Chapter 167

• Sera froze as she stared into my eyes for the first time. I knew what she was seeing. Anger. Determination. Lust. Desperation. Fear. Things I wished I could hide because knowing she could see these things within me made me feel vulnerable. Exposed. With a growl of frustration and need, I lowered my head and took her mouth with mine, tasting the salty copper of my blood on my tongue as I forced it between her lips. Moving my hand from her face to her throat, I held her against the door as I took what I needed from her, swallowing the little noises of protest she made. I'd offered her a way to come to me of her own free will as she'd done once before, but she chose to refuse me.
• That was her choice.
• And this was mine.