Fable of Happiness (Fable #2) by Pepper Winters

“Oh yes, that reminds me. Thanks to you, I had to slip into this skirt headfirst because your damn chain stops me from pulling anything on via my feet. And if you must know, I’m currently soaking the T-shirts and leggings that I have with me—not that I can wear them right now—like I just pointed out. Plus, I had to cut off my last pair of leggings seeing as you weren’t around to unlock me—but believe me, the minute they’re dry, I’ll be changing—with or without your help. I don’t care if the damn chain trails up my leg and pokes out the waistband.”

“Or you could wear nothing at all.”

She flinched, her gaze automatically dropping to the highly obvious spear in my boxer briefs. The very same spear angled eagerly in her direction.

Her irritation darkened into outright contempt. Closing the magazine, she set her hands elegantly on top of the glossy cover. “Seeing as you very kindly told me what to expect in this forced imprisonment last night, allow me to do the same.” Uncrossing her legs, she turned to face me, her dislike rippling over the floor and lapping at my ankles. “Are you listening, Kassen? Because I’ll only say this once.”

Her mocking tone nettled and awoke my temper, but I clenched my jaw and merely nodded. “Be careful with using that name. But yes, I’m listening.”

“Good.”

I bowed my head, making the room flicker for a second. “Should I take notes?”

“I’m sure you’ll get the gist.” She smiled thinly. “I don’t have much to say. In fact, I really only have one piece of advice.”

“Then I’m sure, even in my concussed condition, I’ll remember it.”

“Oh, have no fear. I’ll make sure you do.” Digging into the chair by her thigh, she whipped up a knife that I’d used countless times to cut up zucchini and fillet game I’d snared. The blade was nicked and tarnished, but it still worked. Still sliced. “This is my new best friend. If you come near me, I will stab you. If you think for a moment of kissing me, this will be in your heart.” Waving the pointy end at my hard cock, she hissed, “Try to fuck me, and I won’t just stab you; I’ll gut you.” Her smile was evil, but it also made me rather proud.

Proud and pissed off.

“Did you catch that? Unlike you, I could be persuaded to repeat myself if you didn’t get the message.” The knife sliced through the air, her fist wrapped tight around the handle. “Any questions?”

I trembled for different reasons now.

Not because I was weak but because I was livid. Anger filtered through my limbs, coaxing me to leap forward and rip that stupid blade from her stupid fist. She thought she could threaten me? To withhold my pleasure after being denied it for so long?

Not gonna happen.

I barely managed to get words through my gritted teeth. “Are you done?”

Her dainty nostrils flared but she nodded. “As long as you’re aware that you lost all privilege of having any piece of me, then yes, I’m done. Forget everything I ever said about feeling a shred of emotion for you. I don’t care about your past. I don’t care about your current injury. I don’t care about your excuses or your justifications. You’re an asshole, and I’m done. I will never get on my knees for you again. I will never welcome you into my body or my heart. As far as I’m concerned, the moment I get up the courage to end you, I’ll be gone, and you can haunt this valley for the rest of your—”

“Right.” Pushing off from the glass wall, I marched toward her and slammed my hands down on the arms of the rattan chair. Waves of pain shot up my broken arm, but I didn’t care. I bent and shoved my face into hers, ignoring my wooziness and the piercing blade tip over my heart.

Blood trickled down my chest as we both froze. Nose to nose, rage to rage.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” I growled. “You are now mine, and as tolerant as I will be of you having your own thoughts and voicing your, no doubt, very loud opinions, my patience will only go so far.” I bared my teeth, wanting to do something feral like bite her neck or crash my mouth to hers. “As far as withholding sex from me, try it and see how that goes.”

The knife dug a little deeper into my chest, her voice hitching as she muttered, “Don’t test me, Kas. I will plunge this.”

“Stop using my name. When you’ve done something to deserve it, I’ll let you know.” I leaned closer, wincing as pain bloomed. “And I’m not testing you. If you were going to stab me, you would’ve done it already.” I deliberately pushed into the sharpness, bracing against the pain, well used to metal cutting into my flesh.

Her eyes went wide then filled with a deeper kind of hate. A trapped kind. The kind that said for all her bravado and boundaries, she didn’t have the actual strength to go through with it.

Not because she was weak. Hell, no. I had no doubt she had all the power required to drive the knife through my ribs and puncture my broken heart.

Her problem was the same thing that’d attracted me to her in the first place. The one thing I didn’t seem to be immune to and the disastrous thing that ensured her eternal sentence in this place.

Her unnerving ability to be kind, even while threatening a beast.

Shifting my weight, I brought my hands up to cup her cheeks.

I shook.