Total pages in book: 194
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 187754 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 939(@200wpm)___ 751(@250wpm)___ 626(@300wpm)
“Trust me, Au-re-li-a. You’re not our first choice either. A reptile would be more pleasant than you, but I don’t see anyone else around to warm our beds, do you?”
“You can’t just—”
“This again,” I interrupt. “We can’t keep you. Blah, blah. It’s wrong. Blah, blah. We’re crazy caveman psycho creeps. Blah, blah, fucking blah. Now that we’ve established that again, move your ass and start making us happy.”
For a moment, Aurelia just gapes at my inability to give a fuck. “No.”
“No?” Khalil echoes. The dumbass actually looks shocked.
“No!” she repeats.
“Cabin rules, Aurelia. Remember? Rule number four is do what you’re told.”
She clears her throat and steps closer to me until I’m looking down my nose at her. “Fuck you. Okay? Fuck your rules. Fuck your house. Fuck your mother for having you. And fuck that. I’m not about to break my back washing your dirty drawers in a contraption that looks like it was made in the eighteen hundreds! You want to punish me? Fine. But do it knowing that I have a better imagination than you. Everything you do to me, you’ll feel three-fold. It’s in your best interest not to piss me off because I will get out of here, and I’ll never—”
The rest of the venom she spews is cut short when I seize a handful of her curls in my fist so hard she cries out and then reaches up to try to pry her hair free.
“Listen to me, you insufferable pain in my fucking ass. I hope you do come at us with everything you have. Go ahead. Make it interesting. We’ve been bored up here for nine years. These wilds haven’t tamed us, and neither will you. We’re overdue for a challenge.”
“I’m not your entertainment!”
“You’re whatever we say you are,” I bite back.
I start moving for the bedroom door, but Aurelia can’t fight me and keep up with my long strides at the same time, so she falls to her knees.
Ignoring the demanding pang in my chest to help her up, I keep going instead of stopping.
“Fuck.” Khalil huffs. I can feel him and Seth on my heels as I drag Aurelia, screaming and kicking, through the cabin by her hair. “Yo, Thorin. Maybe you want to chill a little?”
I don’t want to hear it.
This is his fault for being too soft with her.
I made it clear to him that if Aurelia stays, she needs to learn her place and fast before I change my mind about letting her stay.
Did he listen? Did any of them? Now it’s up to me to be the biggest asshole.
Either we get through to Aurelia once and for all, or we put her down forever. I’d rather not have an innocent woman’s blood on my hands when I could have her coming on my cock instead.
We reach the kitchen, and I let go of Aurelia’s hair and leave her sobbing on the floor.
Khalil’s soft ass walks over to help her up, but one look from me has him backing off with an eye roll.
I stalk over to the stove and feel my ire grow, realizing Aurelia let the fire go out. I hastily rebuild the fire, throwing some kindling and a log inside before grabbing the box of matches and lighting it.
For a while, I just stand there with my back to them all and watch the flames as the fire grows. I bide my time, giving Aurelia just enough to save herself. Hearing her shift on the floor behind me, I wait for her to tell us she’s sorry and that she’ll try harder to show us her gratitude. I already know she won’t, but I stay where I am anyway.
Before Aurelia even speaks, I know her remorse has been tossed out the window.
I give myself permission to do the same.
“Okay, I’ll cook for you,” she says sweetly. “But only because you’re such a gentleman, Thorin. Your mother must be proud.”
“My mother is dead.”
“Lucky her.”
I laugh, and the reaction makes her flinch.
“Lucky me,” I say easily. “My mother was a junkie whore without a maternal bone in her body. She had a mean streak a mile wide, though.”
“So that’s your secret tragedy? You got mommy issues, so you hate all women?” Aurelia snorts and shakes her head. “Your origin story sucks, dude. It’s not even original.”
“Stand up.”
It’s a command Aurelia doesn’t have a problem obeying. She stands, but I don’t miss the way she backs toward Khalil and Seth. I doubt she expects them to protect her from me.
Spoiler alert: they won’t.
She’s just desperate to get away from me.
That won’t do at all.
“Come here.” When she hesitates, my fingers flex with the urge to grab her, but I force myself to stay put. I didn’t enjoy what I did to her just now. I’d rather not repeat it. “I’m not going to ask you again, Aurelia.”