Chapter 11 · Fake Collared Pet

"Keep your hand off my throat, Commander."

Ronin's fingers tightened under my jaw.

His body blocked the mouth of the ice tunnel, broad enough to hide me from the armed squad outside. His mask was gone. His face was close. Too close. Warm breath brushed my cheek while silver rounds clicked into loaded rifles beyond his shoulder.

"You want to keep breathing?" he murmured. "Then stop fighting me."

"You dragged me into a hole and put your hands on me. Try asking nicer."

His eyes dropped to my mouth for half a second.

The bond under my skin answered with a hot, vicious pulse.

I bit down on the sound that tried to escape me.

Ronin noticed anyway. Of course he did. The bastard noticed everything.

Outside, a voice barked, "Commander! Report!"

Ronin's thumb pressed against my throat. Not hard enough to choke me. Just enough to remind me how easily he could.

"Captain Voss is leading the sweep," he whispered. "He brought execution armor."

"For me?"

"For both of us if they smell the bond."

That stopped my struggle.

The silver armor-piercers were built to punch through wolf hide, bone, and most walls.