The Poisoner (The Poisoner #1)

by I.V. Ophelia

With haste, I hooked my fingers downward, forcing his jaw open. “Where do you hide them?” I demanded, tilting my head to the side to get a better look. My other hand joined to push his head back. The Creature pulled back and grabbed both of my wrists. “What in God’s name are you doing?” A look of genuine shock cut through his charade. “Don’t bring him into this. Show me where you hide your teeth. You can’t just show me something like that and expect me not to ask questions.” I pulled my wrists from his grip. “You promised me answers the other day. You owe me.” Now he was looking at me like I was the crazy one. His brows furrowed. “Fine, but no more fingers.”

He helped me into the cab with my hand in his, leaning down to it in what I thought would be a kiss. His fangs snapped forward and moved to bite a finger. I snapped my hand away. “You are a fiend,” I hissed, yanking the cab door closed. “Only for you.” He shrugged. “That’s a lie, Creature. You’re always a fiend.”

The Creature picked me up and pushed me onto the workbench, gardening tools clattering to the ground. My breath hitched at the sharp movement, our lips hovering earnestly over each other. If the room had been dark, there would be static electricity trading flashes of light from the tension between us. My hands were riddled with tremors from shock.

It could have been the adrenaline, or it was a manifestation of my own hunger. I did not know how to explain it. It was like a jolt of lightning had shot through my body. Why did he make me feel so hot?

“Disgusting.” I couldn’t disguise the gasp when he picked up his pace. “You? Never,” he said sweetly in my ear, his breath fanning across the back of my neck.

“Does the point go to you or me? Is this a draw?” He hummed, licking his fingers clean. “That is revolting.” I grimaced, ignoring his question. “Blood is blood.” He smirked. “I will take anything you give me—anything.”

“Silas, the greenhouse is glass. I can see you.” “I wasn’t hiding.” I was hiding. I assumed that she was not paying attention. Turning the corner, I leaned casually against the doorframe of the entrance.

LOL

I was close enough to have caught her scent clearly without the adrenaline and blood clouding it. She smells like black cherries and cyanide.

As she pulled back, I dragged another chair out to sit at a safe distance, lighting my own coffin nail against the cool air.

I would bother her, but she was so bewitching like this—absorbed in herself, confident enough not to flee, but intelligent enough to have several weapons hidden on her person no doubt. Against my higher urges, I chose to let her be, to admire her in the open for once.

He snatched my wrists, yanking me forward, our noses nearly touching. Every tense muscle, every tic in his jaw, every stern expression concealed words left unsaid—I wanted to poke and prod at every single one of them.

“You want to know why I haven’t killed you yet? My mouth runs dry when I think of killing you. I didn’t understand it. It frustrated me for a long time. I would usually be skipping heartbeats at the thought of ripping through something as divine as you.” The darkness in his eyes had disappeared when he looked back at me. It was replaced by pain. “It would not be the same. I wanted to hear you dedicate your cruel words only to me. I didn’t care if you were yelling at me, screaming at me, telling me no…as long as it was for me. Soon, I didn’t want you to leave. When I was away, you danced around my mind like a man’s deepest regret, ferocious and intoxicating. You want to know what I want? I want you, Alina. All of you. Every hair on your head, every tear, laugh, and scream that rips from your delicate vocal cords will all become mine.”

“You are a cruel, wicked thing, Silas Forbes,” I bit out. “There. That’s it.” His hand shot up and gripped my jaw, squeezing. “I want to taste every venomous word performed by your lips until you have to invent new ones just for me.”

“I want to hear you beg for me,” I breathed. “On your knees, preferably.”