Page 109 of Venomous Desires

For a second I even contemplated walking back to the door and beg Kyle, but the thought went as soon as it came when a shiver raced down my spine the moment I sensed movement in the shadows.

A breathless gasp left my lips as my gaze snapped to the far corner of the room, where the darkness seemed to pulse and shift. My mouth went dry, my pulse racing, every instinct screaming at me to run. But I was rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to breathe.

And then… I saw him.

My nightmare emerged from the darkness like a storm. Cold fire in his eyes suddenly drew me in and held me captive in his piercing gaze.

For a second, I thought I had just imagined him, that the man in front of me couldn’t look as lethal, but when he took a step forward, I felt the brutal aura suffocating me. The dark suit that whispered against his skin was perfectly dangerous and equally venomous. The surrounding air trembled and pressed me down with his demanding presence. Silence screamed, andso did my head as I stumbled back unconsciously.

“J-Judas…” I whimpered as he closed the distance, taking slow, deliberate steps like a predator closing in on prey. Light flickered on his face; the pale eyes shimmered, and so did the curve of his lips I failed to notice earlier. Those damned eyes raked over me, devouring, owning every inch before his gaze locked onto mine with an untamed intensity.

“You look so scared, Ptichka,” he murmured, he tilted his head, feigning innocence, as if he hadn’t just emerged from the shadows like some phantom, nearly stopping my heart in the process. At that moment, I would have gladly chosen a heart attack over facing him. His lips curled into that dark smile, the one that promised nothing but ruin. “You’re not thinking of running away now, are you?”

Keep it together, Sera. Just keep your head high. He’s just trying to scare you. But the truth burned in my veins—I knew he didn’t have to try. One look from him, and I was already undone.

“Are you curious?” he continued, and his wicked whisper coiled around me. “Wondering just how deep I’ll sink into that pretty little throat of yours.”

I swallowed hard, taking another step back, my hands desperately pulling the flaps of the coat tighter, praying he wouldn’t catch any glimpse.

The demon stepped closer, and his hand brushed against my cheek. I flinched as his fingers trailed down my neck, pushing the collar of the coat aside. He tilted my chin up, forcing my gaze to meet his. The heat of him pressed against me, his breath hot against my ear as he leaned in.

“Because once I’m in, there’s no going back. You can not run, little bird.” His hand slid down. I shut my eyes and grazed my collarbone before moving lower. To make my situation worse, his touch was teasingly threatening. “I’ll wreck you, Ptichka, ruin you completely, and you’ll fucking love everysecond of it.”

Chapter 40

The Prey

He pulled away, and I sucked in a shaky breath, relief washing over me for a fleeting, fragile second as he hummed to himself. The sound made my blood run cold, and casually strolled toward the table where a bouquet of flowers and several bottles of alcohol were place I failed to notice.

For a brief, terrifying second, I imagined him grabbing one of those bottles and smashing it against my head, but he simply paused, his hand hovering over the bottles as if he was pondering which one to pick. His eyes met mine over his shoulder, and he chuckled.

The mocking sound tightened the noose around my throat.

I was on edge, watching him keenly. I was trapped; there was no escape. But what horrified me more was him. Overall him. He was walking-talking sin.

“Care for a drink?” he asked, with a charm that made my skin crawl. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed a bottle, his fingers curling around the neck, and I felt my throat tightened and poured a glass. The liquid sloshed into the crystalglass more like a taunt than an offer.

My eyes moved from that glass to his face as he turned back to me, the glass in one hand, his gaze never leaving mine. “Or maybe,” he mused in the velvety trap, “you’d prefer I pour it down your throat myself? I’d rather watch you choke on it.”

Sometimes, I truly hope he would keep his thoughts to himself.

I stayed rooted to my spot as he walked closer. “I could be gentle, Ptichka,” he said, though his tone promised anything but.

A breathless whimper escaped my lips as he reached out, his free hand wrapping around the back of my neck and pulling me toward him until our faces were mere inches apart. “But where’s the fun in that?”

His grip tightened, fingers digging into my skin as he raised the glass to my lips, tilting it just enough for the liquid to touch my mouth. “Drink,” he commanded, and I tried to find remnants of humanity in his pale eyes.

They said monsters lurked in the shadows, waiting to strike, but here he was, standing before me in plain sight, wearing his monstrosity like a second skin.

The darkness wasn’t just around him—it was him, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. The real monsters weren’t hiding in the dark. They were the ones who looked you in the eye, made you beg, and smiled as they broke you piece by piece. And this man was just that.

The glass was pushed against my lips, forcing them apart. The alcohol burned as it slid down my throat, and I gagged, choking on the taste, but he didn’t relent. His hand on my neck kept me still, trapped and inescapable.

“That’s it,” he murmured, laughing as I struggled to breathe. “Take it all in, little bird. Feel it stretch you.”

He pulled the glass away, leaving me gasping for breath as I pressed my palms against my mouth. But the reprieve was short-lived. I yelped as he leaned in and his lips brushed against my ear, “You’ll learn to love this pain, this helplessness. You’ll learn to crave it, just like you’ll crave me. And you’ll get on your knees and thank me.”

He pulled back just enough to catch my gaze again and drank from the same glass he forced me to drink. His hungry gaze raked over my frame as he tilted his head and widened his stance. “Strip.”