The girl visibly deflated at the sight of him pressed against me.

"Sorry, Sir." She murmured. Bobbing her head. "Brought the buckets, Sir."

"No need to be sorry." Gray said in that dark voice. "Do as you need. You're no bother to me."

It was humiliating that she could see us in such a compromising position.

I probably looked no better than a common harlot with him molded against me as he was. His fingertips a breath away from fondling me.

"Is your intent to embarrass me?"

"No."

I eyed him quizzically.

"It's to keep you right here, right where I want you, whilst she goes in and out."

He wasn't jesting.

Even when the brawny lad drug in the large metal tub and began pouring the buckets that the barmaid had brought up, he didn't budge.

Not until they said they were done. Placing a platter atop our cloaks on the chair.

Gray barely grunted in response as they closed the door.

"They're gone." I reminded. "You can let me go now."

"Oh?" He queried. "Should I leap at your command as the Skins do?"

Skins. Humans.

The monsters often called the humans skins.

Because they're trapped in their own skin.

Unlike most of the monsters, which could deviate from the binding of their flesh.

To some extent or another.

"I didn't order you."

"No." He lurched off the wall to wander to the steaming bath. "You know better."

I scowled. "Oh, yes, I forgot."

He glanced back at me.

"Once pompous always pompous." I said venomously.

Once royal, always royal.

"Aren't you adorable." He crooned. "Come here, Baby Girl."

"Don't call me that."

"No?" His brows lifted. "Make me stop, Sweet Thing."

My lip curled disdainfully and before I'd fully processed a plan, my feet were carrying me in a desperate attempt toward the door.

Time slowed and though I could perceive the micro-movements, I could not speed my own up.

Gray turned his head to look at me. Blinking dark blue eyes slowly.

Just as I was nearly to the door he became a blur of movement, his legs barely discernible. His gold chain tunic clattering as he crossed the distance and rotated to skid backward against the door. His heel pushing against it as my hand landed on the handle.

He was already between it and I.

My arm brushed his hip as I stretched. Gaping at him with wide eyes.

He caught my waist and twisted me with my own momentum until stopping us both. My shredded tunic whipping around us.

I felt dizzied by the abrupt change in direction, my stomach lurching at the unnatural movement.

He stalked toward the wash bin with me lifted inches off the floor. His arms locked around my hips like a vise. Clutching me to his chest.

I pushed his forearms down, trying to writhe from his grip. "Put me down!"

"No."

He walked close enough to the washbasin that I was certain he'd toss me in it.

I took a huge swallow of air and braced myself but to my amazement, he deposited me on my feet.

However, I didn't even have time to thank him before he'd caught my threadbare tunic at the shoulders and ripped it from collar to bottom hem. The fabric hissed as it fell in sifting waves. Dropping like parchment.

I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of gasping in surprise. "Screw you, Gray."

He gave me the evil lopsided grin that was his most characteristic expression. "Yes."

I lifted my chin but refused to cover myself. Understanding how pointless that would be. He's seen it enough.

"You're covered in bruises and far too thin."

My lips compressed until whitening. "I'm sure after tonight, I'll have more to add to the collection."

Bruises.

"You would like that, wouldn't you? It'd make things so much easier..."

"Would it?" I countered sweetly.

"Hmm." He murmured. Leaning over to collect the ripped fabric.

I brought my elbow down toward his back but as I'd expected, he heard the tiny whisper of air dividing for the pointed tip of my joint and he twisted sideways and swung upward, dodging the strike that should've landed in the center of his spine. While simultaneously straightening to face me with an impassive expression.

He made eye contact with me as he gripped two edges of the flimsy fabric and tore between his hands, following it down to make a long strip.

"What are you going to do with that?" I forced my voice flat. But I was worried.

Very worried.

What is he going to do with it?

He smirked. Blue eyes level on me throughout his every, jerking movement.

Damn him.

He knew I was unsettled, and he was reveling in it.

He caught my shoulder and flung it with enough force that I was maneuvered around and nearly fell forward into the tub. I caught the edge of the curved metal and braced myself.

Gray gripped one of my bare shoulders and I thought he was going to drop his trousers and thrust into me there but instead he put another hand to my lower back and forced me upright, facing away from him.

He reached around me to catch one of my arms, then the other. Guiding them behind my back and together. His hands sliding down to grip my wrists in one hand, while he wound the cloth around with the other.

I stiffened, my body going rigid. This is different.

Of all the times he's cornered me, he's never bound me.

"Are you taking me back to King Eternus so fast then?"

In a way I rather hoped so. Hoped to avoid the dark intent I'd already seen on Gray's face and head back to be a prisoner.

I can deal with that.

I can get away from whomever was put in charge of me in the dungeons.

But Gray...

He scoffed. "You'd not be so lucky."

I relaxed some.

Very conflicted indeed.

As much as I didn't want to deal with Gray, I knew that working for King Liam, ruler of the Eternus would yield nothing but more tormented creatures.

Nothing could hide from my power.

And the coin King Eternus could get from having me under his thumb, would be well worth the pain of having me there.

At his beck and call.

And harlot for the Pyre Army, no doubt. I knew that was what King Liam did with his slaves, to keep his knights happy.

I'll die first.

Especially before I'd be any slave of Gray's. I couldn't imagine a worse fate.

Gray used all of the fabric strip to bind my wrists tightly and partway up my forearms, making my arms pinch behind me. Forcing me to thrust my chest forward in an uncomfortable posture.

"Ask me for help..." I heard a whisper.

Glancing down into the tub I saw Orin's straining hand reaching out to touch the flat plain of my belly while Gray was busy behind me.

But he heard the voice. Whipping from behind me to tower over the water.

"Piss off, Orin or I'll gut you, myself." Gray hissed.

"I just-"

"Don't." Gray barked the commanded to Orin. "Don't even look at what you'll never have."

He slid between me and the water to shield my bare body from Orin's view and his cloying hand.

"That's her choice, not yours, Jackson." Orin hissed defensively.

"Orin..." Gray turned his head warningly. Eyeing the reflection in the water.

"For now, My Love..." Orin whispered. His image fading from the swaying fluid.

"You need not tolerate him." Gray said.

"Indeed not." I blinked at him.

"I could choose to go with you like some docile puppy and be your toy and you'd keep all the nightmares away?" I asked in a voice that mimicked the innocent hopefulness of a child.

"Don't be snide."

"Then don't try and make your offer sound like some grand offer of protection. Refer to it as the captivity it would be."

"You'd be my captive."

"Ooh." I purred. "When you say it like that, I'm simply swooning with desire to go away with you. Fully trusting."

"I know you don't trust me." He said blandly. seeming unemotional as he stated the simple fact. He seemed to be dismissing the conversation as he turned to swipe his hand through the water.

Either checking that Orin was fully gone or testing the warmth.

He seemed satisfied with what he found.

Returning to stand behind me. Pausing there a moment as if considering something.

Or looking at me. I resisted the urge to glance over my shoulder to find out which.

He suddenly lifted me over the edge of the rim and into the warm heat of the bath. The steam enveloped me. Feeling as though it cleansed my senses. Heating into my cold bones. And eliciting a pleased moan at the mere contact.