Dusk's jaw tightened.
His head tilted. Expression shifting into something sharp. Deadly. Absolutely final.
"To kill you."
The words dropped between them. Flat. Matter-of-fact. Like he was discussing weather and not murder.
Wish's heart stopped.
The impact hit her chest like a physical blow. Simple. Honest. Brutal.
All the bravado evaporated. The reckless defiance dissolved. Fear came rushing back—cold and sharp and overwhelming.
Dusk's smile spread slowly. Cruel. Satisfied. Clearly savoring the way color drained from her cheeks. The way her eyes went wide. The way her breath caught.
"Did you think," he continued, voice dropping softer, leaning in just slightly, "there was another reason? That I was here because I found you intriguing? Because you're extra curvy and I can't stay away?"
His laugh was quiet. Mocking.
"You're not intriguing, Wish River. You're a problem. An obstacle. Something that needs to be removed."
Wish's throat worked. No sound came out.
