Chapter 6: Spread Your Legs, Little Virgin

 

REMI POV

Her hands closed around my throat.

Squeezing. Cutting off air.  His mother—or his aunt, or whichever twin this was—smiled down at me with dead eyes "You're supposed to be gone," she whispered. "They all go so easily."

I clawed at her hands. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't scream.

My vision was going dark around the edges.

And my wolf—my STUPID, HORNY wolf—decided this was the perfect time to replay last night.

Because all I could think about was last night.

Nero's hand on my throat. Not killing. Claiming.

His fingers digging into my skin while he kissed me against that wall. His other hand sliding up my thigh. His voice rough in my ear: "You're mine."

My body had burned then. Just like it was burning now.

Except then I'd been wet. Aching. Desperate.

Now I was dying.

But my wolf didn't care. She was replaying the memory on loop. His teeth grazing my pulse point. The way he'd groaned when I arched into him. The hard press of his cock against my stomach.

THAT was the image in my head as his mother tried to murder me.

Heat pooled low in my belly despite the lack of oxygen.

I was being strangled and I was TURNED ON.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I choked out.

Then the runes exploded.

Black light burst from my skin. Power surged through me like lightning in my veins.

I grabbed her wrists and PUSHED.

The mother—or twin, I still didn't know which—flew backward like a ragdoll. Hit the wall so hard the stone cracked. A huge dent bloomed behind her.

"Holy shit," I whispered, staring at my hands.. What the fuck was I becoming?

I gasped for air. My hands were shaking. Glowing. The runes were visible again, crawling up my arms like living tattoos.

The door burst open.

Nero stood there, taking in the scene. His mother crumpled against the wall. Me on the bed, hands glowing, clearly alive when I should be dead.

"But you were dead," he said slowly. "You died in my hands."

His mother made a pathetic, whimpering sound. Actually conjured tears—impressive considering she was a stone-cold bitch thirty seconds ago.

"She pushed me," she sobbed. "The curse made her mad. She wants to kill me just like she killed Priscilla—"

I wanted to defend myself. Wanted to tell him she'd just tried to strangle me. But my eyes went to the dent in the wall. To his mother wincing dramatically.

He won't believe me, I realized. She's been doing this for years. She knows how to play victim.

Two can play this game, I thought.

Why would he? I looked like the violent one. I'd just thrown a woman across a room.

"The curse affected her," his mother sobbed. "Look at her. Those marks. She's possessed—"

"I would've acted crying more than she did," I muttered.

Nero's head snapped toward me. "What?"

"Nothing. I survived death just to go insane. How lucky." But my body was shaking now. Burning. The runes were fading back into my skin and it felt like they were taking my energy with them. "Just... fuck. Everything hurts."

Nero was at my side in seconds. His hand touched my forehead. "You're burning up."

"Thanks for the update, Dr. Obvious."

His eyes narrowed. "You just threw my mother across a room."

"In my defense, she was strangling me."

"She says you attacked her."

"And you believe her?" I grabbed his shirt. Looked him dead in the eye. "She tried to kill me. I defended myself. But sure, believe the woman who's been picking your brides for years. That's worked out great so far."

His face squeezed a bit .

"Mother." His voice was cold. "Get the maids. Tell them to bring cold water. And get me the healer."

"But Nero—"

"Even if you are mad," he said quietly, "you broke the curse. You survived. I'll forgive you for pushing my mother."

"And Mother?" His voice went cold. "Nobody hears about this outside this room. Understand?"

She left. Shooting me a look that promised murder later.

The maids appeared instantly with buckets of ice water and clean cloths.

They started dabbing at my burning skin.

It did nothing.

Nero stood across the room, watching. Those silver eyes tracking every movement.

"Stop looking at me with those eyes," I said. "One might think you weren't just about to throw me to the wolves."

He dismissed the maid with a wave. "Leave. You're not doing it properly if she can still talk back to me."

"But Alpha, she needs—"

"I said leave."

The maid scurried out.

We were alone.

