stood, cocking his head to the side. Both hands went to his jeans and he released the zipper, kicking out of them and standing hard and ready before her. “Try again?”
She set her jaw and focused hard. Let’s see how the king liked being helpless.
His smile was more of a snarl. A gust of wind tossed her hair around her face. The rock wall warmed behind her. Lights flickered and spiced peaches filled the space. She shook her head. “How are you doing these things?”
“I’m within the earth, not on it.” Dage flicked a glance to her left hand, which rose to rest against the rock wall next to her head.
Damn it. She struggled to lower her arm. It remained in place, her knuckles firm against the hard rock wall. Her other hand followed suit, palm out. “What are you doing?” Her voice came out way too husky. Vulnerability sped up her heart beat.
He shrugged, only the pounding vein in his neck showing he was still pissed. “I’m trying to put this into a framework you understand. Scientific experimentation, if you will.”
“Let me go.” Desire flushed through her.
He lifted his head to scent the air. “You don’t want me to.”
Her mind wanted him to.
He smiled. “I’ve tried logic and reason. I’ve tried understanding and patience. I’m done.”
Soft flames began licking across her skin until every nerve ending screamed for release. Then cold air. She began to tremble with need and clutched her jaw shut to keep from begging.
“Oh, you’ll beg.” The arrogant vow accompanied more heat starting at her toes and spreading up her legs. “Soon you’ll promise anything I want. Anything I demand.”
A dark flush covered his high cheekbones, and his eyes swirled with too many colors to count. Dage focused on her neck until she could actually feel his mouth on her. But he stood a foot away. “Come.”
The orgasm ripped through her with a force she couldn’t have imagined. She cried out, her fingers curling to dig nails into her palms while her wrists remained captive against the wall. She closed her eyes against the intensity, the waves of pleasure tearing her away from reality for a moment.
Dazed, she opened her eyes on him. Temper roared through her again. “You’ll pay for this.” Even on the heels of the orgasm, she wanted him. A hollowness echoed through her only he could fill.
He raised an eyebrow. “Not ready to beg? Well ...”
A sweep of his hand through harmless air had a stirring warmth begin under her skin, under her bones to sweep out through every pore. Her nipples pebbled into sharp points of pain. She fought to move. To leap forward and take him to the ground.