Chapter 14: Needs To Be Punished

Chapter 14

Hot tears streamed down her eyes as she sat on the bare floor, her back against the tree as the wild creatures inched towards her. Her life began flashing in front of her, and when she thought her moment of death had arrived, she suddenly heard a voice:

“Zach, Zeus.” Her head flung to the side to see the masculine figure approaching them, and she could swear that she never thought she would be glad to see him all her life.

She smiled in relief to see Leone. The wolves quickly ran to him at the mention of their names, wagging their tails like they were puppies.

Of course they could relate to each other—they were all evil.

He passed her a glare, and she watched him crouch down to pet the wolves. “That’s not your food,” he scolded. “You know we only eat quality things.” He patted the wolf’s head.

Her face twisted in displeasure at his words, and as much as her mouth itched to utter words of disapproval, she had to remind it that if she pushed this man’s buttons, she might not have a mouth.

“Thank you.” Her heart still raced as she stared at him. If it weren’t for him, she’d be in the digestive tract of those wild animals.

Thankfully, he sent them away, and she quickly sprang to her feet. Leone stared back at her, this time his eyes as cold as the wind that bit through her skin.

His lips pressed into a firm line. The look on his face instantly made her remember when he had talked about using her as manure for his orchard tree.

She gulped as he took a step towards her, and Anna instinctively took one step backward to maintain a good distance from him. Yes, he had saved her from his wolves, but who was going to save her from him now? He was worse than those wolves who had bared their fangs at her. He was the apex predator.

Seems like he didn’t want to maintain a distance between them, as he instantly took another step forward, closing up the distance.

Anna found herself taking multiple steps backward, and she gasped sharply once her back collided with the bark of a tree.

He took another step forward, invading her personal space, crossing the boundaries—like he always did. His large frame loomed over her, covering her completely.

His expensive cologne washed through her like a rippling wave, his scent intoxicating—too alluring. His minty breath fell over her face.

Now looking at his gray eyes, she saw how mythical they looked up close. At the same time, it felt like an endless dark abyss.

She raised her hand to his hard, sturdy chest—a flimsy attempt to push him away from her. But who was she kidding? It felt like trying to push a mountain.

Her breath hitched when he suddenly grabbed both of her hands with one of his and then pinned them above her head.

Her breaths became labored as she tried to break free from his hold, but it felt like her wrists were held up by chains. She couldn’t move them.

His eyes mirrored hers, and then his hand flew to her chin, his grip gentle yet firm. His thumb caressed her lips, making her shudder, and to worsen things, she recalled the time he had seen her naked in his tub.

Even now, the clothes she wore barely protected her from his gaze. Due to the fright-or-flight situation the wolves had put her in, she had been completely absentminded about her clothes, and now the thin strap of her top had slid down, exposing the corner of her breast. Perhaps using her as manure for his tree wasn’t such a horrible option now.

Her eyes, which had been darting around, flew back to him when his thumb began caressing her wrist sensually. Her insides twisted at the foreign contact.

He leaned further, his breath fanning her collarbone, making her want to curl her toes. “Tell me, Anna,” he drawled, his voice deep—like a looming storm. “Why are you so hell-bent on testing my restraint?”

Anna had no idea what he was talking about. His massive strength terrified her, and now all she wanted was to get as far away from him as possible. But his grip on her was too firm to even move a muscle. Like always, he had her where he wanted her.

What could she tell him? That she had been curious to see if there was another exit out of this empire? That she wanted to see if she could escape from the clan?

She gulped saliva down her parched throat. “I was just curious,” she bit her lips after the words flew out of her mouth.

Did he remember that she was the girl whom his brother would marry? The way he held her made her doubt he did.

“Let me go,” she breathed. But what she didn’t know was that the man standing in front of her hated being told what to and not to do. She saw his eyes darken dangerously, and she wished she could take her words back.

His hand flew to her slender neck, his thumb caressing the skin above her pulse. The very thought of him snapping her neck made her blood cold. She was sure it would be an easy task for him. She desperately wanted to tell him to stop, to plead—even if that was what it took for her to be free from his grasp. But something instinctively warned her to clamp her mouth shut.

Her heart drummed in her ears as his finger trailed from her neck slowly, down to the top of her breast. “And why should I do that, Anna?” he replied to her earlier question. “Each time I do that, you always end up doing something even more irksome than the last.”

She saw his jaw clench, and part of her dreaded the fact that it might be true—recalling their first encounter till now. Oh no.

His hand played at the spot above her breast. He leaned in, his voice falling at the shell of her ear. “I’m afraid this time around, you must be punished.”