Nero grabbed the cloth. Dipped it in cold water. Knelt beside the bed.

Wait. The Alpha of Alphas just knelt for me?

He pressed the cloth to my forehead and I gasped

The cold was shock against my burning skin. Water dripped down my temple. My neck. Disappearing between my breasts. His eyes followed every drop. "Better?"

"Yes. No. I don't—" The words died as his fingers brushed my neck. Right over where his mother's hands had been.

Right where HIS hands had been last night.

I hissed. Not from pain.

From the memory of his touch.

"Don't," I breathed. "Don't what?" His thumb pressed against my pulse. "Don't touch you here?" 

My body lit up. Every nerve ending firing at once.

His eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Your pupils just dilated." His hand moved lower, checking my pulse at my throat. "Your heart rate spiked."

"I'm dying. That's what hearts do."

He dragged the cloth lower. Over my collarbone. Between my breasts.

His eyes dropped to my mouth. To the way I was breathing. Fast. Uneven.

"Like you want me to bite you right now."

My face burned. "I don't—"

"Don't lie." His thumb traced my bottom lip. "I can smell it on you."

Oh god. Oh fuck.

He could smell my arousal.

"The curse doesn't do that," he continued. His voice had gone rough. Dangerous. "It kills. It doesn't make you—" He stopped himself.

"Doesn't make me what?"

His jaw clenched. "Wet."

I wanted to die. Actually die this time.

His hand stopped. Right above the sheet covering my hips.

"The bond is trying to complete itself," he said roughly.

"What bond?"

"The mate bond." His fingers tightened on the cloth. "Between us."

The air went thick. Heavy.

"I'm not your mate," I whispered.

The healer burst in.

She took one look at us—at how close we were, at Nero's hand on my skin—and her eyes widened.

"Alpha. Step away from her."

Nero didn't move. "Why?"

"Impossible, her bloodline is reacting to something" she breathed.

She examined me with trembling hands. Checked my pulse. My eyes. The runes barely visible now under my skin.  " Its fighting the curse "

Then she stepped back. Face pale.

"What is it?" Nero demanded.

"Power. But it's unstable. Her body is rejecting it."

"How do we stabilize it?"

The healer looked between us. "You can't. Unless you complete the mate bond."

Silence.

"You want me to mark her," Nero said.

"It's the only way. Her body needs an anchor. Something stronger than whatever is trying to consume her."

"And if I don't?"

"She'll burn from the inside out within the hour."

I was shaking harder now. 

"How long do we have?" Nero asked.

Twenty minutes. Maybe less." I started laughing. Couldn't help it. "Of course. I survive poison, strangulation, and a curse, just to die from magical combustion. Fuck my life."

He looked at me. 

I was covered in sweat. Trembling. 

"Remi—"

"Do it," I gasped. "I don't want to die. Not like this."

"If I mark you, there's no going back."

"I know."

"You'll be mine. Forever."

"I KNOW." My body arched as another wave of heat hit. "Please."

The healer backed toward the door. "I'll give you privacy."

She left.

We were alone.

Nero stood slowly and Walked to the bed.

Looked down at me. Burning. Desperate. Begging with my eyes.

"You're as dangerous and dark as they say," I whispered.

"And you're about to find out exactly how dark I can be." He sat on the edge of the bed. 

I grabbed his shirt. Pulled him down until his face was inches from mine.

"Fuck me or watch me die," I breathed. "Your choice, Alpha."

His eyes SNAPPED off any restraint. "Then let me make it worth it."

Everything he'd been holding back. "Now." His grip tightened."Spread your legs for me, little virgin."

I shouldn't have. Should've told him to fuck off. 

Instead, my thighs fell open. "Good girl," he purred. His hand slid between my legs.

 Over the lace. He groaned. "Fuck, you're soaked." His thumb circled slowly. "All this from dying?" 

The runes pulsed brighter. Hotter. "Does it hurt?" he asked, not stopping his hand. "Yes—" "Good." His mouth ghosted over my jaw. "Because this is going to hurt too." His fingers slipped under the lace—