conduit, and you are bound to me.”
“And you to me, so what’s that supposed to mean?”
He licked her cheek. It was only then she realized tears spilled from her eyes. “What would you rather be? A slave to the ghouls?”
She shook her head, fought against despair and anger. Not a slave, no, not again . “It was a good plan, Azer. But you can’t control me. Let me go.”
“I cannot do that, Mara.” He frowned. “I must control Riffa. The shifters are my subjects, I am responsible for them.”
She should have known he’d refuse, but it had been worth a try. “I won’t be your slave.”
“I promise I won’t make you do things you hate, Mara.”
Not good enough. She took a deep breath, let it out. “You forced this on me.” He had toyed with her, had bonded with her, and, no matter how handsome he was, how warm, no matter if this bond freed her from Riffa’s contract, damn it, he had taken things out of her hands and way too far. Not again.
“I’m strong, Azer, stronger than a mortal. I don’t trust you, I’ll fight you every step of the way, and you don’t want that from a shadow. Unless…” She looked straight into his ice-blue eyes and took a gamble. “Unless you wear my collar. I may trust your word then, work with you to control Riffa.”
She waited, nails biting into her palms. Would he agree to have her as a keeper? He’d have to obey her to a certain degree, depend on her — a counterbalance to his control over her.
He frowned. “The werewolf King wears no collar.”
Mara balled her hands into firsts. “He will, now.” She wasn’t going to let him dominate her. Yet his strength drew her, she wanted to be his equal, nothing less. She had to try.
He must have seen the determination on her face, because his eyes widened. “You are serious.”
“You bet.”
“You think you can control me?”
She forced confidence she didn’t quite feel into her voice. “Watch me.”
He snorted, then licked his lips and snapped his fingers. The bond tightened inside her, pushed her to her knees, then to her belly, to sprawl before him.
Mara pushed back, grunting. The bond pressed her down like a hand of steel. She had to resist. The cold power of the dead gathered inside her. She sent it through the bond, pushed, and the pressure fell away. She jerked, and sat up. “My turn.”
Ignoring his gasp of surprise, she reached out through the bond, and pulled him down before her.
Azer’s eyes widened more. He pulled away, but his resistance was short-lived, and he knelt, bent forward until their noses touched. A touch of fear entered his clear gaze, then a spark of anger. “I cannot believe you are doing this.”
She wanted to shout it out with joy, but her voice wheezed from the strain. “Believe it.” That was as far as she could bend him; his will, his power was just too strong. A stalemate.
“I’m not a mortal, remember, I’m a half shadow. I’m not your pet, Azer.”
His gaze softened, then amusement filled it, and pulled his lips into a grin. “No, I see that now. A half Shadow, keeper of the werewolf King. It is fitting.” He became serious, but his eyes still danced. “Yes. I shall be yours.”
Mara let out a long breath. Through the bond, she felt the truth in Azer’s words, and something more, something warm like a caress. Not freedom, not independence, not dominance, but equal power, even affection. And that was more than she’d ever hoped for, dead or alive. “It’s a deal.”
About the Author
Greek Cypriot with a penchant for dark myths, good food, and a tendency to settle down anywhere but at home, Chrystalla likes to write about fantastical creatures, crazy adventures, and family bonds. She lives in Cyprus with her husband and her vast herds of books. Her stories can be found in Alienskin magazine, Lorelei Signal, the Shine Journal, Encounters Magazine, and Bards and Sages ezine i.a. She is also an author for MuseItUp Publishing where
“And you to me, so what’s that supposed to mean?”
He licked her cheek. It was only then she realized tears spilled from her eyes. “What would you rather be? A slave to the ghouls?”
She shook her head, fought against despair and anger. Not a slave, no, not again . “It was a good plan, Azer. But you can’t control me. Let me go.”
“I cannot do that, Mara.” He frowned. “I must control Riffa. The shifters are my subjects, I am responsible for them.”
She should have known he’d refuse, but it had been worth a try. “I won’t be your slave.”
“I promise I won’t make you do things you hate, Mara.”
Not good enough. She took a deep breath, let it out. “You forced this on me.” He had toyed with her, had bonded with her, and, no matter how handsome he was, how warm, no matter if this bond freed her from Riffa’s contract, damn it, he had taken things out of her hands and way too far. Not again.
“I’m strong, Azer, stronger than a mortal. I don’t trust you, I’ll fight you every step of the way, and you don’t want that from a shadow. Unless…” She looked straight into his ice-blue eyes and took a gamble. “Unless you wear my collar. I may trust your word then, work with you to control Riffa.”
She waited, nails biting into her palms. Would he agree to have her as a keeper? He’d have to obey her to a certain degree, depend on her — a counterbalance to his control over her.
He frowned. “The werewolf King wears no collar.”
Mara balled her hands into firsts. “He will, now.” She wasn’t going to let him dominate her. Yet his strength drew her, she wanted to be his equal, nothing less. She had to try.
He must have seen the determination on her face, because his eyes widened. “You are serious.”
“You bet.”
“You think you can control me?”
She forced confidence she didn’t quite feel into her voice. “Watch me.”
He snorted, then licked his lips and snapped his fingers. The bond tightened inside her, pushed her to her knees, then to her belly, to sprawl before him.
Mara pushed back, grunting. The bond pressed her down like a hand of steel. She had to resist. The cold power of the dead gathered inside her. She sent it through the bond, pushed, and the pressure fell away. She jerked, and sat up. “My turn.”
Ignoring his gasp of surprise, she reached out through the bond, and pulled him down before her.
Azer’s eyes widened more. He pulled away, but his resistance was short-lived, and he knelt, bent forward until their noses touched. A touch of fear entered his clear gaze, then a spark of anger. “I cannot believe you are doing this.”
She wanted to shout it out with joy, but her voice wheezed from the strain. “Believe it.” That was as far as she could bend him; his will, his power was just too strong. A stalemate.
“I’m not a mortal, remember, I’m a half shadow. I’m not your pet, Azer.”
His gaze softened, then amusement filled it, and pulled his lips into a grin. “No, I see that now. A half Shadow, keeper of the werewolf King. It is fitting.” He became serious, but his eyes still danced. “Yes. I shall be yours.”
Mara let out a long breath. Through the bond, she felt the truth in Azer’s words, and something more, something warm like a caress. Not freedom, not independence, not dominance, but equal power, even affection. And that was more than she’d ever hoped for, dead or alive. “It’s a deal.”
About the Author
Greek Cypriot with a penchant for dark myths, good food, and a tendency to settle down anywhere but at home, Chrystalla likes to write about fantastical creatures, crazy adventures, and family bonds. She lives in Cyprus with her husband and her vast herds of books. Her stories can be found in Alienskin magazine, Lorelei Signal, the Shine Journal, Encounters Magazine, and Bards and Sages ezine i.a. She is also an author for MuseItUp Publishing where
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