It’s too gentle.
“You just—” I shove him away from me.
His face doesn’t show any reaction, like he’s numb to this. God, I hate him. I follow him, hitting his chest. I can’t stop, and he’s not doing anything to make me.
—fists against the door—
I blink. What was that?
In one smooth motion, Caleb grabs my wrists and maneuvers us so my back is against the side of the house.
I’m not a violent person, but he just makes me so angry—
“Come back,” he says in my ear.
I start. “Let go.”
“So you can hit me again? Unlikely.”
“Weren’t we happy?” I meet his gaze.
His fingers tighten on my wrists, which he keeps between us.
“We were happy—”
“No,” he growls. “You might be delusional enough to think—”
“Because you tricked me,” I screech.
He narrows his eyes.
I almost wish we were drawing attention, just to have an excuse to break free of him. As it is, my body is ignoring all the warning signs.
It’s been less than a day. I miss him and I hate him.
“It doesn’t matter.” He squints at me.
“How? In what world does it not—”
“You belong to me just as I belong to you,” he says.
“First to give in loses,” I whisper. “I guess that’s my big punishment? Ruining my life?” None of this belonging shit. He ruined everything.
I can’t go home.
I don’t even have a home.
Maybe I should go back to the Jenkins’s and get it over with. Let Angela take me out of this God-forsaken town once and for all.
“Even then, I’d find you.” He’s a mind reader. “I’ll never let you go. Which I think you know.” He touches the bracelet on my wrist. “And you’ll never let go of me, either.”
I flinch. I forgot it was there. The metal is warm, digging in under his finger. And beneath the metal, the threads that wove us together when we were kids. Dressed up like a bride and groom, tying the bracelets around each other’s wrists, a kiss to seal the deal.
Look how far we’ve fallen.
“Stop, Caleb.” I pull my arms down, trying to get away from him.
He releases me.
For a split second, I’m free, and then he’s back in my space, holding me captive by more than my wrists. His hips press into mine, and he leans his elbows on the wall on either side of my head. I have my hands, but he has my body.
“No.”
Simple. Effective. I’m pretty sure I hate the word—and him.
“You’re so hell-bent on destroying my life,” I snap. “Why not just drive the knife in deeper?”
He smiles.
He’s insane.
“You ran to Ian Fletcher. You’re wearing his sweatshirt. How am I supposed to react?” He leans forward. Our lips are so close.
“I hate you.”
His smile widens. “Right back atcha, love.”
I push him away, shaking my head. I am wearing Ian’s sweatshirt—through no fault of my own. He made me come here, where I had hoped he wouldn’t find me.
There’s a gleam in Caleb’s eyes that scares me. He’s out of his mind, and I’m only just now seeing it. Witnessing his demons take control.
I run to the door, getting halfway through the living room before Caleb grabs me. He slams me against the wall, hand on my throat.
The party falls silent. Even the music cuts out.
Caleb doesn’t tear his eyes away from me—and I can’t look away from him, either.
“What are you doing?” My voice is breathless. I don’t mean it to be. I want to come off strong, even though my body is thrumming with electricity.
One day isn’t enough to turn off all the emotions I feel toward him. And while I hate him, I think…
I blink. Nope. Not going there.
I wrap my hands around his. I can’t tell if I’m holding his hand to my throat or trying to get him to remove it.
“Party’s over. Leave,” he demands. He isn’t talking to me. He’s talking to… everyone else. He’s ending the party. Trying, anyway.
No one moves.
“Now!” he roars. He so rarely has to raise his voice.
Several people flinch, and it breaks the spell. It’s a mass exodus, everyone just… stops what they’re doing and rushes away. He really is royalty.
After a moment, I realize his thumb is moving along the underside of my jaw. Small movements that he might not even be aware of. His touch brings out goosebumps.
I close my eyes until everyone is gone, and we’re entombed in silence. He’s everywhere. In my past, my present. His scent in my nose. His voice in my ear. His hand at my throat, capturing every beat of my heart.
“You will break for me, little wolf,” he whispers in my ear. “This is just the beginning.”
I shudder. “Why?”
“You and I…”
I open my eyes. His gaze sears into me.
And his thumb still traces a pattern, back and forth on my jaw.
“We were happy,” I accuse him. “Until you blew it up.”
He grimaces. “Happy? No.”
Games and more games. My head hurts. My lungs ache.
“You’re mine, Margo. Forever. And you’ll break for me—don’t think that you won’t.”
This is just the beginning.
“I won’t.”
He leans down to kiss me. I press my lips together and turn my head to the side, exhaling through my nose when his lips land on my cheek. But he doesn’t stop. His lips travel over my cheekbones, touching my eyelid, then my forehead.
And his hand tightens on my throat. White spots explode in front of my eyes.
A soft whimper escapes me.
“Kiss me.”
I keep my head turned away.
“You bastard,” I choke out. I can barely breathe. Fear winds through my chest. It’ll make me do anything—including give in to Caleb. And that’s just… not an option.
“What do I have to do to prove that you’re mine?” he asks.
He tugs my pants down in one swift motion. He spreads my legs with his knee, and then he thrusts his finger into me.
I cry out, but the sound is strangled. I’m strangled. I push him, but he doesn’t budge. It’d be like trying to move a boulder.
“Wet,” he says. It sounds like an admonishment. “Kiss me, Margo, and I’ll leave you alone. For the night, anyway.”
Tears run down my face. I hate that I want him to keep touching me. That my hips move forward the slightest bit when his nail scrapes my clit. His fingers plunge back into me, stroking a spot deep inside me.
He kisses my cheek, his tongue darting out and catching my misery.
“You fucking love this,” he says. “Don’t pretend otherwise. Don’t pretend that you don’t wish it was my dick inside you. Maybe next time, I won’t send them away. They’ll get a live show—”
I grab his face and pull him to me. Our lips are magnets.
Make it a good one.
I taste my own tears as I part our lips, sliding my tongue along his. He takes over, slamming me back. My head thumps against the wall. His teeth tear at my lower lip.