LITMIR.BIZ

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you,” he said.

      “No, Thane,” she replied, wary—and even more breathless.

      Floating higher and higher...

      Peering down at her, he felt as if he were seeing her for the first time. Maybe he was. Or, maybe his focus was sharper with every second that passed, new portions of his mind clearing, cobwebs falling away.

      His friends would have called her “plain,” he thought, but to Thane she was utterly breathtaking.

      Long, dark hair spread around her like a midnight curtain. She was human. Petite. Delicately honed, like a cameo. Her pale skin had been burned by the harsh rays of the desert sun and had freckled. He could trace those freckles with his tongue. She was young, perhaps twenty, with big gray eyes that reminded him of smoked-glass mirrors. He could see himself in those eyes...all the way to his battered soul.

      Something in her called to something in him—like to like—and a part of him he’d never known, a part once hidden even from that forgotten corner, responded. It was strong, this something. It was alive. Demanding. And it was saying, This one. Take her.

      He watched as her gaze dropped to his erection...and quickly shot back up. A blush stained her cheeks. The sight aroused him, lighting a new fire in his veins.

      “Uh, if you want to be free of Kendra, you can’t make love to her. Not that that’s what you’ve been doing to her. Barf! I’m just saying you have to kill her.”

      He would have to proceed with caution. He could easily hurt so fragile a female.

      Her words registered, and he paused. Kill...Kendra?

      “There’s no better time. She’s sleeping. That’s how I managed to steal the Frost.”

      Higher...

      Kendra... His friend Bjorn had found her in the slave market. She’d been bound by gossamer chains—somehow unbreakable—when the warrior presented her to Thane as a gift.

      Higher still... Bjorn. A sharp, stinging pang razed Thane’s chest. Bjorn and Xerxes. His boys. His only friends. They had fought demons together, bled together. They had shared lovers and guarded each other’s backs. The boys were as close as brothers. He trusted them with his life. Loved them with all that he was. Needed them more than his heart or lungs.

      They felt the same way about him. Bjorn probably blamed himself for what had happened with the princess.

      He shouldn’t. Thane had welcomed Kendra into his bed because she hadn’t minded his peculiar sexual tastes...his enjoyment for things that had horrified so many others. In fact, she had begged for the terrible things he’d done to her. For more. But she had also grown possessive and clingy, and he’d decided to let her go.

      To punish him for his defection, Kendra had tried to torch his club, the Downfall. He’d stopped her before any permanent damage was done and hauled her back to her people, happy to be rid of her.

      Only, her father had freed her from her chains, and she had returned for Thane. With full use of her powers.

      Some Phoenix could change their appearance with only a thought, and Kendra was one of them. Again and again she’d come to Thane, never appearing to be the same woman, and each time he’d taken her. All too soon, he’d become dependent on the fiery poison her body produced.

      That was when she’d revealed her deception.

      Enraged, he’d killed her and, in turn, sealed some kind of bond between them, giving her what she’d wanted most. His slavish devotion.

      Sparks of remembered rage scalded him.

      She. Had. Enslaved. Him. Had bound his mind as surely as she’d bound his body. Only, the chains on his thoughts had been invisible.

      She was the enemy.

      She had to die.

      * * *

      IT’S WORKING. He’s beginning to understand.

      Elin’s joy was sweeter than the banana cream pie Bay used to make her.

      “If I kill the princess,” Thane gritted, “she’ll become even stronger.”

      Elin debated whether or not to risk sitting up. Lying in bed while a superstrong warrior with a massive hard-on loomed over smacked of stupid. She was vulnerable. And shaky. And achy. But one wrong move could send this particular warrior into a tailspin that led straight back to the grunting, psychotic caveman.

      Stupid or not, she remained in place.

      “Kendra will strengthen, yes, but her tie to you will not. That will be broken with her second death, and won’t reform with her next regeneration. You’ll be free—and then, if you want to, I don’t know, escort me, your new best friend, back to civilization, I would be forever grateful.”

      He thought for a moment, more and more fury rolling off him. “You are sure my tie to her will be broken?”

      “Yes. But if you feel yourself falling back under her spell, take one of these.” She opened her hand, revealing the remaining two cubes of Frost.

      Removing the medicine from Kendra’s locket had been easier than she’d anticipated. The Phoenix had drunk herself into a stupor and hadn’t noticed when Elin tiptoed to the side of the bed and fiddled with the locket.

      Thane snatched the cubes and tossed them in his mouth, swallowing.

      Or eat them now. Whatevs.

      The tent flap lifted, and in stepped a guard on patrol.

      Great! Premature rejoiceulation. Thane wasn’t ready for a full-on rebellion.

      Sand flung from the guard’s boots as he stomped toward her. “Hey,” he barked. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”

      Fear drove her to the other side of the bed. Head down. See nothing. Say nothing. The guard followed her, unconcerned by Thane, assuming he was on another lust-induced rampage to reach Kendra.

      “Looks like someone’s due another reminder about her place.” Strong hands wrapped around Elin’s upper arm, surely bruising her. A whimper escaped her. She was jerked to her feet. “I’ll be happy to— Hmph.”

      Thane grabbed the guard by the neck and snapped his spine.

      The hold on Elin’s arm broke, and the male fell to the ground.

      There was no crimson pool to stir her panic, and she released a sigh of relief.

      Maybe Thane was ready for a full-on rebellion after all.

      “Thank you,” she panted.

      He was breathing too heavily to respond, his attention focused solely on the bed. Elin backed away. Just in time. Perhaps he was remembering all the horrible things Kendra had made him do there, perhaps not, but the tether to his control shattered. With a roar, he punched and clawed at the iron railings, until only shards of metal remained. He ripped the mattress into eight different pieces before turning his attention to the walls, tearing through the fabric, shredding the entire structure.

      Without the barrier, bright sunlight glared overhead, spotlighting him. Dust motes performed a wild ballet around him, as if to celebrate the birth of vengeance.

      I’ve partnered up with a crazypants.

      Uh-oh. She must have said the words aloud. He focused on her, the fog gone from his eyes...eyes a bright electric blue, beautiful beyond compare and so charged and turbulent she could feel the crackle of them all the way to the bone.

      “Stay here, and you’ll stay safe,” he said through clenched teeth. “Do not run. I’ll catch you, and I don’t think you’ll like the results.”

      Oh, no. What had she gotten herself into? “D-don’t threaten me.”

      “Don’t run,” he reiterated.

      Shouts sounded, drawing his attention.

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