Bab 93: Her actions can't sway him from us!

'I will have you before Mirabella can!' She thought to herself, smiling inwardly as her face flushed with embarrassment. 'What if he feels the same? What if this pull between us isn't just one-sided? Why am I so drawn to him? Especially now?'

Their eyes met briefly, an electrifying charge passing between them. But that moment was shattered when Tristan's demeanor shifted suddenly. He reached out, grabbing her by the cheek, his fingers pressing down hard.

"Do you think you can play these sorts of games with me, Avelina?" His voice was cold, a dangerous edge lacing each word. "Did you believe I would be so easily swayed by the pull of desires and mating? That I'd become a mere puppet to my carnal instincts, bending to your whims?"

His disdain was evident, his eyes boring into hers with such intensity that she felt like an insect under scrutiny. Avelina's heart raced, her fear intermingling with a sick fascination.