fey will give. I think most will say access to women.”
“Yeah, you might be right,” she agreed thoughtfully.
I turned back to Merdon.
“Okay, finish this one. I like it when you?”
“I like it when you sleep peacefully.”
My chest tightened uncomfortably, and I glanced down at the paper.
“And this one? Right now I’m feeling…”
“Right now I’m feeling things you’re not ready to hear.”
Heart thundering, I stared at the paper. If not for the kiss, I would have thought the feelings he was hinting at were nice ones. Given his tone, tough, I was pretty sure that wasn’t the case.
“The last one is ‘I wish I could…’” Emily said softly.
“I wish I could take your pain, but I can’t. It’s yours to keep or let go.” He stood. “Meet me downstairs in five minutes.”
He stalked away, and I looked at Emily even though I knew she would be able to see my confusion. He said I was his. By fey standards, that should have meant his romantic interest. Instead, I got the feeling he meant I was his pain in the ass. But he’d said he liked it when I slept peacefully. That was a nice thing to say. Wasn’t it?
How could those four little sentences get in my head so much?
“These are better than the questions,” I said, sliding the paper back to Emily.
Chapter Eighteen
Merdon paced, a restless prowl that stopped when he heard me on the basement steps. Emily’s little game had obviously pissed him off, but I doubted he’d direct that anger at her. The way he was glowering in my direction said I’d be the target.
“Have you ever tried meditation?” I asked. “It’s supposed to be really relaxing and calming.”
His eyes narrowed, giving me the impression that I’d just poked the bear.
“Never mind,” I mumbled, shuffling onto the mat. I really didn’t want to be there. My stomach was too full.
“You’re small and weak. Stop depending on strength when avoiding me. You need to be fast.”
“Right. But we already established that I’m slow.”
“You need to be faster.”
“Tell me honestly. Are you doing this to teach me how to avoid being bitten by an infected or because you’re angry at me and want a little revenge?”
“Are you asking so you can find a way to manipulate the situation to your advantage?”
I frowned at him.
“That’s a horrible thing to say.”
“Is it? Because it’s true or because you don’t want it to be true?”
“Why are you being so mean?”
“I’ve asked myself that same question about you countless times.”
“Gah! You’re such an asshole.”
He crouched, showing he was ready for whatever I had to dish out.
“Fine, you don’t want to admit what this is? Whatever. Do what you need to do.” Rather than crouching, I just held my arms out wide and waved him forward.
His eyes narrowed fractionally then I was being flipped as I fell backward. A squawk ripped from my throat the moment I understood what was coming. I barely settled face first on the mat before his hand came cracking down on my ass cheek.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I screeched. “I thought we were biting!”
He picked me up as I was still trying to rub away the sting, then he got right in my face.
“You weren’t trying.”
Only his fast reflexes prevented me from biting his nose off.
“You are the most infuriating son of a—”
Flip.
Spank.
“Dammit, Merdon!”
With his arms crossed, he watched me scramble to my feet.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, so furious I was close to tears.
“I want you to try.”
“Fine.”
I got into a crouch.
“Are we biting or spanking now?”
“Does it matter?”
“No, they’re both equally painful and upsetting. Can we just punish each other with hugs?”
He made a sound, suspiciously close to a chuckle, before he came flying at me.
For the next several hours, I did my best to avoid spanking and bites. When I ran out of breath, he gave me a few minutes on the mat before goading me back onto my feet. When my legs gave out, he just provoked me until I stood again. He was relentless and merciless even as I whined and begged for him to stop.
Panting and face down on the mat, I questioned his sanity.
“You’re the one who should be locked in a room,” I rasped. “Spank me. Bite me. I don’t care.”
His hand came down on the same flaming spot that had been abused at least a dozen times already. I didn’t flinch.