He released her hand but demanded, Dip the quill in your blood and sign the contract.
Her body jerked, strained and, he was intrigued to see, she hesitated a second before she did as she was told. He watched as she did this, her face pale, her body trembling.
Could she possibly fight mesmerization?
It was, he knew, impossible. However, if she could, she’d be even more fun.
She put the quill down and turned to him.
I hate you.
He put a hand to her neck, his thumb resting along her jugular, her heart beating heavily against his skin and in his ears.
“That won’t last long, my pet,” he assured her.
Don’t call me your pet.
“You are my pet.”
She wrinkled her nose at him, it was meant to communicate her irritation and disgust. However, he found it adorable.
He had not, until she’d done it in The Selection, had anyone backtalk him while he was communicating nonverbally. He’d been surprised and pleased she had this heretofore unknown ability.
It would make things more interesting. Hell, it already was.
He turned to the table, took the dagger and pierced his own finger. Going through the same motions as she’d done, he signed the contract.
Once completed, he used the tip of the dagger to mingle their blood in the plate as she stood trembling beside him.
He moved into her and her body tensed.
“You can’t fight it, Leah.”
This can’t be legal, she snapped.
She was right. It absolutely wasn’t. If anyone knew he’d forced her signature through mesmerization, he’d be punished. Or they’d try to punish him.
They wouldn’t succeed, of course. They’d have to kill him first.
She was, he knew without a doubt, going to be worth any risk.
He positioned her in front of him, one of his arms going around her waist holding her tight against his chest and his stomach. Her sweet ass pressed to his thighs.
Feeling her soft body against his hard one, he knew it would be a long week to wait for The Bloodletting.
He reached across the front of her taking up the quill and he dipped it in their combined blood.
Take my hand in yours, he commanded.
She did as she was told.
Together they wrote the word Bound between their names in their mingled blood.
It was done. She was his.
Triumph seared through him.
He hadn’t felt that in a long time either and he liked it the best of all.