“I don’t see other girls. I’m not⁠—”

I scoff. “Xavier⁠—”

“Don’t interrupt me,” he snaps. His tone has my body responding in the most inappropriate way. “I’m not interested in anyone else,” he says, his eyes boring into mine. “Only you.”

I study his gaze, searching their gray depths for lies and deceit. “Really?” The vulnerability in my voice shocks me, but not more than the man on top of me.

“I’ve already told you, Delilah. I mean what I say.”

I continue staring up at him, my emotions conflicted. He caresses my jaw the tiniest bit, and it sends me further into confusion. I can’t help but think of Brenda and speculate on whatever history they have.

“You’re just saying that because I’m your bride,” I say. “If you’d caught someone else, you’d say the same shit to them.”

“If you hadn’t been forced into the Bride Hunt, I wouldn’t have taken a bride.”

I make a face at him instead of telling him to get the fuck out of here with that bullshit. My reaction must be a little too easy to read. His expression hardens, his grip tightening.

“It’s not just the truth. It’s a fucking fact.”

I open my mouth, but he slips his thumb over my bottom lip, dragging it across my tongue.

“Eventually, you’ll learn to trust me.”

“You’re crazy.”

He shrugs. “You’re not the first person to say that, and you won’t be the last. Doesn’t matter because it won’t change a fucking thing.”

I shake my head, removing his hand, but he presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth, his lips lingering. I don’t respond, and he doesn’t move. When he pulls away, his eyes are glittering with lust. And something deeper.

He moves to lie on his back and drags me toward him. He tucks my head under his chin, his fingers tangling in my hair.

“Sleep, little raptor.”

The order is quiet, spoken softly, and I have the strangest urge to obey him.

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Chapter 32XAVIER

Delilah fucking Scott.

In my bed.

In my arms.

In my control.

For three long years, I’ve pictured this moment, yearned for it. Most things don’t live up to my expectations, leaving me disappointed again and again. But this woman? She exceeds every fantasy I’ve created.

If I was a whimsical person, I’d think I was dreaming or hallucinating at least. However, the sound of her breathing, along with the feel of her warm body pressed to mine, reminds me that this is reality. For the first time in my life, I’m hit with a sense of fulfillment and contentment that I didn’t know existed.

Now that I know, I can’t live without it.

Memories of the Bride Hunt race through my mind, the adrenaline-fueled chase through the forest, my unwavering determination to claim her. I fought and eliminated Eric and Benjamin to have her. Fuckers.

Not only them, but the rest of the recruits as well. I watched them during the ceremony, daring them to clap and cheer as a result of Delilah’s suffering. I didn’t have to.

They saw her fight, and their silence reflected their respect. My bride cursing at them, at my father especially, is a memory I’ll always savor. Very few people have the balls to do what she did. I admire Delilah more than I can ever say with words.

I run my fingers through her hair, marveling at the softness of it against my skin. She stirs slightly, nuzzling closer to me with a sigh. Does she feel safe with me, or is she so deep in repose that she’s forgotten the things I want to do to her?

My cock instantly gets harder than stone. A-fucking-gain. I groan in the darkness and dig my fingers into her hip to stop myself from taking her. She will choose me. I said it earlier, and I still mean that shit.

Delilah will beg for my cock.

I won’t accept anything less than her complete surrender. She will succumb to her need for me.

When she does… fuck me. I’ll never be the same. Even now, I nearly lose my mind at the memory of her coming on my hand. The sound of her moaning. The feel of her body trembling. The scream of ecstasy that echoed in the trees and reverberated in my soul.

I want all of that and more.

Delilah will give me everything. In return, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Even if that means taking on the Order. She’s worth it all.

My money.

My power.

My sanity.

I’ve lost my fucking mind over her. I’m beyond obsessed, beyond fucked when it comes to her. Unhinged, and willing to kill for her.

Die for her.

If she knew the depth of my dedication and loyalty, she would be the one with all the control. As I drag my gaze over her sleeping form, I repeat my vow to her, to serve her and only her.

“Votum meum tibi1,” I whisper. “Tibi semper sum.2”

My father’s disapproval during the ceremony is going to come back and haunt me. But I couldn’t bend to him. Not when it meant setting a precedent when it comes to her.

No one, not even the esteemed council members, will dictate how I deal with my bride.

That doesn’t mean I won’t play by their rules. To directly and openly defy the Order is the same thing as putting a pistol in your mouth. Despite their love of legacy and family ties, they’ll put you six feet under before you can blink.

For better or for worse, the Bride Hunt brought Delilah to me.

Claiming her, having the right to this woman without restriction is what I’ve been wanting since the day I first saw her. Although I don’t prefer it this way. Originally my plans were to take her as a wife, not as a bride, but like most things in life, my plans got fucked. Now, all I can do is keep her safe now that she’s on the Order’s radar.

How she got there is still a mystery to me. My first suspect is Eric because he’s a fucking sadist. Not to mention he tried to run her down with his car. However, I can’t get rid of the nagging feeling that there’s something or someone else at play here.

Could Benjamin have brought Delilah to the Order’s attention in hopes he could have her as his bride? I scoff in the quiet. He knows better than to expose her like that. Now she’ll have eyes on her every fucking minute until she dies.

Or marries me.

There’s a possibility that my father learned about my obsession concerning her. I doubt it. I’ve hidden her like the gem she is, deep underground in the darkness where nothing could touch her.

Until now.

I’ll have to navigate this situation with all the subtlety and cunning I possess, along with my skill set. Knowing how to kill is an art form, and I’ve become a master. Even so, my father’s influence is not to be underestimated.

In this game of shadows and savagery, I’m playing for the highest stakes. Her very life rests in my hands. So does her body.

All that’s left for me to win is her heart.

1 My vow to you.

2 I’m yours forever.

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Chapter 33DELILAH

Imoan.

The noise is low and throaty, a siren’s call, an invitation to any man within hearing range. It’s the sound of a woman drowning in pleasure. And pain.

There’s an ache between my thighs, an insatiable need to be filled. To come. I may be innocent, but I’m not ignorant to my body’s needs.

A delicious pressure surrounds my clit and I arch my back, letting my knees fall to the side, opening my legs wide. My hips lift of their own accord, and my pleasure intensifies.

“That’s my good girl.”

The deep, sinful voice registers. I gasp, my eyes flying open.

Xavier. Fuck.

I jerk up my head, the fog of sleep instantly disappearing. Between my thighs, Xavier’s dark hair grazes my skin with every hard pull of his mouth. He circles my clit with his tongue, and my toes curl. Another moan gathers in my throat.