The Poisoner (The Poisoner #1)

by I.V. Ophelia

“Alina!” Phoebe squealed from the doorway. “Perfectly late!” she quipped. “You wore black?” “Black is suitable for every occasion.” I grinned, entering as I greeted her.

so true bestie

It is not a choice to be stupid, though I gave my best efforts to be sympathetic.

It was only after the first few days that I realized she had attempted to poison me. Believe me when I say this woman gave me butterflies in my stomach. Though that might just be internal bleeding. Either way, she had charmed me.

No, I did not watch her undress. I waited for her to submerge herself actually. It was not the right time to see her like that.

ah so hes a gentleman

“Relax. I can smell how agitated you are from here. I just wanted to see my handiwork again.” “I don’t know who you think you are, but I will make sure to liquify your insides the next time you lay a hand on me.” It took all my energy not to look away, every single one of my senses lighting up like gunshots in the night. His stare was intense, something uncanny that made my body scream that I should get away, run, and hide from his view. My threat only made his smile grow wider. “Sounds like a date.” “What?” “You heard me perfectly fine.” He winked, sliding me a calling card. “I try to kill you, and you take it as flirtation?” I raised my brow, rotating the paper and glaring at the typeface.

“I thought it was clear that I was waiting on you. This is your game, dear.” “Don’t call me that.” “Darling?” “No.” “Stubborn thing.” I clicked my tongue at her, tucking my hand back into the pocket of my trousers.

For some reason, when I threatened to kill her hours ago, it did not taste right in my mouth, leaving the words sour on my tongue. When I imagined my hands squeezing the life from her, pulling her flesh between my teeth and relieving it from her bones, it did not bring me the pleasure I originally anticipated. It left me numb. I felt nothing, no matter how I imagined it.

I would not allow him to disturb me in my limited time of peace. With careful pursuit, I let the axe slide off my shoulder. Thwap! The blade smacked into the wood of the wall next to his head as I turned the corner. His eyes were wide. I might have actually caught the elusive Creature off guard. He glanced at the axe and then back at my face. Genuine surprise. “Marry me,” he breathed. “Get out!” I yelled, yanking the blade out of the wall and sending splinters scattering across the floor. “Not when you flirt with me like that.” He backed away a few feet before stopping, a taunting instigation. I swung again, the weight of the axe too slow to catch him when he was attentive, missing him. Another swing. He ducked before it could meet that smug face. “Oh, you’re really teasing me now.” He grabbed the handle between us, headbutting me in the face. The pain shot through my head, and I let go of the ax, stumbling backward and hitting my head on the floor.

“Hiding? You nailed a corpse to my door,” I whispered as low as possible, my hand cupping the phone. “Hmm…no, I think I would remember that. I’m actually quite upset that I didn’t think to do that.”

“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.”

“Why must you be so difficult?” I pushed his face away and stood shakily. “Because I know that you like it, deep, deep down,” he teased, rising to his feet in tandem.

“I love your eyes, even when they’re red from tears.” He placed his hand on the side of my face. “I have never seen someone look at something as wretched as me only to be left in awe,” he whispered as he rested his forehead against mine. “For that reason, your eyes will always be precious to me, in any form. I want nothing more than to climb inside your skull and see the world as you do.”

“I realized that it wasn’t you who scared me the most,” he whispered finally against my lips, looking at me through his lashes. “What scared me is what would happen to me without you.”

“I always thought it was senseless to possess something so delicate that could break if you used it the wrong way. I couldn’t understand how that effort was worth a meal that you could find out in the open and dispose of later. There would always be another.” He pulled me out the door and ventured down to the pond, away from prying eyes. “Now I understand what it is to become obsessed, devoted to possessing someone. Enough to fight the urge to lock you away so no one can set wandering eyes on you again.”

So much energy was dedicated to looking happy instead of actually being happy.

Every single long-lost method of torture flashed before my eyes. Taking fingers or severing his cock from his body would not be enough to satiate the rage I felt when I saw her forcibly cowered before him.