The Alpha King Marked Me. I Still Haven't Told Him I'm A Girl novel Chapter 151

Chapter 151: Extra Chapters (Valka & Lucien) II

He taps the end of the brush against his cheek, head tilted as if studying a puzzle only he can see. "Somewhere no one will find your hide after I am done flaying it off your bones." Then he smiles charmingly, fangs caressing his lower lip, pointing at the sketch. "This? This is for when I’ve carved you down so thoroughly I won’t even remember the face you started with. When I’ve peeled the truth out of you, layer after stubborn layer, until I reach that pathetic little spark that makes you think you can fuck with me."

My blood runs cold. I try to find the bluff in his expression or hear the usual amusement or humor in his tone but all I’m met with is an icy rage that has festered and curdled. And I realize with horror as he hums, pleased with himself, that he is mad enough to actually kill me.

I suppose anyone would, when they find out that you’ve been fucking with their head.

He inhales like a man who’s tasted something truly delightful and wants more of it. When I yank at the ropes, fear leaping into my heart, his smile widens. "Oh, that," he purrs. "That is a beautiful look on you, thief."

My eyes frantically search the room for an exit.

He doesn’t bother to look up. "Fat lot of good that will do you. Still, I could give you a head start. It’s been years since I last enjoyed chasing prey." His gaze flicks to my shorter legs. "Though I doubt you’ll get very far."

"What do you want?" I groan against the bit.

He shuts the little sketch book and unrolls to his feet, clasping his hands behind his back as he approaches. He bends awfully close until our noses brush and all I can see is rare violet. Then he slides two fingers under the strap of the bit and pulls it free.

"When I saw you and realized what you had done to me, I thought of the thousand different ways I could repay you in kind. I haven’t quite decided which it might be first. Limb from limb? A swift death? Breaking your spine?" He sucks in a little breath and sick glee shines in his eyes. "Until I do, you’ll serve as entertainment."

My heart is pounding rapidly. His lips are close. I remember what it had felt like that first time years ago, straddling him, kissing him. The high of having his hands on me, his teeth. Nothing has ever come close.

I rein in my fear, my dark thoughts as much as I can, then smile sweetly up at him. "I’m perfectly fine staying right here. There’s an awfully comfortable bed. I bet there’s food decent enough to feed a king. And I don’t have to get out of bed. That sounds like a vacation to me." I wiggle slightly, looking back at my wrists. "You think you could loosen these for me a bit? I don’t mind the ropes. It’s quite... kinky."

The King blinks slowly. "You are not frightened."

I feel his fingers at my throat half a second later, nails biting into my skin as he all but strangles me. "This is your doing, then? Your compulsion?"

I can’t breathe. Air fails to track down my windpipe and my words break into ragged scraps. "Tell yourself... that if... it’ll make you feel better."

He recoils from me immediately. And as I blink back the water from my eyes, I see that he is gone.

Hours later a maid, doe-eyed and soft-spoken frees me. They clean me, clothe me, set food before me. When I ask to leave, the answer is the same as the look on everyone’s face. No. And it’s strange, how little that disturbs me.

In truth, I don’t want to go home quite yet.

Either way, I don’t see Lucien for the rest of the week. And when the next one rolls by dully while I occupy my time with sleeping, eating, training out of sheer boredom and picking up a new hobby of sneaking into his study to read at night and I find that the study smells warmly of him, I understand then that he isn’t gone. He’s just been avoiding me.