A Savage Debt (The Beholden Duet #1) - Zoey Ellis Page 0,18

feast were all crammed into his mouth one after the other.

Ana watched him, fascination edging into her terror. She’d never seen anyone eat so readily with their hands, except the infants of commoners when she visited some of the villages, and certainly not with such strong focus. He ate as though it was the first meal he’d had for a while, or as if he wasn’t planning to have another meal for at least a week. Perhaps it was both.

Finally, he wiped his mouth and turned, looking over the room again as he chewed the last of his mouthful. When his eyes hit her, she tensed.

“Undress.”

Ana’s cheeks warmed, but she couldn’t look away. So much for trying to distract him with food. She swallowed, gripping her hands together tight. “I can’t…. do it on my own.”

The outlaw’s eyes remained on her a moment longer, and then he moved to the walled-off area and she heard him washing his hands and face.

Ana closed her eyes and blew out a slow steady breath as quietly as she could, settling her nerves. She could to this.

The Alpha took his time washing, and when he finally returned, he stood in the middle of the room and shrugged off his outer furs. The expression on his face made her stomach jitter, but she forced herself to hold his gaze as he rolled up the sleeves of his tunic.

He came toward her and her breath hitched in her throat, but he stopped by the bed.

“What the fuck is this?” He picked up the book on the bed, turning it over and flicking through it.

Agitation nudged through her that he was touching it. “It’s called a book.”

His eyes darkened as they flicked to hers. “You brought a book?”

“It’s one of my favorites,” she said, hoping the shaking in her chest wasn’t present in her voice.

A gruff sound came from his throat as he threw it back down on the bed. “You think I will allow you time to read it?”

Ana pressed her lips together as he rounded the bed but couldn’t think of anything to say before he grabbed her by the arm and spun her around. Her dress jerked, and a harsh rip tore through the room as it suddenly loosened on her.

Ana gasped, pressing her hands to her body to hold the dress in place. “What are you doing?”

He spun her back around, gripping her by the base of her neck, his fingers entwined in her hair as his dark eyes captured hers. “Whatever the fuck I want, Analisa.” The bass of his voice echoed in her chest. “That is why I am here.” Before she could respond, he gripped her hard and dragged her to the window.

What she saw made her gasp. Under the darkening sky, a large crowd had gathered at the edge of the royal grounds. They were far enough away that she couldn’t see their faces, but close enough that their bodies and clothing were distinct. They appeared to be commoners from the nearby fields, but why would they be gathered there? As soon as she appeared at the window, a flurry of activity jostled the crowd, some of them pointing directly at her and waving.

Mortified, Ana struggled to move away from the window, but the Alpha was too strong. He held her in place, forcing her to stay put. “Be still.”

She froze at his instruction, breathing hard as she quietly panicked. Something about his voice affected her in a strange way. It was as though when he spoke the vibration burrowed deep within her chest and tugged at something wild and instinctive within her.

He grabbed her wrist and forced each arm down to her side, one by one, leaving her dress with no support. The neckline dropped to her shoulders, revealing her neck, and the Alpha lowered farther until his nose pressed into her shoulder.

The crowd slowly stilled, and although Ana couldn’t see their faces, she could tell they were watching what was happening, and could see both her and the outlaw. She squeezed her eyes shut, embarrassment almost making her weak at the knees as the Alpha ran his nose along her collarbone and slowly up her neck. She exhaled and relaxed slightly as a tingling warmth rushed throughout her body.

He was scenting her. And the experience was… not unpleasant.

The tingle strengthened as it reached her nipples, hardening them almost painfully, and stretched along the length of her stomach to curl between her legs. Confusion swam in her mind