20. Love and Poison

[ELARA]

Pain shoots up my arm and reaches my skull the moment Alec’s fangs pierce the flesh there. It’s excruciating and I’m thrown back by the impact, knocked off my feet as a reaction to it. I bite on my teeth so I don’t scream.

I don’t want to alert the guards. They could hurt him. They could kill him when they see the bite mark on my arm.

Even though his arms sear as they try to reach me through the silver bars, he doesn’t stop. Alec wants me dead; I can see the murderous look in his eyes. Just a moment ago, I was hoping there was nothing holding us apart, but now I can’t be more grateful for those silver bars.

He tricked me into thinking he was harmless… until I extended my arm inside the cell to touch his cheek. And then he came at me, like he had done inside the tent.

Furious like a beast.

My arm begins to throb, the flesh starting to turn a shade of reddish-black as blood trickles down to the muddy ground at an alarming rate.

Lila’s panic is mingled with mine. But he