Colliding Worlds Trilogy 02 – Implosion by Berinn Rae Read Free Book Online Page A

then turned back to her. “Do exactly as I command, and you will be set free. I give you my word.”
    Nalea stood there as his words sunk in. If she could believe his word — and she couldn’t — Roden was giving her a chance at taking down the one Draeken she hated even more than him. Her father. Just thinking of the family connection made bile rise.
    With one kill, she could free herself of her secret and drive the Noble War to a critical turning point. Only two people knew the truth about Nalea’s heritage. Apolo, she trusted. Roden, never. If she didn’t want the secret to get out, another man would have to die. And that would mean she’d have to destroy any chance at experiencing the
tahren
bond, even once.
    While she still couldn’t read Roden when he spoke truth or lies, she knew he’d lied to her about one thing. If she survived, she was the only remaining legal heir to the Draeken throne. The Draeken, with their traditions, would accept a bastard child of the Puftan bloodline over a lord from a different bloodline. Roden could never claim the throne as long as she lived. Either way, she had a death sentence.
    Her choice was simple.
Not help Roden, die now. Help Roden, kill Hillas, hopefully kill Roden, and then die.
She held out a hand. “I accept.”
    He looked down at her hand and broke out into a wide grin. “I prefer to seal our agreement with something more apropos with what I have planned.”
    Before she could move, he roughly grabbed her shoulders, yanked her to him, and pressed his lips to hers. His hard kiss shut down her argument before the words formed. His strong embrace flooded her with heat, and every memory of his taste, scent, and touch came alive. She responded by shoving at him, which sent her stumbling backward.
    He stepped back, and she wiped her lips with the back of her hand. “I hate you.”
    “I know,” he replied softly. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you need me.” He tapped his wrist-com again, and she knew the camera lights would be blinking back on any moment. Roden was done with her. For now.
    “I own you, Nalea Zyll,” he said in a low voice, his back to her.
    She didn’t miss the fact that he’d added his name onto hers. An intentional slight as her people refused to use last names. Only their masters used such names.
    He paused just before walking away. “Never forget it.”

Chapter Seven
    With his feet propped on the desk, Roden leaned back in his chair, his wings spread out behind him, draping across the floor. He rolled his neck, trying to ease the tension in his shoulders. Between planning a mutiny, leading the search for a Draeken traitor, and keeping his people safely hidden from the humans, there was little time left to sleep.
    After rubbing his temples, he leaned forward and punched several keys on his desk, and the key to his plans filled the screen. The heir to the Draeken throne was still safely locked away in her cell, her heritage unknown to everyone. The tension in his body eased, and he smiled.
There you are, my dear.
    His eyes narrowed on the screen. Fyet
, that woman can make push-ups look sexy.
Her light breaths were the only audible sound picked up by the microphone. With the way her golden skin glistened with sweat, she’d been exercising for some time. His shaft grew hard as he imagined her moving up and down on him.
    As Nalea rolled onto her back, she eyed the camera with disdain, her glare saying,
fuck you.
Roden smiled. While she couldn’t know she was being watched, he enjoyed that he, too, haunted her thoughts.
What else goes on in that pretty head of yours?
    He’d always known his Sephian prisoner possessed secrets. After he first met her and suspected that he was to be her
tahren
, he’d researched her, seeing how he could leverage her weakness in the war. He’d scoured her files, finding nothing. And so he’d dug deeper.
    It hadn’t taken long to uncover the forged birth records. The Nalea he knew bore no legal birth