The Reaper's Wicked Obsession-Chapter 172: The Disguise (2)

"Y-Yes," Isadora replied, keeping her gaze leveled.

She didn’t know why, but looking at him right now would make her feel more nervous.

Her heart felt like leaping out of the confinement of her chest. The organ already had too much to handle, and now this? She might very well pass out from the stress.

Suddenly, the sound of his boot crunching against the snow alerted her. Isadora snapped her gaze back up and hurriedly moved backward until her back met the tree.

She turned to move, but his hand pinned on the bark, trapping her. The other was placed on her waist to keep her rooted.

"If you’re going to be my wife..." He stressed the word so hard it felt like her head would spin. "At least try to look at me like one."

Isadora gulped. "How am I looking at y-you?"

"You look as if I’ve held you captive or something." He tilted his head, observing her more deeply. "Don’t hop away from me, darling."

"I-I’m not trying to do that," she muttered. "But it seems like an option right now."

"What? Can’t bear the thought of being married to me?"

Isadora panicked more, placing her hands on his solid chest and gave a light push. "W-We’re not married! You make it sound as if we’re!"

When he laughed, Isadora got angrier as she pushed against his chest again. "It’s not funny!"

"In disguise we’re..." he mused, his hand holding her waist slipped away and grabbed her hand.

Isadora’s blood ran cold at his gesture. His hand felt so big holding hers. It was warm too.

Her gaze burned into their entwined hold, following as he lifted her hand to his lips. Without breaking eye contact, he placed a kiss on her knuckles.

"Be a good wife, and I might just reward you."

Isadora attempted to yank her hand away, but his hold were like steel.

"We don’t want them to ask questions."

"It’s just a disguise, there’s no need to take this seriously," she voiced in a shaky tone.

He leaned toward her in a heartbeat. "I know. You can either act the part, or I can make it real. Your choice, darling."

Isadora’s eyelid twitched. "In your dreams, Kraven."

He tugged her hand, pulling her body forward. There was no warning, no slow descent as his lips crashed into hers.

Hungry and consuming.

Isadora was taken by surprise, her eyes wide and shaky. His other hand slipped to the back of her neck, holding her exactly where he wanted as he deepened the kiss possessively.

Isadora squeezed her eyes shut, a hot shiver shooting through her as his teeth nipped at her bottom lip, deep enough to draw blood.

She gasped, her fingers clutching his coat, but he neither stopped nor gave her time to respond properly.

His tongue slid into her mouth, devouring her as if he wanted to burn the taste of her in his soul.

Isadora’s knees weakened by the sheer pressure of his consuming engagement. Her mind and body tried to keep up, but they were all numb, completely surrendering to his cruel intimacy.

Kraven felt this, and a low, satisfied sound erupted deep in his chest. Isadora couldn’t tell if it was a growl or a chuckle.

When he finally pulled back, his breath was ragged and his eyes wild. A pleasing sensation pumped through him as he brushed his thumb on her swollen lips.

The thought of making her look completely spent when he had done nothing but kiss her pleased him.

It also stirred the insatiable desire for more.

Isadora tried to steady her breath, keeping her dazed eyes on him, her mind and body still numb, but she somehow found the energy to speak, utterly mesmerized by him.

"You kiss me like you want to end my life." When she said those words out loud, it scared her to the core, who knew it was possible to greet death from a mere kiss.

Because earlier... she felt it. In the past weeks of training, her telltale had gotten a little bit stronger, it was easier to feel death. She could feel it as Kraven stared down on her like she was the only living being on earth.

How in the seven gods’ name was he able to look at her like she hung the sun, at the same time like she was the only thing he wanted to bleed dry?

A slow smirk curled at the corner of his mouth. "Maybe I do, it would be the last few seconds of ecstasy before your soul greets Daudi." He mused. "But I’m selfish, darling... I can’t let him have it."

Before Isadora could reply, he claimed her again.

This time, it was more unhinged and brutal as if he was running out of time, and if he didn’t taste her completely, he would break down in insanity.

A strangled moan vibrated from Isadora’s throat as she tried to keep up. The air was knocked out of her when he grasped her hips and pick her up, her back slamming against the tree bark, causing the snow to twirl in the air around them.

The cold air slipped into her exposed thigh, but the feeling couldn’t keep up with where their lips connected.

The world melted away, leaving nothing but the heat between them, the bruising force of his lips as he stole every bit of air from her lungs.

It was too much for Isadora to contain, but her heart yearned for more, more of his lips, more of his bruising hold—clutching her thighs like he wanted to rip her apart with his bare hands.

She needed him closer. Her legs wrapped more tightly around his waist.

An unstable growl rumbled from Kraven’s chest, and for a moment, his mind nearly went blank, overtaken by the primal desire clawing to be unleashed.

Kraven pulled his lips away. His dark weaves clawed to break free, but he knew the moment he let them, the hold he had on his thirst would snap, and then there was nothing keeping him from ripping Isadora to pieces.

But a twisted thought came through... the idea of thrusting into her as he cut her open bit by bit until life drained from her eyes.

He growled but suddenly he got distracted from his dark thoughts when Isadora’s hand buried in his hair and brought his lips back to hers.

Isadora was ignorant of his internal turmoil; the intense desire to imprint his lips caused her blood to pulse in her veins.

She couldn’t stop herself from ravishing his lips just like he did hers, maybe to get back at him for stopping midway or to satisfy her hunger.

Kraven stared down at her as she kissed him, but he didn’t return it. His free hand slid to the back of her hair and clutched the soft strand as he yanked her head back.

Isadora’s lips parted at the sudden loss of contact, her eyes snapping open.

"You made that mistake again, lsadora."

She shivered at the dark look he pinned her with, noticing black veins creeping his face. For a moment, she thought she was seeing things because they were suddenly gone.

"Are you sure about that?" she replied to his earlier words.

Kraven narrowed his eyes, but the sharp press of a blade against the side of his neck pulled his focus to a dagger poised dangerously close.

When did that happen? Had it been there the whole time?

A slow smile curled Kraven’s lips and then a wild laugh followed.

Isadora watched the mad Fae surrender to his amusement, yet for some reason, it felt like the purest sound she had ever heard.

It left her wondering—was he proud or simply deeply entertained? Probably the latter. This was Kraven after all, twisted amusement was his thing.

Isadora frowned because he had yet to stop; she became unsure of what to do by the minute, but then he released her.

Her boots crunched against the snow, but her legs were weak—chills breaking through her thighs straight to the pulse between her legs.

A hot blush flushed against her cheeks as Kraven pinned her with a knowing look.

"What’s wrong, love?"

"N-Nothing!"

Gods! The look in her eyes tempted him to pin her against the tree and put that sassy mouth of hers to better use.

His fingers twitched at his sides, but it wasn’t to caress her as he wanted, but something dark twisted through his mind.

The need for blood.

"Go on ahead. Make sure you wear your hood."

She frowned at his words. "W-Why?"

When he gave no answer, she did as she was told, her eyes never leaving him as she stepped past.

Isadora’s gaze lingered on his back. He remained impossibly still. She wanted to go to him—every part of her screamed to do so—to reach for him.

But she knew she couldn’t.

Swallowing the longing feeling, she turned on her heel and strode away.