Chapter 85

The Prey

I stood frozen. The sharp shard of porcelain trembling in my hand turning my knuckles white as I pressed it to his throat. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as my breaths came in shallow gasps, that’s when the weight of what I had just done started sinking in.

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t move. Instead, his cold pale merciless eyes remained locked on mine, unblinking, as if daring me to follow through. His lips twisted into a dark, almost amused smirk.

“You’re brave, Ptichka,” he tilted his head, his eyes turning darker than I’ve ever seen. "But you don't have the guts."

I pressed harder, feeling the shard dig into his skin. A tiny bead of blood welled up against the pale surface of his neck, but still, he didn’t react. He was taunting me, daring me to push further. To break whatever fragile boundary still existed between us.

“I hate you,” I whispered again, my voice hoarse, raw and I wish I could slice his throat ope