17. Kali

17

KALI

T he aftermath is chaos, but Taren is victorious. Blood spatters the floor and walls. My heart jumps at the gruesome scene before me. Bodies lie motionless, their eyes open but devoid of life. A wave of nausea washes over me, and I struggle to keep from retching.

Matias appears beside me, his face streaked with crimson. He grabs my arm, his grip almost bruising. "Come with me," he growls.

I want to protest, to pull away from his grasp, but something in his eyes silences me.

He leads me away from the carnage, out into the cool night air. The woods envelop us, the trees casting long shadows in the moonlight. I should feel afraid, being alone with this man who has inflicted so much pain and torment upon me. And yet, a strange sense of relief washes over me, grateful to be away from the horrors we've just witnessed .

Matias's grip on my arm loosens slightly but doesn't release me entirely. We walk silently; the only sounds are the crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the distant call of nocturnal creatures. I glance at him, his jaw clenched, and brow furrowed. For a moment, he almost seems human.

But then I remember the violence he's capable of, the way he enjoys toying with my emotions and desires. A shudder runs through me, and I avert my gaze, focusing on the path ahead.

As we move deeper into the forest, away from the sounds of the auction and the haunting memories it holds, my heart begins to steady.

I sense Matias's gaze on me, burning with that familiar intensity that always seems to see right through me.Suddenly, he spins me around to face him, his eyes glittering with a primal hunger. "Rabbit," he growls, his hands grasping my arms with a force that leaves no room for escape. His lips crash on mine, and the kiss is ravenous and wild. I taste the salt of his skin and the metallic tang of blood and feel the scrape of his unshaven jaw. It ignites a heat that spreads through my veins.

Matias's hands move urgently, tearing at my clothes, his touch both demanding and possessive. He pushes me back against a sturdy tree, the rough bark scraping my skin, and then lifts me against it. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, needing to feel him against me.

His teeth graze my neck, and a shiver runs through me. Matias's mouth travels down, leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses along my collarbone. I close my eyes, surrendering to the sensations. His hands are everywhere, exploring, claiming.

"You like that, little rabbit?" he asks, tangling his fingers in my hair and tilting my head back.

I swallow. "Don't call me that." Even as I try to fight him, my body arches toward him, wanting more, aching for it.

A low rumble vibrates against my skin as he nips at my neck. "But it fits you so well, my little rabbit. So fragile and delicate. Yet so full of fire."

Fire. That's what courses through my veins as he trails his lips lower, my breath catching in my throat as his tongue teases my nipples, making me moan.

He sucks gently, his teeth grazing the taut nipple. A moan escapes my lips, and I can no longer deny the pleasure that consumes me.

"You're so responsive." His hand glides down, slipping between my thighs.

I gasp as he gently parts them, his fingers teasing, exploring.

"So wet already," he whispers. "You've been wanting this ever since last night, haven't you?"

I nod, unable to find my voice, as his fingers stroke and circle my clit. His touch is gentle and firm as he drives me to the brink before pulling back just enough to keep me wanting more.

Then, finally, he releases his hard cock from the confines of his pants and presses against me, forcing a soft whimper from me. He teases me mercilessly, rubbing the leaking head of his dick against my slick folds, my clit throbbing with need.

"Please," I whisper.

"Please, what?" His breath comes in sharp pants. "Tell me what you want, and I might just give it to you."

"Please fuck me," I breathe, my cheeks burning with the confession. "Fuck me hard and rough and deep. I crave it so fucking badly."

Matias growls, his eyes dark and fierce. "That's what I like to hear." He slams his hips forward in a fluid motion and bottoms out inside me.

The force of his thrust knocks the breath from my lungs, and I cry out. This man fills and stretches me perfectly as if we were made to fit. I feel the burn of it, a delicious sting that only heightens my pleasure.

Matias's hips move in and out with a primal urgency. Each thrust is deliberate, intended to spark the coals of my desire until they're raging.

His fingers dig into my hips, holding me in place as he pounds into me. I can feel the roughness of the tree bark against my back, rubbing my skin. It only adds to the overwhelming sensation of being possessed, claimed.

Matias leans in, his mouth close to my ear. "You're mine," he snarls. "Only mine."

His teeth sink into the tender flesh of my shoulder, and I cry out. It's a sweet pain, one that sends shards of pleasure straight to my core. I can feel his lips and tongue lapping at the mark he's made, soothing it.

His fingers dig into my skin as he moves faster and harder. The roughness of his touch will leave bruises on my skin like a map of possession. I can feel his urgency, his need to claim me. He wants to brand me, mark me as his own, and I want it just as badly.

I surrender to the storm of pleasure that rages through me, my body moving in perfect rhythm with his. The entire world shrinks to the sensation of him.

"That's it," he grunts. "Come for me."

His command shatters me into a million pieces. My cries echo through the trees as my body convulses around him. He continues to thrust, riding out my waves of pleasure, his release nearing. With a final, powerful surge, he finds his climax, his body shuddering as he fills me with his cum.

We remain there, breathless, our hearts pounding in unison. He leans his forehead against mine, and for a moment, I feel something soften in his gaze. But then, he pulls away, his eyes cold and hard again.

And I realize in this moment the only thing that can come from this is pain, as this man is a cold and calculating psychopath.