Page 32 of Rising Reign

A battle raged in him. Emotions warred for supremacy. Need and fear. Pain and pleasure. Love and hate.

“You should want to stay far away. Because when my resolve breaks, I’ll fuck you so hard I’ll imprint myself on your bones. You’ll never be free of me. And you’ll want to be. Because I’m destined for your nightmares, not your daydreams.”

My heart hammered against my rib cage as my pulse thrummed in my neck. But I still stepped closer. And then closer still. Until I was standing between Ender’s legs.

“What are you doing?” he rasped.

“Have you ever considered that maybe I want that? Want you? And whatever comes with it, dreams and nightmares? Because it’s you, and you’re meant for me.”

My fingers hooked in the hem of my workout tank as my heart rate sped up. I sucked in a breath, searching for a moment of bravery, and then pulled the tank over my head and let it flutter to the forest floor.

20

WREN

My gaze stayed fixed on Ender’s eyes as my heart raced, and my nipples pebbled in the cool afternoon air. I watched as those amber depths shifted and changed. Gold sparked in them as his pupils dilated.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ender’s fingers tighten around the bottle of whiskey and the arm of the chair. I felt the battle brewing within him as fur rippled over his forearms. “Walk. Away,” he growled.

I jutted out my chin. “No.”

I was done with these games. We needed something to break the cycle we were in. Moments of understanding followed quickly by a panicked retreat. We’d never move forward if stepping out was always followed by stepping back. And this was the only thing I could think of to break through.

Reckless? Yes. Dangerous? Quite possibly.

But I didn’t give a damn. Because the way Ender was holding himself back from me was killing me slowly.

“Wren,” he rasped. “My restraint is fraying.”

“Good.” I kicked off one shoe and then the other.

“Wren,” Ender ground out in warning.

My fingers hooked in the band of my leggings, ignoring the tone in his voice. I slowly slid the spandex down my legs and kicked it off to the side. As I straightened, my confidence swelled. Because the rest of the guys had given me that. And more, I’d given it to myself.

My scarred skin was evidence of my strength and all I’d survived. My toned muscles were proof of all the work I’d put into building my strength so I’d be ready to fight. And I knew my eyes shone with need—a desire I was no longer hiding.

Ender could deal with it, or he could run.

“Kitten,” he growled.

I didn’t move.

He leaned forward in his chair, his hands hovering over my legs but not making contact. And then he scented the air as if memorizing the smell. “I don’t deserve to touch this skin.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But I want you to either way.”

A low, rumbling sound emanated from Ender’s chest, and his fingertips skated over my thighs. He closed his eyes and groaned. “Like warm silk, marked with your battle victories. I feel how strong you are. How fierce.”

I shivered but didn’t move.

Ender’s fingers tracked higher. “Every line is a story your body tells.” He opened his eyes and looked up into mine. “A story I’d give anything to know, and even more to ease.”

Pressure built behind my eyes. I could take angry Ender. I could even take cruel Ender. But gentle Ender? That would kill me.

I lifted my hands as I moved in closer, sinking them into the hair piled on Ender’s head in a knot. I gripped it hard, fascinated by how his eyes sparked as I did.

“Kitten,” he growled.