The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and..

I threw myself onto him. The chair groaned under our
combined weight. One of his arms caved, and I went for his
throat, my mouth stretching wide, stomach clenching—
An arm folded around my waist, catching me. Another
banded across my breasts, hauling me back against hard,
warm skin. A static charge passed during the contact,
startling me. That feeling…that smell of spice and pine. A
keening, whimpering sound tore its way from my throat as I
stretched out, trying to grasp the male as he jumped from
the chair, his black tunic wrinkled and stained with…with
something. Blood? My blood. I stared at him, sensing that he
was not mortal. He was something else. Something that
belonged to me.
“You don’t want him,” a voice danced over my ear. “He
won’t be as tasty. You want me.”
“In any other situation,” the male with wintry blue eyes
said, “I might be offended.”
Hunger lashed at my insides. Desperation blistered my
skin. I was starving, and it hurt. Everything ached. My skin,
my bones, my muscles. My hair. A low, humming sound
came from deep within me, finally forming rough, guttural
words. “It hurts.”
“I know. You’re hungry. But you can’t eat Kieran. That
would make me a little sad.”
I didn’t care if it made him sad. I threw my head back,
connecting with his jaw. He grunted, but his hold on me
didn’t loosen. It only tightened.
“Careful,” the one called Kieran said. “She’s stronger.”
“I got her,” he bit out, holding me tight to his front. “You
should probably put some distance between you and her.”
The other didn’t move as the one who held me shifted
an arm, lifting his wrist over my shoulder. A scent hit the air.
My heart sped up as I stilled, breathing deeply. It smelled
wonderful, lush and decadent. The gnawing ache
intensified.