More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Just the other day, he’d Googled How to ask a woman out without making her fear for her life—but the results hadn’t been particularly helpful.
But twenty-five years ago, on the day of Chastity’s birth, some batty old oracle had rocked up to the delivery room and told her parents—in typically dramatic fashion—that if Chastity ever became a huntress, her first kill would rip out her own heart.
Of course, he’d have to give the huntress a stern talking to before he thanked her. It was very rude to invade a man’s forest and try to murder him. He understood the impulse—he was, after all, a slavering beast of the darkness and denizen of evil—but he couldn’t condone the random slaughtering of any species, as a matter of principal.
“Tut, tut, Chastity. What else do you lick?”
“My main problem is biting, actually.” He choked on a mouthful of cupcake.
And her instincts were telling her to rip this sexy fucker’s clothes off, sit on his dick, and then carve out his heart. Or something. She was hazy on the details.
Christ, she wasn’t shy at all, was she? The hesitation, the demure smiles and lowered lashes—it had all been a trap. She wasn’t sweet or gentle or biddable. She was a bloodthirsty fucking murderer. His heart sang.
One fake-date arranged with the intention of murder, a single short but excellent make-out session, and a rather passionate fight to the death did not a relationship make.
When Luke had woken up that afternoon with a fucker of a headache and a trashed living room, his first thought hadn’t been to find and flirt with his mate. He’d intended to find and spank his mate for fucking up a perfectly good coffee table with her WWE shenanigans, and also to have a serious conversation with her about how loving couples shouldn’t stab each other.
“I need your sunshine,” he admitted, his voice soft. “You don’t need my darkness. I know that. But I’ll give it to you anyway. I’ll give you everything I have.”
“Attraction,” he murmured, “is a very pale description of the thing I feel for you.”
“Trying to convince me that you’re not a monster?” she asked darkly. “No,” he murmured. “I would never lie to you, my love. But I am trying to convince you that a monster is just what you need.”
He feigned exasperation, even as his heart swelled. She’d admitted her attraction; she’d hinted at feeling more; and now, his bloodthirsty little murderess was openly reluctant to end his existence. Progress!
“I didn’t eat them so much as enthusiastically kill them with my mouth. Subtle distinction. Can we talk about this later?”
“I appreciate that. Trust is very important in a relationship.” “We’re not in a relationship. You have an oven, right?” “Trust is very important in a friendship, then. And yes, I do.” She looked up at him sharply, suspicion all over her face. “Friendship.” “Friends make friends cupcakes. We’re friends.” She nodded slowly. “Alright.” “Friends who want to be in each other’s pants forever and—”
“Well.” She glared at him as if he’d just ripped off his skin to reveal that he’d been a micropig all along. “You could’ve said something.” “Chastity… You stabbed me. In the chest.” “Which would’ve been the perfect time to say something.”
She winced. “I’m a murderer.” “No, sweetheart. You’re an attempted murderer.”
Dad, of course, would adore Chastity. Like Luke, he enjoyed violently straight-forward women.
Chastity debated the pros and cons of shoving a whole pancake into her mouth at once.
By that point, we were 99% sure you were pulling some Romeo and Juliet shit, but I just wanted to be absolutely positive that you weren’t going to get eaten.” Victory’s lips twitched. “Well, maybe you did get eaten—”
It was all so inconvenient, having people who cared about you when all you really wanted was to bottle up your feelings and never, ever speak of them.
Aw. Implied threats of violence against her future spouse.
Either this mating thing really was fated, unavoidable instinct, or Chastity was losing it. Possibly—probably—both.
The challenge was unspoken. Catch me if you can.
“You’re not only my mate. You’re my huntress. And you caught me, body and soul.”
