“I think this is the perfect woman for you, Rage…beautiful and incredibly violent.”
“I’m not violent…unless you try to harm me or those I love. Then yes, you’ll die.” My voice lowers.
Tri laughs. “See, she’s perfect.”
“Stop!” Rage growls. Then in a quieter voice. “What do we need to do to stop him? How do we break this bond that the two of you have?”
“I told you, the bond can only be truly broken if I fall in love with someone else.” I feel myself harden. “That’s not going to happen,” I almost whisper the words, even though I mean them with every fiber of my being. “It would mean giving someone else control over me. It would be better if I found a way to finish Gaire. That way, I wouldn’t be bound to anyone ever again. No master for me.”
“See,” Tri says. “Perfect.” He hits Rage on the arm. “A gorgeous, violent woman who’s not looking for love.”
“Stop your shit!” Rage snaps. “Okay, how do we weaken the bond between you and Gaire?”
“So, you’re going to help me, then?” I hold my breath, too scared to even move. “You didn’t sound too sure in the car.”
I struggle to read his expression. He looks…irritated. “It’s not like I have much choice.”
Not exactly what I wanted to hear. I hold onto our banter from earlier. I think Rage wants to help me more than he’s willing to admit. I hope that’s the case.
“Out with it!” Rage looks bored now. “It can’t be that bad.”
I realize that my hands are clenched tightly in my lap and that my shoulders are rigid. “I need to have sex with someone other than Gaire.”
It’s humorous how both men’s jaws drop. They look stunned. I go on, “The last person…” I roll my eyes, “make that the only person I’ve slept with is Gaire. That gives him more power over me. If I have sex with someone else,” I shrug, “it will lessen the bond and therefore the power he has over me. It should make it more difficult for him to track me as well. It’s simple. I wish I knew more, but I don’t know anyone this has ever happened to. I only know of the old wives’ tales. The stories my mam told me. The warnings.” Why didn’t l listen?
It doesn’t take long for Trident to pull himself together. He grins. “Can it be anyone?”
I nod. “I guess.” I don’t want it to be anyone. Otherwise, I could have had sex a whole lot of times by now. I cringe at the thought.
“In that case,” Tri goes on, “I’d like to apply.” He puts up his hand.
Rage isn’t saying anything. His eyes are blazing. He’s gone back to looking angry.
“I mean, you know what I can do with my…” Tri looks between his legs at the bulge there. “I would be happy to—”
“Shut up, already!” Rage turns blazing eyes on Tri, “Nia doesn’t want to have sex with you after what just went down. Are you crazy?”
I would prefer Rage to anyone else. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe because I know there is no chance of us developing feelings for each other. I know him after spending so much time with him. I was his shadow for nearly a week. Rage is closed. He’s angry. He’s the strongest of the bunch. Stronger than most. He’s perfect.
“Having sex with someone else won’t break the bond?” Rage asks.
I shake my head. “No, but it would make it more difficult for him to find me. It would make it more difficult for him to compel me. I’m hoping I’d be able to kill him if the tie between us was diminished.”
Rage looks murderous.
Tri’s trying to get my attention. He’s pointing at himself and grinning.
“I think I would prefer it if it was you,” I tell Rage. “But it doesn’t really matter, as long as it happens soon,” I try to play it down. “It would buy us some time to plan. I wouldn’t be completely useless if he found us.” I don’t love the idea of having sex with any of them…even Rage. I’m well aware that I offered him sex before, but that’s because I’m desperate. What choice do I have?
Rage just sits there, scowling.
“I would pick me if I were you.” Tri rubs his chin. “I’m nicer and more experienced.”
Rage pushes out a breath through his nose and rakes a hand through his hair.
“I thought men liked sex,” I say. “I’ve had countless men, both human and non-human, who tried to have sex with me. Many of them tried to force themselves on me.” I shudder.
“What?” Rage snarls. “Where have you been? Where do you come from?”
“I’m from a small coastal town in Wales called Llangrannog, and to answer your question, the men where I come from are just fine.” I sniff. “I never had an issue growing up.” I pull in a breath, “It all started with Gaire. I can’t believe I didn’t see him for what he is.”
“How long were you with him?” Trident asks.
“About a year,” I say. “My mam warned me that love is blind, and boy was she right. Gaire did a one-eighty as soon as he realized that I had fallen in love with him. He immediately started trying to control me. When he realized he couldn’t compel me to do what he wanted me to do, he shackled me to one of the entrances deep in the Underworld. I was given the order not to let anyone in or out. You can imagine the kinds of lowlifes I encountered.”
“They tried to…force you?” Rage asks, his voice soft.
I nod. “Many of them tried. All of them failed.” My voice deepens. My hackles rise.
“You should have stayed in your dog form.” Tri folds his arms, looking serious for once.
“It didn’t matter whether I was in my hellhound skin or my human skin. They tried anyway.”
“That’s fucking sick!” Rage gets up and paces to the other side of the room. He pinches the bridge of his nose.
“I can take care of myself,” I say. “It took me nearly a year to break through the shackle on my arm.” I touch my wrist. “Towards the end of my stay, the pile of rotting bodies was quite high, and I didn’t have to fight all that much anymore.”
He walks back and takes a seat again. “And yet, there are scars.” Rage’s eyes are narrowed in thought. He turns them on me. They’re as black as night. “You don’t want me, Nia. You need to pick someone else. I know that now more than ever.”
I feel disappointed. More than I thought I would. I guess I like Rage. I respect him. Even though it doesn’t really matter who it is. I wanted it to be him.
Tri puts his hand up. “Me…me…pick me!”
“Not you, asshole! Anyone but you.”
I wince. “What happened with Taryn sounded pretty…I don’t know…wild.” I shake my head. “I’m not sure that’s what I would want.” I have no idea what I would want. I don’t want sex. It’s a necessary evil. If I’ve got to do it, then rather with someone I trust. Someone I respect, even if he is the grumpiest person I know.
Tri looks at me like I’m crazy. “Too wild. Sheesh, okay…I get that. It would be your loss, but I get it. I could tone it down, though, Nia. One orgasm instead of three, and it could be more…subdued.”