Soul Ties

Chapter 39: Testing Our Limits

"Play with me if you want to, Angelfish. You're not going to like how this ends," Scorpius threatens. He stands closer to me than the bed and I'm afraid he's going to end up closing the distance between us. The anger in me is building.

"And how would that be? Hm? You can't hurt me the way you hurt Ogmellos because you know none of my weaknesses. And I know you wouldn't hurt me physically." I'm taunting him. Testing and pressing all the buttons I know I can push. He flexes his fingers and I watch in slight panic as his fingertips change color.

"Don't test me," he says through clenched teeth, but I don't stop. I don't want to. I want to push him as far as he pushed Ogmellos. I want him to feel that same pain so he knows what he's doing to others. The crave to stab him is coming from the end of my tail to the tips of my fingers and I'm thankful I left the knife with Ogmellos.

"Or what?" I press. "Your mother's death turned you into someone heartless and cold. It's always been about you and what you want and what's yours. And you used that accident to hurt Ogmellos because you know that's the only way you can hurt him. You could never take him physically so you poke at the only real thing you have. How does it feel to be that inferior to someone like him? How does it feel to know even your own mate wouldn't want you?"

I know I should stop but I can't. Even with his skin flaming quickly and the glow already rising to his shoulders, my mouth won't stop moving.

"Ogmellos was right, maybe he's fit to be a better mate for me than you."

He clenches his jaw over and over again, the glow now crossing his chest. I've never seen his body this covered before and in the back of my mind alarm bells go off. I peer down at his legs, the glow coming up his thighs now. I'm sure if I could see under his shirt, I'd be able to watch his torso ignite.

I watch the veins in his waist pulse underneath skin. His eyes are like fire as they hold my gaze.

He cocks up an eyebrow. "Has he touched you?" The question feels heavy. Like I should be cautious of my next answer, but there's too many things running in my mind to pay close attention to it.

I know I shouldn't, but I stay silent. The fire underneath his skin runs up his neck and over his entire face. There's no part of him that's not glowing now. His muscles look bigger than they did a moment ago, and I swear his veins are rippling and enlarging themselves. The knot in my stomach deepens, though I don't show it. Instead, I turn up the corners of my mouth in a small devious smile. Would this be the thing that would hurt him the most? The thought of Ogmellos touching me in places he hasn't? Him imagining me in Ogmellos' sheets? The image of us in the water together?

I think of how he found us in that charred forest, Ogmellos with his arms wrapped around me and my own entangled around his neck. The knife held so confidently in my tail. It must've looked like I wanted him in that moment. Scorpius got to witness my gratitude towards Ogmellos and the happiness and strength he gave me, something Scorpius could never do.

I open my mouth to answer him, but I'm cut off when his hand grips my face, pushing my cheeks tightly against my teeth. He shoves me against the wall, his free arm pinning my wrists behind me. His breathing has quickened and I can see my reflection in those dark irises.

"Has. He. Touched. You?" he asks again, his breath hitting my face. He squeezes my cheeks a little harder and the pain erupts as my teeth cut into my mouth. My body is burning with anger as we stare up at each other.

"Why would you care? It's not like you want me," I try to force out through his grip. I attempt to get myself away from the wall, but he leans into me harder, the stone stabbing against my back.