DARKEST EMBRACE
by
ROBYN M. PIERCE
While running away to escape the actions of her deceased father, Elyssa Smith is caught in the worst storm that Lanistter Isle has ever seen, forcing her to seek shelter in the only place nearby -- Lanistter Castle. Soon, however, it's made clear that the inhabitants of the castle are the ones she's running away from in the first place.
Zeke Lanistter is the head of the European Lanistter branch -- and a sadist through and through. He has bloody plans for Elyssa, and will stop at nothing to get rid of her.
Reid Lanistter is known by many for his womanizing. But when Elyssa enters the castle, he does all he can to protect her from Zeke, unexpectedly morphing into a one-woman man.
In a sinister turn of events, Reid becomes the danger to Elyssa's life, and it’s Zeke who finds himself doing whatever he can to protect Elyssa...
Excerpt from Chapter Seven of Darkest Embrace
ZEKE
I gazed at Dmitri with wide eyes, feigning shock. “What did you do to her?” I asked him, my tone accusing.
He shook his head wildly, eyes darting back and forth between my accusing stare and Wyatt’s alarmed face. “I didn’t do anything,” Dmitri insisted.
“What didn’t you do?”
Shit, I thought, turning toward the sweet voice as she walked down the staircase, holding hands with my youngest brother. Her ebony hair was wet and she’d changed… Oh, let’s not imagine her in the shower.
Reid’s eyes found mine and he stared at me, eyes cold and hard. When they reached the bottom, Elyssa hovered on the edge of the group while Reid stepped into Annibel’s former place, clapping Wyatt on the shoulder as a greeting.
I watched the black-haired girl stand off to the side before moving to stand just behind Reid, clinging to his arm like a child.
“Dmitri scared off Annibel,” I murmured, shaking my head.
Reid watched me carefully, disentangling his arm from Elyssa’s hold so he could wind it around her shoulders instead.
I killed the hiss that built in my throat and chest, instead smiling at my brother. His eyes narrowed and I looked away.
“So why was I not aware of the family meeting?” Reid asked, staring at me with a hardened expression.
I gave a shrug and changed the subject.
“So you guys are looking rather chummy,” I said with a false grin. “Did you Mate her or something?” The question was laughed out, and I added to the effect with a wiggling of my eyebrows.
Elyssa’s face flushed, and I held my breath against the stronger scent of her blood. The rest of the group stiffened as well, and I wondered what would happen if they all attacked her.
“I’m not his Mate.” The voice was steadier than I expected it to be. She came out from behind Reid, then, choosing to stand just in front of him, in plain sight.
I met her eyes with a smirk. “Well, Reid, you should snatch her up before someone else does. I do grow tired of my slaves, you know,” The words were meant to be teasing, but Elyssa’s hardened gaze said that she didn’t pick up on that. She saw through the playful tone and right into the menace I meant for only Reid to see. “I may have to snatch her up for myself,” I said softly.
“I’d like to see you try. You’ll get the same as your brother,” Elyssa said, smirking at Dmitri.
Dmitri scowled and Olivia patted him on the cheek. I wondered what she had done to him, but brushed it off as I met Elyssa’s gaze once more.
“Oh, I like this one, Reid,” I said quietly, stepping into the middle of our circle to stand before them. Reid’s arm tightened around Elyssa, his face hardening. “I really enjoy breaking girls with such spirit, you know. They make the best slaves,” I finished with a whisper, as though I was sharing some great secret.
“You couldn’t break me if you tried your hardest!” Elyssa said angrily, stepping out of Reid’s hold.
Reid looked lost, his hand held up as though to snatch Elyssa back into his embrace, but something stopped him from grabbing her.
“Reid, I suggest you shut her up before she annoys me, and I have to steal her from you.” The threat was murmured, and I didn’t take my eyes from Elyssa’s green gaze. She held her chin up, meeting my eyes without backing down.
I want you, so much, I thought, and laughed inwardly. You belong in my shackles.
“I hate to break it to you, honey,” I told her with a smirk, placing my hand on her shoulder. She immediately shook it off and glared at me. “I would break you, without much effort at all. I have been torturing girls like you for nearly a hundred years,” I told her, my voice a hushed whisper as I leaned in to place my mouth near her ear. “I am quite good at it,” I finished.
All I needed was the slightest excuse to take her from Reid – the slightest push in the right direction, and she was mine.
Elyssa shoved me away and slapped me hard across the face. The heel of her hand hit hard on the corner of my mouth, and I tasted the blood as my lip split.
Perfect, I thought, bringing my hand up to my face. I gently raked my thumb across my lower lip and pulled it away to inspect it. As I had known already, blood was smeared across the pad of my thumb, and I angled it just enough for Reid to see.
Reid’s face changed, and there was hopelessness in the dark depths of his eyes that I had never seen before. His hand inched closer to Elyssa.
“Back off, you idiot! Obviously I’m not afraid of you, so go torment someone else!” Elyssa was getting rather annoying, and I contemplated taking her to my dungeons right then and there to end it. She flipped her hair over her shoulders and Reid grabbed onto her, tugging her harshly into his arms and out of my arm’s reach.
“Don’t worry, Reid,” I assured him, running my tongue over the small, pesky cut on my lip. “I won’t take her yet. But, rest assured, she is mine now.”
After reading this excerpt , what do you think?
I think Elyssa has gone and got herself in a bit of a pickle.
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