To offer? As if I was a piece of meat. I dug my teeth into my tongue.
"But I didn't believe him." He stalked up to me and grabbed my waist.
I swallowed the gasp and forced myself to be still as I stared at his chest.
Why did he have to be so tall? He leaned down until his mouth was less than an inch from my throat.
'But he told the truth. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and tonight you are mine." His hot lips touched my skin.
Could he feel the terror pounding in my veins? His hands on my waist tightened.
A tears pressed against my eyeballs, but I forced them back. I wouldn't cry, but Fenli words slammed into my brain. He'll fuck you bloody.
Be strong.
Qina words flashed in my mind. Don't let him treat you like a mistress.
"No!" The word ripped from my throat like a battle cry.
I wrenched myself away from him, stumbling a few steps back.
Everything seemed to still then.
What had I just done? His expression was stunned, then it hardened.
"No?"
"What?" I snapped.
'Have you never heard the word 'no' before?"
Shut up, Shen Mi. For God's sake shut up.
"Oh, I hear it often. The guy whose throat I crushed he said it over and over and over again until he couldn't say it anymore."
I took a step back, bristling.
"So you're going to crush my throat too?" I was like a cornered, biting and snapping, but my opponent was a wolf.
A very big and dangerous wolf.
A cold smile twisted his lips.
"No, that would defy the purpose of our marriage, don't you think?"
I shuddered. Of course, it would. He couldn't kill me.
At least not if he wanted to maintain peace between our clan's. That didn't mean he couldn't beat or force himself on me.
"I don't think my father would be happy if you hurt me."
The look in his eyes made me take another step back.
"Is that a threat?"
I averted my eyes from his. My father might risk war over my death, but not because he loved me, but to keep face. Then, but definitely not over a few bruises. For my father it wouldn't even be force as he was my husband and my body was his to take whenever he wanted.
"No," I said softly.
Now I hated myself for being submissive like a bitch bowing to her powerful man, almost as much as I hated him for making me do it.
"But you deny me what's mine?"
I glared. Don't being submissive. Damn my father for selling me off like lamb , and he really for accepting the offer.
"I can't deny you something that you don't have the right to take in the first place. My body doesn't belong to you. It's mine."
'He will kill me', the thought shot through my mind a second before he drew himself up before me. Six foot five was scarily tall. I saw his hand move in my peripheral vision and flinched in anticipation of the blow, my eyes slamming shut.