Chapter 19

Nineteen

Moon

I flail and kick, just in case, and scream. But my own voice just echoes back to me, and I flinch. Ouch. I pound my fists against my latest abductor's back, and when that fails, I lift his shirt and scratch the fuck outta his back.

“All I wanted was one little orgasm! Is that too much for a girl to ask for?! Because I’ve been worked up so many times over the last week with no release, I might die!!” I reach around homie’s waist and scratch, rolling my eyes. “Of course, you have abs.” I hear him hiss and smile.

I might not be escaping, but at least I’m annoying. Of course, fruit flies are annoying but don’t really cause harm. So…

“Woman!” the man snaps, and when a firm, flat palm slaps my ass, I freeze.

“Did you just SPANK ME?!” I roar, and because I’m so mature, I wiggle and stretch until I can feel his hip. When I pull my arm back and slap my palm down on his ass with all the strength I have from this position, he stops walking.

I shake my hand out because that actually fucking hurt like a bitch. I get dizzy when he grabs me, and I can feel that he’s flung me off him. I’m flying through the air and expect a painful landing, so I brace myself.

Only, I land on what feels like a mattress.

I’m tugging at the bag and ready to start hyperventilating because it won’t come off when my magenta-eyed assailant tugs it off for me. I launch forward, aiming for the jugular. That’s his throat, right? Whatever, I’m going for a throat punch when his palm flies out and connects with my forehead. He holds me back, in what is probably the most embarrassing way possible.

So, like the badass I am, I grab his wrist, throw my legs up and around his bicep, and wrap around his arm like a fucking spider-monkey. Then, my most obvious next move is to bite the bitch. So, I do. I shove the fucker’s entire thumb into my mouth and bite.

He shouts, and I taste blood. Then I freeze.

I spit his hand out of my mouth and release him. When my back hits the mattress, I use all my strength to kick his chest and send him falling to his ass. It’s at that moment I realize we’re still in the forest, and I’m not on a mattress but a bed of moss.

“What the fuck!” I shout, spitting his blood out and wiping my mouth. “Why does… why’d that taste… what’s wrong with your blood?!” I demand and look down to see him sitting on his ass, staring up at me like I’m a goddess.

At least that’s what I think his wide-eyed, jaw-dropped stare looks like.

“You bit me,” he whispers.

“You put a bag over my head and spanked me,” I accuse, pointing a finger at him. “You literally fucking started this.” I shake my head, glaring. “You’re lucky my powers are being a flaccid penis right now.” That statement makes him frown, but I flip him off.

“You’re mine, little badger.” His smirk is annoying, but that fucking nickname?

“Badger…” My eyebrows go up, and I squint at him, pursing my lips. The fuck kinda nickname is that?

“Feisty, ruthless, likes to bite. Badger.” He sits forward, resting his arms on his bent knees, and inspects his thumb.

“Well, okay, Baba Yaga.” I roll my eyes, and he snorts.

“Really? Old woman who kidnaps mischievous children from the Human realm?” He lifts a brow, and his magenta eyes sparkle in the moonlight. I get on my hands and knees and crawl forward, looking into his eyes with a frown. So familiar…

“If the shoe fits, Baba.” I’m staring into his eyes too intensely because he backs up, scooting his ass over the forest floor, but doesn’t get up. “Not worried Silas is coming for me?”

“He’s out cold and will be for the rest of the night. Would have killed him, but you seemed into it, so I pulled back at the last second.”

“Oh, you thought you were saving me? What the fuck is up with all these strangers saving me?” I throw my hands up. “For your information he’s—” I pause, maybe I shouldn’t reveal that the Light One is my Heart Bonded. Already not looking forward to explaining that to Arlo. “He’s really hot.” I turn away from him, looking around, and notice he’s got us in a hidden area.

“Really hot? That’s all it takes?”

“For him.” I nod, knowing exactly what he was trying to hint at. “I’m gonna go now,” I say, moving off his moss bed thing and standing. “Don’t wanna have to kick your ass in the fourth trial.” Which I hope is easy. Of course, it won’t be. But ya know, fingers crossed.

