of the vines pierced him through his left forearm near his elbow, the needle-like spike punching easily through his flesh.
It threw his little goddess—no—his little warrioress off her game.
She rushed to him, the demigoddess forgotten as her eyes darted over his arm and the six-inch barb protruding from it.
“I’m sorry.” Her gaze leaped to meet his.
“I am fine. Stop the female.” He grabbed the vine and yanked it free of his flesh, grunted again as pain tore through him and blood rolled down to his elbow.
Calindria whirled away from him.
But it was too late.
He could feel the demigoddess was gone, and he wanted to growl at that, wanted to curse and unleash the rage that poured through him, but held it back, aware that if he did, Calindria would feel as if she had done something wrong.
When she had done nothing wrong.
He was the one who was at fault.
“Calindria,” he started but wasn’t sure what to say, how to apologise for what he had done.
Her eyes landed on him and his strength faltered, fear quick to chip away at it, to fill his mind with thoughts of her leaving him. She would never forgive him. He steeled himself, refusing to believe that. His little female had a kind heart. There was a chance that if he told her right now the things he had done, she would forgive him. If he kept them to himself and she learned of them from the demigoddess though, she would be furious with him, might even turn her back on him.
“What’s wrong?” Her gaze darted over him and the scarlet in her eyes brightened. Her fangs flashed between her lips as she spoke, anger etching her delicate features with darkness. “The bitch touched you didn’t she? I will kill her.”
“Wait.” He lunged for her, shook off the fog that rolled through his head as he moved too quickly. Fear she might hear this from another drove him together with fear she would get herself hurt. He didn’t want her to leave his side, not even for a second, never again. “Calindria… the drug… no… She was talking and I wished to keep her talking and I… I placed my hands upon her waist and my lips upon the vile flesh of her throat.”
Calindria’s face blackened, her lips flattening as the fire in her eyes blazed brighter. Brambles burst from the ground around her feet and he reached for her, aching to seize hold of her and keep her with him, to force her to stay at his side until she accepted his apology. He needed to know he hadn’t messed up everything.
“I… I am furious with myself and I should never have… I hate what I have done and I need you to know I stopped and I…” Thanatos pulled down a breath and released it, hopelessness swift to invade him as it leaked from him. “I understand if you could never forgive me for betraying you, but know it will never happen again.”
She stepped up to him rather than backing away, stared deep into his eyes, her brows knitted tightly. “How much drug is in your system?”
He shrugged. “Enough that I am finding it very difficult to concentrate right now, with you standing before me. Enough that I thought perhaps dying and risking resurrection was a good method of escape.”
That seemed to please her, smoothed some of the sharpness from her expression, softening it.
“I forgive you, Thanatos, because you are not yourself, but know this.” She squared up to him, and he had never seen her so dark, or so damned alluring. “If you ever think to get information in such a way again, I will not be so lenient. The thought of another knowing these lips makes me want to rage, to level this land and kill all in it.”
She brushed her fingers across his lips.
He shivered.
“Gods,” he uttered, had to shift his left leg forwards as his leathers pinched, her words and the sight of her wreaking havoc on him.
Rose stained her cheeks and her eyes darted down to his crotch. “Are you—Did I just make you—?”
“Hard?” he mumbled. “Like stone.”
Her blush deepened.
“Forgive me, and do it quickly. I ache for your kiss.” His gaze fell to her lips.
The corners of them lifted, and she stepped up to him, the feel of the form-fitting supple black leather she wore driving him wild as she brushed against him. She tiptoed and kissed him, and he growled and seized her mouth, couldn’t hold