Free Under His Skin by Jennifer Blackstream Page A

to do so.” He made his voice sound as threatening as he could, wanting her to know he was serious. Brec wasn’t a violent man, but there were some things worth drawing blood for. Stealing skins was one of them. Holding the pain he’d felt only hours ago close to his chest, he tightened his grip even further.
     
    “It’s none of your concern,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
     
    Her tone betrayed her physical pain. Part of him knew he should keep pushing, should break a bone if necessary. It was frightening how convincingly she’d played a victim only to turn around and show this new scary side. The way her face continued to hold her anger even under threat of physical violence made him realize that she was not what she had first seemed to be. He would have to go further than he was willing to go if he wanted to physically force her to talk.
     
    He released her, letting her throw herself back on the bed. He hoped she would cower, or seem at least a little frightened. Anything to make him think that he could get her to confess without doing something that would keep him awake at night. The thought of using violence against a woman turned his stomach. Being a warrior would be one thing, but a six foot seven man brutalizing a woman was unacceptable.
     
    His prayer went unanswered as Ana stared at him without a trace of her earlier fear. She leaned against the headboard, curling her long legs up to cover her nudity as she glared at him. She may as well have been an ice queen surveying a problematic peasant. There was no guilt on her face, no vulnerability. All the tears had dried and apparently, so had her remorse. He had misjudged her—badly.
     
    “This is your chance, Brec,” the pixie whispered. “You want your brother to see that you have what it takes to be a warrior? Show him. Look at her, listen to the lack of sympathy in her voice. She’s a monster and she has to be stopped. You can make her tell you where those skins are. You can end the others’ suffering.” The pixie put both hands on his ear and leaned in until gooseflesh erupted onto Brec’s arm. “Don’t let her act fool you.”
     
    Shame that he’d been tricked by a pretty face fueled his own anger. She wouldn’t fool him again. As much as he hated the thought of using force, he wasn’t leaving this cabin until he learned the truth about the missing skins. If there were other creatures out there living a miserable shadow of their previous existence, he was going to do something about it. He narrowed his eyes. No matter what he had to do.
     
    Turning on his heel, Brec stalked to the corner of the room and laid his fur on the antique rocking chair beside the door. Putting it down took more effort than he wanted to admit. His soul cried out in pain, fighting to keep the fur against his skin for fear that if he walked away it would disappear before he returned. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose and blew it out his mouth. He wasn’t leaving it. It wasn’t going anywhere.
     
    He turned around, facing the bed and the ice empress reclining on it. She sat there, still naked, without making any attempt to retrieve clothing or a blanket. Her graceful body was all long legs and smooth lines. She had clearly toned muscles as if she’d been an athlete once, but the layer of cushion that lay over it told him that whatever she’d done to get that muscle was something she hadn’t done for some time. She looked soft and he gritted his teeth against the thought of what that flesh would feel like under his fingertips. What it would be like to grip her hips in his hands—
     
    Oh, Manannan help me.
     
    His gaze wandered to her breasts, perfect handfuls of soft flesh topped by pale pink nipples that begged for his attention. Desire crackled down his spine like a current of electricity and his blood pounded in his ears. It had been a long time since he’d been this close to a naked woman. Though he remembered how fun it could be . .