“Jackass,” a deep and familiar voice says, and I spin around to see Lust walking over. He looks up, and his steps falter, but then he’s charging me. “You’re not dead,” he whispers, and in just a few seconds, I’m wrapped up in a bear hug. Or a bird hug, I guess. I snuggle into him because it’s the first time I haven’t been on edge in days. His familiar scent and protective hold soothe me.

Then I pull back and lady up. This is the Games, and I can’t be a wimp.

“You know her?” the other guy asks, and Lust lowers me to my feet, glaring at magenta eyes. I remember him now, from the day I signed up for the Games. Cocky Elf jerk face.

“Old friends,” is all Lust says, and I’m good with that. I take the necklace off and stuff it in my bra with the pebbles, including the newest little pearl Silas gave me in the caves. I guess I can’t hide from the cameras forever.

“She wants to go off on her own.”

“She just wants to get away from you, Prince.” Lust glares at the other man, and my head snaps to the Elf.

“Prince! Oh, fuck’s sake. I bit the Elven Prince?!” I shout, and then, all the pieces click together in my mind, and I realize why his magenta eyes are familiar. My jaw drops, but I lift my hand to cover my mouth. I can’t say shit, because I just took off my necklace. Yeah, no, I need answers. I pull that shit right back out, but the Elven Prince holds his hand up.

“Don’t bother. Mine’s stronger.” He lifts it from under his shirt, showing me his own necklace. “No one can see or hear any of us, unless I deactivate, which I only do for a trial.”

“Holy, mother forking shirt balls,” I say, having seen a really pretty blonde lady say it on TV once. That moment feels basically the same as this one. “He’s… you’re…” I stomp over to the man still sitting on the ground, drop to my knees in front of him, and grab his face, looking at his eyes.

“Moon,” Lust warns, but I wave him off. He probably has no idea what’s going on right now.

“You’re his brother…” Those words seem to grab his attention because Prince Tristan glares.

“I don’t have any brothers.”

“You have one.” But then I realize that wasn’t my information to tell. Shit. “I shouldn’t have said that.” I’m about to back away, but Tristan grabs my elbow and tugs the sleeve of my shirt up my arm. My bonded mark is revealed, and leaping lizards, it’s bigger.

I stare at it, and after a few seconds, I’m tugging my own sleeve up. When it’s clear I can’t get the sleeve up far enough, I just take the shirt off, since I have a tank top on under this anyway.

“Bitch tits…” I whisper when I see that it now extends all the way up to my shoulder.

The leaves and flames are still there, but now I see feathers and things that I can only describe as smoke… Is that a fucking eyeball?!

“Cum dumpster.” I sit back on my ass, and at some point, I look up, because it’s way too quiet.

“I don’t think I’ve seen such an intricate mark for a Heart Bond,” Tristan says, rubbing at a spot on his neck. He whispers something under his breath, and a mark that looks nearly identical to Arlo’s appears. “Thought mine was so large because of my bloodline.”

When I tell you that I just about shit my pants, I mean it metaphorically. I have full control over my bowels, even in these kinds of situations, but fuuuck me.

“Wow.” I nod. “Lucky girl?” I ask, because maybe I’m wrong, but Tristan smirks.

“Do you feel lucky?” he asks, but it’s not really a question. It does confirm that I have three Heart Bonds, though.

“Three Heart Bonds,” I whisper, and Tristan snorts.

“Yeah, that’s way more than three, Badger.”

“I’ve… I’m…” I trail off, looking back down at my Mark. “Well, dick weasels.” I look over my shoulder at Lust, needing to see his reaction. He’s just standing there, eyes locked on my Mark.

“Heart Bonded?” he asks, and I nod. “Oh.” He looks away, and I flinch. I don’t know why he looks hurt. I don’t know why I’m suddenly sad. I guess I always just thought I’d be with him one day. Someday. Maybe. I mean, I threw my naked body at the man, for fuck's sake. Ha, no pun intended.

“Yeah,” is all I can say before I’m looking away from him too.