Page 26 of Fated to the Damned

“Endangered us?” I shake my head. “I saved you. And now you are treating me like we shared nothing! And it wasn’t just sex. There was more there. What we did–”

Nikolai leans down, fangs bared inches from my face. Even still, he won’t quite meet my eyes. His gaze roams my face as he snarls out, "There is no 'we'! You forget your place, human."

Refusing to be intimidated, I stand my ground. "And what exactly is my place, Nikolai?"

Nikolai's eyes fix over my shoulder as he grits out, "You are no one. A mere human who knows nothing of my world. Stay in your place before you get hurt."

His cruel words make my blood boil. I step even closer, mere inches separating us now. "Admit you feel nothing when you look at me. Say I mean nothing to you!"

Nikolai snarls, massive wings trembling with restraint. "You are nothing. An insignificant speck in my existence."

The words pierce my heart but I press on recklessly. "Is that why you can’t even look at me?"

His jaw goes tight and his wings snap in tighter, but he drags those amber eyes up to meet mine. The air crackles between us as I step closer, leaving no distance between us.

“Say it again,” I whisper. “Say I am nothing right to my face.”

With an inhuman growl, Nikolai's mouth crashes down on mine, his large hands grasping my hips roughly. I gasp and he deepens the kiss, our tongues tangling together.

My fingers tangle in his hair, pulling him against me desperately. I moan as his hands roam my body almost angrily.

The moan seems to break him out of his trance, though. Just as suddenly as the kiss started, Nikolai shoves me away violently. I stumble back, knees weak and lips swollen from the searing kiss.

Nikolai stands rigidly, chest heaving and eyes blazing with self-loathing. "That should not have happened. It was a grievous mistake."

I reach for him tentatively. "Nikolai, I felt your passion, your need. You want this as much as I do."

He recoils from my touch as if burned. "You know nothing of what I want or need! I compromised myself with you because I was on the brink of no return and will not do so again."

His cruel words cut deeply, leaving me reeling. "How can you deny what's between us after that?" I ask in bewilderment.

Nikolai turns away, fists clenched tightly. "There is nothing between us but foolish impulses. I will not indulge them further. Forget this ever happened."

Before I can respond, Nikolai stalks from the room, massive wings pulled in tight. The echo of the heavy door slamming shut behind him rings with dreadful finality.

I sink to the floor, wrapping my arms around myself as sobs wrack my body. Once again I am left shaken and bereft by Nikolai's mercurial nature. But I cannot forget the fire of his lips, no matter how hard he tries to douse the flames ignited between us.

15

NIKOLAI

“Like fuck you are!”

I have to give it to him. It’s the first time Ezra has ever shown an ounce of passion or anything beyond the plague of apathy that has seeped into our kind.

Too bad is too little too late.

With my hands still clutched behind my back, my wings pinned in tight and high, I keep my voice level. “This base is of no standard worthy of a vrakken. It cannot continue as such, so I will be commanding the vrakken here until the base is structured in a way befitting our kind.”

He opens his mouth to cut me off, and I snarl out, “There is a war coming, and you are ill prepared. If you want to be captured and tortured, then be my guest, but I will not willingly wait to be overpowered by dark elves. And I will not allow the others of this base – one that was established for this war, mind you – to do the same.”

“You have no authority!” Ezra’s palms slap against the desk.

I’m still as death herself. “I have the authority of the temple, of the High Priestesses, the First, and Akeldama.” I lean forward, letting the first gleam of anger show through as I bare my fangs. “Try to stop me.”

I don’t wait for him to respond. Turning on my heel, I stride from Ezra's cluttered office, letting the wooden door slam sharply behind me. The fool sputtered empty threats, but we both know the truth – this base is utterly unprepared for the coming war.

My boots click across the rough-hewn stone floor, wings pinned back tightly to avoid hitting the narrow walls. The ceilings here are far lower than I’d care for. I’ve come to hate being inside now that I know what it’s like to feel the sun and wind kissing my skin.