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He’d once believed that she was “everything ” from his life Could he still feel that way? And as she conteold to Rothkalina or calculating karats?
Why did she have the urge to peer up at him with equal captivation? She surrendered to her i to hiaze
They were—dare she say it?—having a old? Perhaps I rate after all?” The scowl returned, as if he was hardening himself She wanted to cry, No, no, no, just a few row i to see her And now she knew he’d already been struggling with his lust and curiosity when he’d been a young old into her, a memory to last forever Unless I can return
“Be about it, sorceress”
Since she’d planned to enthrall hi forward, as if on the verge of pouncing, made her hesitate “If I do this, how do I know you won’t try to touch ht?”
“I only intend to look,” he said, though she could sense his aggression
“Uh-huh”
“Do it, then” When she still hesitated, he said, “Don’t feign shyness—I know you’ve done this with a horde of males before h she was neither ashamed nor proud of the number of men she’d been with, his cruel jabs wounded her
At least now she better understood his resentood idea to put rowled at that “After your purported year of celibacy, I would expect you to be cli the walls for any male’s attentions And if I’m not
“I’ve heard tales of females like you” At her raised brows, he enunciated the words, “Easy quarry”
How could a maddened Vrekener hurt her so much?
Because he once looked at you with perfect acceptance, Lanthe And she feared she’d been searching for that look ever since she’d lost it
In order for her to be interested in a male, he needed to make her feel special—even if she kneas a ruse Despite Thronos’spast, he stood no chance “Even we ‘easy quarry’ girls have standards And you, Thronos Talos, are leaving me cold”
He scoffed “I could seduce you with ease You’ve welcomed scores before me with only minuscule effort on their part But I’ve no intention of taking you, nor even of touching you Both are offendments I only want to seeyour ht shone in his gaze “You Sorceri like to gaer with you—ht makes a bet
“If your body tempts me to touch it, then I’ll tell you how I found this temple and opened the door”
“And if it doesn’t tempt you?”
“The blow to your enchantress pride would be reward enough”
That is it! Noas imperative to wipe that sht she spied a flash of surprise in his expression “No sex, though”
He glowered, as if she’d suggested so ludicrous “I’ll breed no bastards! Alreadywill be half Sorceri Do you think I’d allow the first to be illegitimate on top of that?”
Asshole! Only Thronos could ruin this: her, in a teold with a physically attractive male He was like the anti-Sorceri—created to repel her
Forget enchanting hiuilement “I’ll remember this”
“What?”
“That you kill joy wherever you find it” She gave him her back as she unfastened the first of three clips on the side of her breastplate
Had his breaths quickened?
She gazed over her shoulder, saw his claws digging into the gold shelf, his throat working His voice dropped an octave when he commanded, “Off with it”
She unfastened the second clip
“That’s it,” hewith pent-up lust
As she was undoing the last clip, she heard so frorowing in volu was approaching “Thronos, as that?”
“Heard nothing Continue”
“Coain
“There’s nothing to fear out there!”
When the entire temple rocked, she snapped, “Oh, really?”
He made a coarse sound of frustration; then she heard the swoop of his wings She whirled around to find hirave face
His eyes appeared to have darkened, and she could swear his horns were straightening—just like a demon’s would when he became aroused
In other words, Thronos doesn’t live here any for her, he bit out, “To tideto wake out of a daze, Thronos dropped his hands And she could have sworn upstanding Dudley Do-Right grated, “Fuck”
EIGHTEEN
Thronos lunged for her, shoving her behind the stone door that led to thearound her
“What is it?” she whispered
“I sht they were going extinct across all worlds”