Taunting Destiny by Amelia Hutchins Page B

too close to his masculine scent. I growled hungrily and felt something pushing inside of me, trying to get out.
    As he secured the collar around my neck, I felt a strong pulse of magic swirl through the room, and a candle flared to life. Then two, three , and five—then more as they lit up, all in ornate holders set into the walls at different points around the room. It created a shadowed effect.  I scanned the room carefully, my eyes landing on the bed. It was big enough to fit several people on it, just like the rest of the beds I had begun to associate Ryder with; however, this one had a modern feel, with its thick, black metal frame surrounding the mattress and four rail-like posts that rose above the bed several feet, bending to a graceful curve that ended in a square black rail canopy that was slightly smaller than the mattress. The canopy was topped with small brass spires where it met each post. Black silk sheets covered the mattress, and an amazing supply of pillows was stacked in front of the headboard. Attached to each post were long silver chains that were secured to a sturdy looking thick, black leather cuff.
    Vases , filled with red and white roses, were set randomly around the room. I looked at him and caught a hint of unease, as if this wasn’t something he did often—if ever. I took it in slowly, knowing I’d soon be unable to appreciate the beauty. Ryder cleared his voice a little.
    “ Transition only happens once, Pet. I believe you said that women liked to be—what was it you said—wined and dined?” I had to smile at the thoughtfulness of Ryder trying to set me at ease with everything that was going to happen. It was so out of character for him, and, yet, it tugged at my heart that he was trying.
    “ Thank you,” I said softly, at a loss for anything else to say.
    I was running out of time, losing a battle with whatever was inside of me. I walked slowly towards the bed. I wanted it to be my own choice to be chained not because I had to be, but because I wanted to be. I bent low on the black sheets and crawled across them until I was in the middle of the bed.
    “ Okay, Fairy, let’s do this.” My voice sounded a bit shaky.
    “ Fairy is it?” he asked, lifting a single brow.
    “ Yup,” I whispered.
    He smiled, and sifted. He reappeared between my legs, his huge frame holding mine down gently. He sank further into the mattress with a naughty grin on his mouth. “Scared?” he asked, watching me tremble. I didn’t need to answer him. He could see it in the way my lip quivered, and the way my body trembled with the unknown. He reached over and gently secured one wrist with a thick leather cuff, and then did the other one. The chains attached to the cuffs jangled a bit, which startled me, but sent a coil of heat pooling to my core. I was at his mercy, and he had none—not in bed.
    “ You are coming into our world not knowing very much about us, and for that, I am sorry,” he said softly. “As I promised in the contract, I will try to teach you what I can. For now, I will let you in on something that the Fae do not talk about and the humans would love to know of, for sure. Do you know why humans choose to take Fae to their beds, Synthia?”
    I shook my head . I had felt it up close and personal, but I did not truly understand what the Fae did to them to make humans crave them so badly.
    “ Because we can feel their need—we can sense what they want, before they even know it themselves. We can hear the tempo of their hearts as they increase, beating with need and fear of the unknown. We can smell the wetness between their thighs; know when they are ready to be fucked, or when they need more pleasure to get there. Our abilities let us know right where to touch them, and what they need the most. We can feel the orgasm as it builds, as it grows. We can prevent it from happening multiple times, creating one that will shatter their entire world. We can choose to take their souls, or feed it