The trees around me begin to thin in number and the canopy of leaves above me lessen, allowing moonlight to clearly light my path. Ahead is a clearing that could be the forest’s edge. The very thought of ending this nightmare has my steps quickening.

My breathing turns into wheezing that has me grimacing. My pulse hammers in my ears, each thump like a fist to my ribcage. I clutch my chest and pray I’m not having a heart attack.

Hope fills me the moment I realize I’ve almost reached the forest’s edge. A meadow stretches before me, offering safety from the darkness. The stars twinkle overhead, sparkling promises of freedom, making me smile.

Just as I’m about to burst through the final cluster of foliage, my sense of exhilaration fades.

Xavier stands there, arms folded, silver eyes narrowed on me.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t catch you?”

His deep, smooth voice has shivers dancing along my flesh. And warnings clanging in my head. I come to a hard stop, eyes wide and breaths ragged.

How can he be standing here when I left him behind with my foster brother?

I quickly scan the area, looking for him. “What did you do to Ben?”

My voice is shaky, fear coating it all over. Do I trust Xavier to tell me the truth? Do I even want to hear it?

“He’s fine.” Xavier waves a hand in dismissal. “Benjamin will be embarrassed when he wakes up because he got his ass handed to him, but that was inevitable. I’m not letting anyone get between us. Not even you.”

I squeeze my hair pin, finding little comfort in the bit of metal. Xavier has taken down two recruits in order to get to me. My chances of escaping him are laughable.

That doesn’t mean I’m going to give up.

“Come here, little raptor.”

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Chapter 27DELILAH

Idon’t move. I’m not sure I can.

“It wasn’t a request,” he says, his tone firmer than before.

“I’m still not coming.”

“You will be.”

He rips off his mask. With fear clawing at my insides, I dart to the side, attempting to slip past him.

Xavier moves with a speed that defies the laws of nature, intercepting my path effortlessly. Before I can process his nearness, he’s yanking my body against his, the hair pin flying out of my hand.

I slam into him, my back to his front, the scent of him flooding my nose. It’s like a secret in the dark, mysterious and alluring with a hint of citrus and leather.

The warmth from his body seeps through the thin fabric of my dress, his strength evident with every corded muscle that presses into my soft curves. He brushes his lips over the shell of my ear, and I stiffen in his embrace, preventing my body from melting into his. The traitorous bitch.

“You can’t escape me, no matter where you run,” he murmurs. “The Order can’t have you. And neither can your foster brother. You’re mine.”

His voice is a seductive purr. With each word, his breath fans over the sensitive skin of my neck, causing tingles to shoot through my body. He drags his hand up my spine until his fingers tangle in my hair, pulling my head back to rest against his shoulder. When he stares down at me, his eyes burn into mine, stealing the air from my lungs.

“Why?” I whisper.

“Because,” he says, his lips a mere inch from mine, “I’ve never wanted anyone more.”

With the moon hanging overhead and the stars as witness, Xavier sweeps his lips over mine. I tense, waiting for the brutality, for his kiss to be nothing more than a weapon. Instead, it’s an act of gentle persuasion, a subtle pleading that catches me off guard.

And it’s with complete reverence.

It’s in every point of contact, from his lips to his touch, a contrast to the harshness he’s always shown. This inconsistency surprises me, leaving me frozen. How can he threaten me in one breath and in the next treat me as if I’m precious?

He only kisses me once. Then he’s lifting his head before I’ve thought about pushing him away. He wraps his long fingers around my throat and brushes his thumb over my jaw, making my heart stutter in my chest.

“What was that for?” I ask, my words thin and airy.

“A test.”

I blink up at him in confusion. “For what?”

“Your response. Or lack thereof.”

“Listen, I do⁠—”

He uses his hand on my throat to silence me. This time when he brings his mouth to mine, it’s different.

The kiss is possessive.

He sweeps his tongue over my bottom lip before darting it inside my mouth, laying claim to every inch.

I don’t even realize I’m kissing him back until he growls low in his throat and rubs his erection against me. He fists the material of my dress before his hand drifts downward…

I gasp at the feel of his fingers on my bare skin as they snake under my skirt. With the same gentleness as before, he trails the seam of my thighs before cupping me fully, his thumb pressing against my clit. Arousal sparks a flame inside that could burn me alive.

The intensity of my reaction causes me to rear back, breaking the kiss. He continues to hold my throat, forcing me to look up at him.

“Stop.” My voice is nothing more than a wheeze. He’s stolen my ability to breathe. To think. Unless it’s about him.

Through my panties, Xavier teases my clit with his thumb, making me clench my thighs. “I will… when you mean it.”

He pinches my clit. It’s the perfect combination of pleasure and pain. I groan. The sound is one of submission, and a plea for more.

“Good girl.” He dips his hand inside my panties, rubbing my tender flesh. “Keep being honest with me, and I’ll give you anything you want. You’re mine. Your body knows it, and your mind will, too. That’s my vow to you, bride.”

I shake my head and pull at his grip on my neck. It doesn’t budge. If anything, he tightens it.

I glare at him. “You’re fucking crazy.”

“And you’re dripping for me.” He presses harder, making me writhe. “Tell me who owns this pussy, and I’ll let you come.”

I shake my head in rebellion, even as my body hums for him.

He dips his head and grazes his teeth over the shell of my ear, nipping at the sensitive skin. “Deny it all you want, but this,” he presses his thumb hard against my clit as I suck in a breath, “belongs to me. Now, you’re going to prove it to both of us. Be a good girl and come for me.”

He tightens his fingers on my neck before working me harder and faster. My body trembles, a physical response to how much his touch affects me. When he grips my throat to the point I can’t draw breath, panic combines with the pleasure, heightening all my senses.

I reach up and yank on his hand to release me even as my orgasm builds. Xavier doesn’t move. He grips me harder, making dots appear before my eyes.

“Shh. Trust me.” He presses a kiss to my temple, a gesture so tender at odds with him choking me. “I’m thirsty, Delilah. I want to you fucking drench my hand.”

My vision blurs from the lack of oxygen, but my need to come has never been clearer. That doesn’t stop my instincts from taking over. I know I’m drawing blood from him as I claw at his hand, trying to wrench it from throat.

Something about the violence spurs him on. As it does to me.

Xavier bites down on my ear, and the pain is the catalyst that sends me over the edge. Only then does he release his hold on my neck, allowing me to suck in a breath. So I can scream.

And come.

Hard.

“Such a good fucking girl,” he rasps against my ear, grinding his cock into my ass.

I buck my hips as wave after wave of ecstasy rolls through me. The pleasure is so intense, my legs shake uncontrollably, and I collapse. The only thing keeping me upright is Xavier’s hand on my pussy. He continues to stroke me, his touch prolonging the high, wringing out every bit of my release until I slump against him, still trembling.