second glance, but this guy just wants to play games.
“To be served by such an enchanting creature is a gift from the gods,” he purrs, his voice like fine silk. “Thank you.”
I nod, not at all interested in making conversation with this cocky male. He might be more handsome than the devil ever was, but he’s just as sinful. It’s easy to see the carnal thoughts lurking in his gaze, and all it does is make me more wary.
The next Incarus remains silent when I serve his drink and wraps his long fingers around it, gazing into the mug like it carries an answer he desperately needs to see. He’s the largest of the group and no less attractive than the rest, but something about him makes me want to run away, just as much as I want to trail my finger along the black tribal tattoo circling his massive bicep. The fact I want to touch a complete stranger confuses me.
The flirt chooses that moment to grasp my wrist, and the contact has my heart beating furiously within my rib cage. Euphoria mixed with anxiety soars through me, and I bring my wide gaze to his bright one.
“What is your name?” he asks.
Despite his visual appeal, I narrow my eyes at him. “Let go.”
He only grips me tighter, and instead of retracting my arm, I find I’m suddenly lethargic and my limbs are heavy. It’s as if a dense fog, filled with lust and curiosity, now swirls around me, enveloping me with the need to go to him, to touch him. I shake my head to clear it, but I don’t do more than blink once. My lack of control over my body is like a shot of adrenaline, beginning in my chest right before it zips down to my fingertips.
“Let me go,” I say again, jerking my wrist back. It’s a pathetic attempt, and his strength, which is way beyond that of a human, keeps me in place. A surge of panic hits me, causing my eyes to widen further and my breaths to thin. I know I should get away from him, but at the same time, I don’t want to. What in the hell is happening to me?
A deep voice wrenches me from my conflicting thoughts. “Enough, Ezarith. Leave her be.”
I swing my gaze to the speaker, but he’s already looking at me.
Only at me.
Ella
The male named Ezarith cocks his head, his dark hair falling into his eyes. “Why should I?”
I suck in a breath at the challenge in his tone. There is a power play in session, and I’m definitely the catalyst for it, but I don’t think this has anything to do with me personally. However, the tension filling the atmosphere somewhat dulls the strange sensations I’m experiencing. I highly suspect they’re coming from Ezarith.
My rescuer’s black eyes burn with a strong emotion I can’t decipher, and it contrasts greatly with the casual manner in which he lounges in his chair. From the way he crosses his arms over his broad chest, his sleeveless shirt straining against taut muscle, to the relaxed pull at the corner of his lips, he’s every bit as calm as I am alarmed. And yet a vein pulses in his throat and his ebony eyes flash crimson in the lights.
He raises a single brow. “She is not to be touched.”
I start at this and wonder if he’s the leader of their group or if I’m just sensing his assertiveness. If I am, I’m not the only one.
Ezarith finally releases me and then waves a hand, expelling an exasperated sigh. “I just wanted to have a little fun, that’s all. Bravik, you would know what that’s like if you’d remove that ever-present probe from your ass. Besides, this is our nature, and I cannot help what I am.”
“What? A whore?” The largest Incarus scoffs, never lifting his gaze from his brew. “You use our thirst as an excuse for your behavior.”
Ezarith clicks his tongue. “Now, now, Kalach, even you have to satisfy the thirst on occasion, so let’s not play the innocent.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat, hurriedly walking to the next Incarus and giving him his drink. The strange sensation continues to flow over me, a magnetism pulling me toward him, just like the others. He doesn’t do more than nod in thanks, and I move on to Bravik, the one whose eyes continue to smolder with his thoughts. My hand trembles slightly when I set down