SPELLBOUND

Evie was so shocked she became completely rigid beneath him. All her mind could register was the feel of his warm and strong hands gripping her wrists and pinning them down against the soft bed. Her skin was so sensitive and her whole body so in tuned to the sensations being evoked in her that she could even feel each of his fingers that were wrapped around her wrists.

"Why…" he growled low, his blue eyes almost animalistic in their ferocity as he glared down at her. "Why do you keep on making me furious, huh? Evie? Why do you insist on taunting me? Are you looking to find out what's my tipping point?"

His intensity was almost suffocating her, and not to mention scary as well. Evie could no longer hold back the fear that was lapping at her in waves. For the first time, she was truly afraid of him. And she had to admit it was really an uncomfortable feeling and she did not like it at all. At this moment, she was really missing her Gavriel so much she could feel the intense ache within her. He had never once given her reason to fear him.

She steeled herself and glared stubbornly at him.

"Y-you are the one making me furious!" she retorted, hissing at him despite her fear. "Let me go!" she then shouted, glaring at him with a teary and sharp hateful gaze. She could not help the many emotions that were rising and battling within her right now.

Evie was angry and hurt and she could not help but hate this cruel and unknown being who had taken over her beloved husband's body. If it were not for him, she would have long been holding and kissing her Gavriel by now. If not for him, she would not be in this wretched predicament right now. She wanted to kick, punch, and slash out at him, but she could not as she would then be hurting her very own husband – even if it was only physically. Evie was on the brink of losing her sanity and letting loose a wild and crazy shriek that was bubbling just in her throat. But she clenched her teeth down adamantly and swallowed hard that impulse on letting loose.

However, all those emotions being held back had to be manifested somehow. The abhorrence that flashed so clearly within Evie's eyes made him freeze in surprise and shock. His face darkened and his grip on her wrists tightened even more.

"I said get off me!" Evie trashed beneath him. But he was like a statue.

Then suddenly, he laughed. And it was not that pleasant laugh Evie always loved. His laugh sounded somehow hysterical and utterly pained, that it even caused Evie to stop struggling and just stared questioningly at his face.

But then again, lightning fast, her vision darkened once more. The next moment, she was no longer in her brightly lit room anymore.

He still had her pinned down hard, but it no longer was on a soft and comfy bed but against a cold and hard wall. It was so dark and freezing that the only source of light was the small fire coming from a fireplace in the far corner of the room. She could not see his shadowed face, just those vivid devil-blue eyes.

Her heart thumped hard against her ribcage. Why did he bring her here? Where was this place?

Evie swallowed hard and her eyes moved from one side to the other. It was then that she realized this dark room was familiar, and she seemed to have seen it many times in her dreams.

"Evielyn…" he whispered, and Evie swore that his voice sounded almost miserable. She could feel his hot breath touching her lips. Their noses were almost brushing each other's due to his closeness. Evie caught her breath as he said it, those same words she had heard so many times before. "Tell me. Why did you not keep your promise?" His hands curled tighter around her arms as he asked again. "Why?!"

She thought she was prepared enough to reply to these words now after so many nights she had spent thinking about it. But she was unable to speak immediately. Maybe because of how close he was, that he had caused her to be completely disoriented for a moment. And when she managed to snap back to reality and was about to throw out the question that she had practiced in her mind many times before, she then heard a dry sardonic barking laughter from him that made her draw her lips closed again.

As she looked at him, speechless and wide eyed, she wondered why he had suddenly laughed that way. Why did it seem that she was the one in the wrong here?

He finally let go of her wrist and then his palms slammed on the walls behind her, causing her to jump in shock again. He bent his face down to hers as he pulled his body away, stretching his powerful arms and leaning forward heavily. His eyes burning even fiercer, colder. "Of course, I don't need to ask, do I? It's quite obvious that you have come to hate me and that's why you broke your promise. So, I guess, I must ask you a different question." His fingers flew to her chin and curled around it, lifting her face close to his.

"Why do you hate me now? Huh? Evie? Is it because of what I revealed to you that night about myself? Or…" he trailed off and his other hand wrapped around the small of her back and abruptly pulled her to press her body flush against him. His voice and aura becoming darker and colder again, murderous even. "Or is it because you've fallen for someone else, now?"

Evie swallowed again. Her throat was dry. Her Gavriel would never terrify her like this. Even when he was furious, he would not unleash it in front of her and frighten her so badly.

"I…" a word finally managed to leave her mouth. She knew she had to speak now. Because if she did not, this cruel person might really do something to hurt her this time. "I don't hate you, but I hate what you are doing to me right now! You are scaring me, hurting me…"