bloodthirsty as demons, if not more so.
“You give me your word? You won’t harm me?” I moistened my lips and gulped back the acidic burn of fear.
“Why would I harm my investment? It has not yet come to fruition.” He curled me a sly smile and bumped back against the wall.
I internally cursed. Akil had just dropped the Institute a little breadcrumb on which they could fixate about me. Almost immediately, Adam’s voice came over a speaker. “We will release the chains, if you agree to reattach them when ordered.”
Akil made a disgusted noise at the back of his throat. “Ordered? No. Ask with due respect, and I may oblige.”
The wrist shackles burst open and fell away from his arms to clatter against the wall. I had a second to think, ‘Oh shit’ before he plowed into me, slamming me back against the glass. He locked his hand around my throat, driving my chin up so I had no choice but to witness the wicked slash of a grin on his lips. “Do you think they could spill into this room before I broke your neck?” A single dark eyebrow arched high. “They do not believe so. Hence they do nothing.” He leaned all of his weight into me, crushing my body beneath the weight of his. Slick muscles rippled beneath my hands trapped between us. A visceral heat smothered me, not elemental, purely masculine. I didn’t move, didn’t flinch. If I fought him now, he could indeed snap my neck. Without my demon, I was easy prey, even if he too was elementally restrained.
He bowed his head low and skirted my lips with his. “They listen,” he barely spoke the words, just a fleeting breath, whispered so lightly they were almost thoughts in my mind.
My brow pinched, and I once again parted my lips to speak when he planted a salty finger on them to shush me. He searched my face, and his wicked smile softened. “You should not be here. They poison your body…” Sliding a hand down my arm, he caught my hand and turned it over, lifting my wrist to his lips. “And subdue your demon at a time when she is needed the most.”
“And you? We need you topside, Akil. Not here like this. No good can come from whatever this is.”
He released my hand and splayed his on the glass beside my head, then curled his fingers into a fist and bared his teeth, but the snarl wasn’t meant for me, despite his eyes never leaving mine. “You don’t need me, Muse. This is your time. You must choose.” He shoved off of me, peeling his warmth away, leaving me cold and aching to have him back. “Human or demon?” His voice lifted, and he cocked his head. “I find myself in much the same alarming predicament.”
“Is that what you are?” I rubbed at my throat. “Human?”
He stalked back. His keen eyes darted, reading the room, looking for weaknesses. “No. I am somewhere between the two. Somewhere—some thing I should not be.”
There, I caught a glimmer of concern beneath the mask. That was real. He rebuilt his defenses as his gaze settled on me once more, but I’d seen it. Whatever this was, it wasn’t entirely in his control, but nor was it out of his control either. He cut his dark-eyed gaze to the mirror. “Go to them. They have questions. I guarantee no answers.”
I turned and headed for the door, hating that I couldn’t speak freely with him.
“Muse…”
I knocked on the door and glanced back. He stood, arms crossed over his chest, head tilted a degree, his eyes studying me.
“Do not let them take your strength from you.”
The door opened, and I left Akil alone, unchained, but locked away, pacing his cell like the exotic feral animal he was.
Chapter Thirteen
“ I f you ask me , he’s faking it.” I admired Adam’s bookshelf filled with technical-sounding titles written by various doctors. Behind me, Adam leaned against the front of his solid oak desk. Like the man himself, his office was organized, neat. Everything had its place. “You have no idea what you’ve captured. You can’t quantify Akil. He’s
“You give me your word? You won’t harm me?” I moistened my lips and gulped back the acidic burn of fear.
“Why would I harm my investment? It has not yet come to fruition.” He curled me a sly smile and bumped back against the wall.
I internally cursed. Akil had just dropped the Institute a little breadcrumb on which they could fixate about me. Almost immediately, Adam’s voice came over a speaker. “We will release the chains, if you agree to reattach them when ordered.”
Akil made a disgusted noise at the back of his throat. “Ordered? No. Ask with due respect, and I may oblige.”
The wrist shackles burst open and fell away from his arms to clatter against the wall. I had a second to think, ‘Oh shit’ before he plowed into me, slamming me back against the glass. He locked his hand around my throat, driving my chin up so I had no choice but to witness the wicked slash of a grin on his lips. “Do you think they could spill into this room before I broke your neck?” A single dark eyebrow arched high. “They do not believe so. Hence they do nothing.” He leaned all of his weight into me, crushing my body beneath the weight of his. Slick muscles rippled beneath my hands trapped between us. A visceral heat smothered me, not elemental, purely masculine. I didn’t move, didn’t flinch. If I fought him now, he could indeed snap my neck. Without my demon, I was easy prey, even if he too was elementally restrained.
He bowed his head low and skirted my lips with his. “They listen,” he barely spoke the words, just a fleeting breath, whispered so lightly they were almost thoughts in my mind.
My brow pinched, and I once again parted my lips to speak when he planted a salty finger on them to shush me. He searched my face, and his wicked smile softened. “You should not be here. They poison your body…” Sliding a hand down my arm, he caught my hand and turned it over, lifting my wrist to his lips. “And subdue your demon at a time when she is needed the most.”
“And you? We need you topside, Akil. Not here like this. No good can come from whatever this is.”
He released my hand and splayed his on the glass beside my head, then curled his fingers into a fist and bared his teeth, but the snarl wasn’t meant for me, despite his eyes never leaving mine. “You don’t need me, Muse. This is your time. You must choose.” He shoved off of me, peeling his warmth away, leaving me cold and aching to have him back. “Human or demon?” His voice lifted, and he cocked his head. “I find myself in much the same alarming predicament.”
“Is that what you are?” I rubbed at my throat. “Human?”
He stalked back. His keen eyes darted, reading the room, looking for weaknesses. “No. I am somewhere between the two. Somewhere—some thing I should not be.”
There, I caught a glimmer of concern beneath the mask. That was real. He rebuilt his defenses as his gaze settled on me once more, but I’d seen it. Whatever this was, it wasn’t entirely in his control, but nor was it out of his control either. He cut his dark-eyed gaze to the mirror. “Go to them. They have questions. I guarantee no answers.”
I turned and headed for the door, hating that I couldn’t speak freely with him.
“Muse…”
I knocked on the door and glanced back. He stood, arms crossed over his chest, head tilted a degree, his eyes studying me.
“Do not let them take your strength from you.”
The door opened, and I left Akil alone, unchained, but locked away, pacing his cell like the exotic feral animal he was.
Chapter Thirteen
“ I f you ask me , he’s faking it.” I admired Adam’s bookshelf filled with technical-sounding titles written by various doctors. Behind me, Adam leaned against the front of his solid oak desk. Like the man himself, his office was organized, neat. Everything had its place. “You have no idea what you’ve captured. You can’t quantify Akil. He’s
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