The question catches me off guard. My thoughts flash back to that day with the hybrid. The way my words had slipped past his will and bound him like chains and made him do exactly what I wanted.
“Not since then,” I say carefully.
Alec tilts his head, voice calm but certain. “Then try it.”
I blink. “On who?”
His lips curve into a daring smile. “On me.”
I freeze, my eyes widening. “On you? Absolutely not.”
“Yes,” he counters easily without hesitation, folding his arms.
“Alec, I’m not going to practice forcing my will on you. That’s—”
“—exactly what you’ll have to do if you want to master it,” he interrupts. “Better me than someone else.”
“No, Alec, I could—”
“You won’t hurt me.” His tone is a quiet steel. “You can’t run from this part of your power. If you want to control it, you h
