Page 125 of Threaded

That was the last warning Mariah got before Andrian crashed his lips into hers.

Her world went black, everything reduced to the bruising feeling of his body against hers. Somewhere, distantly, she was aware of shadowy whispers gliding across her skin, unlacing the ties of her boots, slipping them off her feet. Those same shadows hooked into the waistband of her leggings, tugging them surprisingly gently down her hips, lower, until they, too, were discarded beside her boots. Warm hands grabbed the firm flesh of her ass, lifting her and setting her atop something smooth and cold against her skin. Ropes of shadows continued to wrap, gently and securely, across her wrists, her ankles, her upper thighs, her stomach. Andrian’s mouth moved from hers, traveling down her neck, peeling her sweater from her body, her tight elastic bra going with it, and she relished the bite of the cold air against her skin. Now bare before him, he returned to his assault. His mouth closed around her breast, his teeth biting at her nipple just as his tongue flicked the sensitive flesh. His right hand wrapped around her throat, pushing her head back, back,backuntil she felt her hair brush against the small of her back, whispering across her hands where they gripped the railing.

The railing.

Her eyes snapped open, the cloudy winter sky overhead doing little to distract her from the deadly drop now far too close for comfort.

“Andrian,” she hissed through clenched teeth, shaking her head to rid her chin of his hand as she dropped it back to her chest. He was still trailing kisses down her chest and the planes of her stomach, the gleam in his eyes as his gaze met hers one of pure wicked darkness.

“Princess,” he answered in a growl of his own. “Not so willing to taste death now,nio? You seemed so bold before, so sure.”

She knew she shouldn’t let his taunting get to her.

But,fuck, the way he said that nickname, that word she still didn’t understand … she couldn’t back down from this, not now.

So, she leaned in, straining against the shadowy ropes around her wrists as far as they would let her. Andrian raised himself back up, letting her crowd into him, until they were eye to eye, panting against each other’s mouths.

That was when she let that darkness, the same one she’d given herself to completely the day before, in just a little more, allowing it to spread a manic grin across her face, her expression now one of feral delight.

“Show me how good death can feel, Andrian.”

That darkness purred at his answering grin, the shadows squeezed her even tighter.

His mouth crushed back to hers, his hand suddenly at her center, two fingers plunging into her with little warning. Her soft gasp was swallowed by his mouth, and when he curled his fingers, when he hit thatspot, she bit down on his lower lip.Hard.

She almost came undone the second the taste of his blood touched her tongue.

He leaned back from her, panting, the red staining his mouth in stark contrast to the blue of his eyes. His fingers continued to slowly fuck her,tooslowly, and his eyes dipped to watch as he flicked out his tongue, licking the blood from his lips. Mariah couldn't hold back the soft groan as she watched him, and he met her gaze again, a dark expression with an unreadable emotion written across his face.

“So fucking wet for me,nio. Maybe your body truly does crave death.”

She bared her teeth. “Or maybe I’m just not afraid of heights.”

His laugh was soft and wicked, his fingers absolutely tortuous. “You may not be afraid of heights, but I know you’re terrified of falling.” He withdrew his fingers from her then, his hands deftly unbuttoning and unzipping his pants as he drew out his cock, gripping his length tightly before pressing his body back to hers. She felt him nudge at her entrance, hissing slowly between her teeth. His next words were whispered against the shell of her ear.

“I say it’s time to put that fear to the test, don’t you think?”

Before she could process his words, the shadowy ropes binding her wrists, waist, and ankles all loosened just enough so the sense of safety and security they’d been offering fell away. She suddenly felt delicate, sitting there on that balcony, the safety net she hadn’t even been aware of vanishing like the smoke that it was.

“Andrian—” Her voice, tinged with panic, was cut off as he fully sheathed himself in her in one smooth, punishing stroke.

The force of his movement slid her hips a few more centimeters toward the edge of the balcony railing. A soft cry left her lips, and his left hand gripped her behind her neck, his forehead resting against hers, a snarl on his face.

“Fear me,nio. I am not a place of refuge or safety for you.”

She could only close her eyes, an embarrassing whimper escaping her throat, just as he began to stroke into her.

Each press of his hips into hers had her moving closer and closer to the ledge.

Closer to death.

And yet…

She forced her eyes open and met his brilliant blue stare. He was gazing at her with such intensity, it would rival the sun on the Summer Solstice.

And that was when she felt it.

The same ringing she’d felt so many weeks ago, when she’d spotted him in the palace courtyard on the day of the Choosing, hiding amongst his own shadows. It consumed her, pulled her, wrapped itself around her until there was nothing else in her universe by her, and Andrian, and thatfeeling.