*MATURE FANTASY*
Bound by fate, torn by betrayal.
Their souls are intertwined.
She is his mate, and he is hers, whether or not this is something they want.
Elara has spent her life hiding from the oppressive forces of the Light, a powerful cult th...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"First, take off your shirt," Nox ordered.
Rylan hesitated.
"Would it make you feel better if I were to leave?" My head tilted slightly with the question, black locks spilling over my shoulder. I watched him closely, wondering what he would say. Regardless of his answer, I had no intention of going anywhere.
The look in his eyes had my pulse rising. Rylan seemed aware that I wouldn't have gone and used the question as an opportunity to gauge his reaction. "I'd very much prefer it if you stayed," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Calix and Roran twisted to me, amusement dancing in their eyes at the exchange.
"Then why are you wasting our time?" My jaw clenched, not liking the way he seemed to easily slip under my skin. Why was the crew always so open to having new members join? Meanwhile, I preferred to lock this ship up like a fortress. Calix and Roran were already on their way to liking this stranger. As if just the request to join us meant he was more likely a friend than a foe.
"I just don't understand the reason for this." Rylan turned to Nox with the expectation of an answer.
"To check your back for markings," the captain stated with a sigh, shooting me a look that said 'behave'. My gaze met his defiantly. This Rylan, if that was even his name, was a mystery. The way he bested Calix was good, too good. Easy and efficient. Finding someone as skilled as him who wanted to join us was too lucky, and luck was not trustworthy. Neither were the words of a stranger who could follow me with incredible ease through a dark city when I lost myself to the shadows.
"I'm not with the Light of the Land," Rylan stated in surprise, his gaze flickering to me.
It was as if ice slid down my spine, my entire body tensing at the name of that cult. The Light marked their men with a symbol carved into a shoulder blade. A triangle with a six-pointed star within it. He assumed correctly that we needed to make sure he was not one of theirs.
"We are still going to check," Nox affirmed, his tone leaving no room for argument.
The response seemed sufficient, for the stranger simply said, "Sure." And grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it up over his head in one smooth action.
My breath literally hitched at the sight of him.
I enjoyed my time with males. It was not something I was ashamed of. So, I had seen beautiful men before, but not like this. Everything about Rylan was captivating. His body was lean, muscles toned in a way that showed he had done manual labor of some kind, and a lot of it. A dark tattoo spread over his left shoulder, curving around his arm, ending halfway down his forearm. I could nearly feel the power that seemed to simmer beneath his skin, the lethality there. My gaze rose to find him watching me and the intensity in those eyes I felt between my legs.
