Page 202 of Psycho Gods

The song switched, and the new beat was more frenzied. The partygoers shrieked with excitement as they recognized it.

“Are you kidding me?” Cobra hissed out. “Of all the people in the realmssss, you wanted to kisssss her? What issss wrong with you?”

The anger exploded hot and fast. I slammed the bottle onto the ground, and it shattered. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I glared at Cobra. “She kisses you? Clearly her standards aren’t that high.”

Flames leaped higher on the carpet.

“You admit to kissing her?” Fire exploded from Malum’s mouth, and his silver eyes glinted with mania. “I can’t fucking do this.”

I shrugged. “Then don’t.” I took a step forward, but his arm shot out quicker than I could follow and slammed me back.

“There’s glass on the floor,” he said through gritted teeth. “You could get hurt.”

“I know, I put it there,” I drawled. “Stop trying to protect me.”

Silver became steel, and he growled, “Stop kissing this pathetic woman who is not your mate. We’ve forgiven you for the twins—but this is too far!”

“Since when have you forgiven me for the twins?” I asked.

“Everyone, calm down,” Scorpius snarled, sounding very uncalm himself.

He tried to step between us, but Malum breathed fire in his direction, and he stumbled back.

Ice crackled across my fingers, and the rug turned slippery beneath my feet. It expanded and extinguished some of the flames.

We glared at each other.

“We promised we wouldn’t be like this,” Orion whispered as he stared at me and grabbed Malum’s shoulder.

“I didn’t promise anything,” Malum said grouchily.

I tipped my head back and laughed. “I knew it—I knew you crawling and promising to be my hound was all a ruse. I knew the news story in the beast realm was just as fake as you—it’s all for show—you don’t mean any of it.”

I didn’t dare mention how he’d opened up about his past. It hurt too much to say.

Malum’s bronze skin darkened in the shadows of the party. A dagger glinted on his neck.

What had I honestly expected from a man who had “we conquered” tattooed on his skin?

White teeth contrasted with bronzed skin. “I meant every fucking word about serving you. I’ll fall to my knees a million times if it means you’ll forgive me.”

The music pounded between us.

With his eyes locked on mine, he suddenly slammed down to his knees. He was wearing only black training shorts from his workout earlier, and the rug was covered in broken glass.

Blood pooled beneath him.

I took a step back.

He smirked cruelly, like he still had the upper hand while impaling himself. “I will kneel on glass for you every day if that’s what you need to believe me. I’m serious about you, Arabella, but I will not stand by as you have a relationship with—that woman. She already took your virginity. She will not take you from me too.”

My jaw unhinged.

He picked up a piece of glass and slammed his palm down on it. “Is this what you want?”

“Stop it!” I begged.

“Do you want all of us to kneel?” Orion whispered as he and Scorpius moved like they were going to mimic Malum.