“How often did they beat you up?”
“Weekly. Sometimes more if my father was out of town and they knew they could get away with it. But since I heal quickly, he didn’t know about most of them.”
“And you never told him?”
He snorted. “And give my brothers the satisfaction of seeing that they could hurt me? Never.”
“Such hatred.” A bitter taste filled my mouth. Even though Tessa and I had our moments where we fought, I couldn’t imagine treating her that way. She was my sister, my flesh and blood, and even though Gavin and Cameron weren’t the hunter’s full-blooded siblings, they were still his half-brothers. I made a sound of disgust, my mouth twisting in fury. “What assholes.”
The hunter smiled. “You sound almost affronted.”
“I am. It’s bad enough they treated you like that when you were a kid, but it’s even worse that they continue to do it as adults. They should’ve grown out of it by now. Actually, they should’ve realized how wrong they were to treat you that way and apologized years ago. The fact that they’re still doing it—” I shook my head. “It makes me have no respect for them whatsoever.”
His smile spread into a grin. “That makes two of us.”
My nostrils flared as I tried to stomp upon the anger stirring around inside me. A cloud of the hunter’s citrusy cedar scent hit me, sliding through my veins and folding around my senses. It was so strong again and felt as though I’d been wrapped up in the hunter himself. A brief sense of comfort flowed over me, dampening some of my rage.
“Is there anything else you’d like to know about me?” His gaze burned into me again, those amber-hued eyes missing nothing.
My eyebrows shot up. “You’re really willing to answer whatever I want to know?”
“That was the deal, wasn’t it? I give you the full story and you sleep in my bed every night.” That wild look of anticipation danced in his eyes again.
A flush stained my cheeks. Before my breathing could grow completely out of control, I glanced away and forced myself to take a slow, deep breath. “Nothing comes to mind at the moment. Everything finally makes sense now.”
“Shall we train then?”
My heart skipped. “Right. Training.”
I’d completely forgotten that was the entire reason we were here. I glanced at the clock. An hour had passed since we’d first arrived. Evening was just around the corner, and after that, it would be time to go to sleep—with the hunter.
“I suppose we should train.” I made a move to stand, but the hunter’s hand curled around my wrist, his sure grip and warm fingers causing goose pimples to sprout along my skin.
“The training I had in mind doesn’t require standing.”
I rolled my eyes. “If your training is some perverted demon thing in which I stay horizontal, don’t even think—”
He laughed, the sound so sudden I stopped talking. “It’s not, I promise. Sit down, across from me, and close your eyes.”
I eyed him suspiciously.
“I’m not going to pounce on you.” That wicked smile returned. “Yet.”
I sighed and plopped down on the floor across from him as requested, but I didn’t close my eyes. “If I get any hint of you using this training session to wear down my defenses and spring on me—”
He brought a finger to my lips. The abrupt contact of his body touching mine, even if it was only his finger, had me jolting upright, my spine snapping into a straight line.
“When we’re in this room, I promise to only be training you. I won’t cross any boundaries that you don’t want me to.”
His eyes promised that he would uphold that vow, but underneath it, I saw the heat and desire. He would maintain his boundaries as long as I asked him to, but the second I didn’t?
Then all bets were off.
Chapter 19
“Keep your eyes closed and feel inside yourself for your forbidden power. Do you feel it?”
“I do.” It swirled up and beckoned me to use it. “I can easily find that ability. It’s the new power that’s eluding me.”
“What do you feel right now from your forbidden magic?”
My forehead puckered. “A bottomless well of strength and sparkling potential. There’s so much.”
“If you call for it, what happens?”
“It rises up, and I can easily wield it.”
“What about your other magic—your witch powers?”
“They’re separate to this one. They’re always there, in my chest, but my magic that enhances power in people, that’s deeper.”
“Where is it in you?”
“Here.” I placed a hand over my lower belly. “It’s always down here.”
“And when you’re not using it, do you still feel it?”
I cocked my head, my eyes staying closed. “No, I don’t usually notice it, but when I want to tap into it, it springs forward so I never have to search.”
“I imagine your new power is similar, but since it’s unfamiliar to you, you don’t know how to locate or call it. Do you mind if I try to help?”
My eyes flashed open, then widened when I saw the hunter sat so close, although he wasn’t touching me. “Have your eyes been closed at all?”
“No.”
I glowered at him. “Have you just been staring at me?”
“I have. Is that a problem?” His voice dipped, turning husky.
My chest rose unsteadily. “We’re supposed to be training.”
“And we are. I haven’t touched you, have I?”
“No, but you’re watching me.”
“I’m not the one who needs to be focusing inward, and besides, the view is quite delectable. It would be a shame not to admire it.”
Gods, the man was . . . grr. I ignored the urge to squirm. “It makes me . . . uncomfortable when you watch me.”
His nostrils flared, no doubt scenting the arousal that was again fluttering through my system. “Are you sure that’s what it makes you feel?”
“Yes!” I snapped.
He smirked. “Fine, I’ll close my eyes if you like, but I have an idea on how to help you. Can I try?”
“What are you going to do?”
“Trust me.”
“Says the powerful demon lord offspring.”
He chuckled. “Half demon lord.”
“Sorry, your half-highness, but I still want to know your plan.”
He smirked. “All right, my plan is to use your forbidden magic—as you call it—to find the new one. You’ll need to use your forbidden power to strengthen my magic again, and I’m going to see if I can connect with you while you’re doing it. I want to see if it helps us locate your new power.”
“You’re going to connect with me?”
“That’s the plan. I’m going to try entering your body when I do it.”
My mouth went dry. “You’re going to enter my body when my magic is tethered to your power?” I’d literally never done anything like that with anyone. I was so used to hiding my forbidden power, not sharing it with others. “That sounds rather . . . intense.”
“It could be. You’re not scared, are you?”