Touch of Flame

Chapter 18

During the time that the princess didn’t visit him, Malachi had been preparing himself to withstand his next torture. Meanwhile, these humans were sucking the blood out of him. This couldn’t simply be to study his blood. They were doing something else with it.

Before going out for this mission, Malachi had prepared himself by taking sedatives, consuming poison, and all kinds of other things that could be injected into his blood so that by the time he was caught his blood would already have developed resistance.

What he didn’t prepare himself for was to find his … he cursed hating uttering the word even if it was only in his mind but it didn’t matter anymore. Yes, she was his breedmate, but it would change nothing because she was human. And there was nothing he could have done to prepare himself to resist her. He would just have to remind himself of what her kind did and why he was here.

As he waited for her to come and see him, he thought of different strategies that would lead her to fall into his hands. He knew her family was her weakness, but he needed something more. Something he could exploit. When she came to him this time, he would try to find out.

Malachi didn’t expect that she would come to him with a new strategy to torture him this time. A strategy that would work. Her scent drew his gaze to the entrance and he found her body encased in red. His heart stopped for a moment as he followed her with his eyes. He didn’t know when or how he rose from his seat but as soon as he realized he became still out of fear of what he might do.

The icy princess looked exquisite in red. Even more so because of her pale skin that he despised. The skin that branded her as human but now it was a beautiful ivory against the red dress.

When his lips parted on their own accord, Malachi felt like he had to say something. “Words fail me,” he said.

They did. Everything failed him. His body, his triggered senses, his mind, all of it. How could he call himself a king, a leader when he was so easily entrapped. So easily distracted and so easily seduced. Now he was just acting like a lusting man. Lusting after a human. He became disgusted with himself.

Malachi looked into her blue eyes. So cold. So void of emotion. Even if he gave in, this woman couldn’t give him the warmth and passion he craved. She would be stiff and cold.

Malachi snorted as he tried to hold back his laughter and then he laughed. “Princess, what went wrong? How did you end up in this dress?” He continued to laugh.

She narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t tell me they told you red is attractive so you wore it. I mean it is attractive. Just not on you.”

She raised a brow. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

“You know I don’t care that you are a princess, so my opinion about your dress is an honest one.”

“I am sure.” She said. Ignoring him, she crouched to unpack her bag. His gaze fell on the top of her now exposed chest as she leaned forward and he looked away with a silent curse. “I don’t like bright colors either. They draw too much attention and red certainly draws male attention.” She continued.

He stiffened thinking of her walking around in the castle wearing this dress. He knew no male would touch her being a princess but they would certainly look and have lewd fantasies. The thought enraged him.

“I will need to take some blood samples.” She said standing up.

What? She never did that.

No!

“This late? You usually take it in the morning.”

“I know. I am doing some special research.” She said as she walked over to the chain lever and pulled it to secure him against the graviton.

Stay calm, he told himself. He would just not breathe while she was nearby. She walked over with her tools and he held his breath.

“Be still.” She told him and went to stan in front of his extended arm, chained to the graviton.

He watched her face as she examined him, wondering which one of his veins to prick. She put her hand on his arm to hold him further in place and he stiffened, not expecting the touch.

Her hand was cold, but his blood ran hot. He couldn’t even lash out at her for touching him. He just went still, staring at her pale skin against his bronzed one. Now he knew what her slender fingers would feel like against his skin and the fire he had spent hours killing burned to life again.

How could he feel drawn to the skin he hated so much. Skin that would be colored by the tiniest touch. Perhaps that was why. He wanted to stain her skin with the mark of his lips.

The princess squeezed his muscles slightly as she focused on taking his blood and his imagination wandered further. He imagined her clutching him tightly as he plunged deep into her.

Repulsed by his own thoughts, he tugged at the chains violently. The human stepped back startled. “I think I told you to be still or it will hurt.” She told him.

He would make her hurt. Oh, he would and he could not wait.

*****

Ravina saw the hostility in the prisoners eyes before she stepped forward again. Was it working? Was this a reaction to her scent or just the fact that she poked his vein? She was sure that didn’t hurt him the least.

She placed her hand on his arm again, to hold him steady while wondering at the thick veins covering his forearm. Even after being starved, they were still full and elastic. His bronzed skin was thicker as she stuck the needle through it. His body was hot to her touch and hard. He only grew stronger even without eating and she knew that dragons consumed much more food than humans.

Instead of examining his reaction, she ended up examining his body. Since she really didn’t need his blood, she stopped and stepped away from him feeling disturbed. She turned around and walked away, still feeling the heat of his skin on her palm. She packed his blood and turned back to him.

His face had lost the calm mocking attitude. He stared at her with evident hatred. Like he wanted to shred her to bits. What could this change indicate?

More anger often meant that he was triggered. She liked this reaction more than the first one when he laughed. But what was it that triggered him? Her scent or just the fact that she took his blood?

Ravina knew that like her he had learned from his previous outburst. He would not make it easy this time but she wasn’t going to spare him so easily either. A hypothesis had to be tested several times and that was what she intended to do. How long would he be able to put on a facade?

“Thank you for the blood. I will come by tomorrow for some more.” She said.

“Maybe you could bring some water, to clean myself. If you keep poking me while my skin is dirty, I could get infected. I already have an infected wound. I don’t think your aim is to kill me.”

“You heal so you won’t die.”

“Well, you haven’t offered me food. My healing is not functioning properly. I still have a bullet in my stomach.” He pointed with his head.

She looked at the open wound that didn’t heal yet. Still, this felt strange. The prideful dragon was asking for something? She thought he would rather die than receive help. This she didn’t like at all. It only meant that he was being calculative and deceiving. What was he planning?

“I will arrange for it.” She said.

She loosed the chains so he could move a bit more freely and he gave her a curt nod with a faint smile. He was certainly planning something.