Chapter 102. Will You Betray Me?

The words hit the space between them like a thrown blade. For a heartbeat, Gavriel didn’t move. His eyes, dark as a storm, flickered with something she couldn’t quite name—anger, hunger, respect.

The grip on her hips tightened, but not cruelly; it was as if he were holding her together instead of breaking her apart.

“Then prove it,” he rasped, his mouth brushing the shell of her ear. Althea’s breath came fast, chest rising and falling as his words sank into her. She could feel him—thick, unrelenting, pulsing beneath her—and the demand in his voice sent a shiver through her body.

“Take me in,” he hoarsely commanded.

Her lips parted, and instead of obeying at once, she rocked her hips slowly, deliberately teasing him. The motion made his jaw tense, his control fraying by the second.

“Is this what you want, my king?” Althea whispered, her voice low but edged with defiance. “I can be more than just someone to satisfy your desires,” she reminded