Chapter 14
The smell of the soap replaces the tantalizing smell of him, and the effects of his addictive scent fade away like background noise. My mind’s fog lifts instantly, and my eyes go to his. He watches me for a second. His eyes scrutinizing.
“You’ll get used to it. Get used to me,” he tells me. But now, with some distance between us, I see him for what he is, the monster that kidnapped me-poisoned me, and I am turning into a monster just like him.
I step away from him slowly, my back hitting the wall as I stare at him. He looks at me with something akin to disappointment and understanding, but it quickly passes, leaving only the monster in his place once again. He offers me a small smile before turning around and stepping out of the shower without another word. Xandros sn atc hes a towel off the rack on the wall, tying it around his waist.
While I’m left feeling confused and scared of the intense emotions that are coursing through me, I can’t help but feel like something inside me has changed or is missing. My eyes dart to his back. No, whatever that missing piece is, he took it.
Something twisted and dark has awakened within me, something unfamiliar yet intoxicatingly seductive. All I can do is stand there as my mind reels from it all.
“I’ll send someone to get clothes for you. Don’t leave the bedroom, or there will be consequences,” he says, his voice returning to cold and authoritative.
He leaves without another word, and I’m left standing there, struggling to wrap my head around what just happened. I had been. so close to succumbing and begging him to stay, to take me. Had he not stepped away from me, I am sure I would have done
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Chapter 14
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anything he requested, drunk on his presence and this so-called mate bond he told me about.
I catch myself thinking about the strange urges still lingering in my mind as I regain my composure despite the fear of it all. The memory of his touch still sends shivers down my spine, like a reminder that something inside me has changed irrevocably, awoken by some carnal desire I wasn’t sure would save me or end
me.
The shower runs cold by the time I finally step out and grab a towel, more determined than ever to fight against these newfound impulses. I just needed to survive long enough to escape. He marked me now, so if I can escape, I’ll live; I remember that much from the forest. He said that is why I was sick. I needed his venom, and I have that now, so running is back on the table. My only issue is trying to get to the seekers and give them what for money.
The bathroom is bright and airy, with white tiles on the walls and floor. I wrap a fluffy white towel around myself, and I can feel the fabric’s softness against my skin, so much softer than the itchy towels back home with holes and fraying edges. The room is filled with steam from my shower, and the air is heavy with the scent of my body wash.
A large mirror hangs over the sink. I wipe my hand across it, remove the steam that fogs it, and peer into the mirror at myself. Only the moment I do, I take a step back. My eyes burn brightly back at me, almost glowing.
“Where is Xandros?” comes a feminine yet harsh voice that has me jumping to look at the door. I find a woman in a flowing white gown that hugs her curves. She is tall and beautiful, and I suddenly feel like a gutter rat in her presence. “Are you mute?” she snaps, her face twisting in disgust as she looks me over.
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I shake my head, and her lips pull into a snarl, revealing sharp, pointed fangs. Vampire! I stag ger ba ck away from her, and her eyes sparkle evilly. She laughs. It is a sound that sends a chill down my spine. The vampire woman steps closer, and I can feel her cold presence. She stopped a few feet away from me, her still sparkling with amusement. “Well then, since my fiance isn’t here, I suppose you’ll have to do.” She smiles, revealing her sharp fangs again.
“Fiance?” I question.
eyes
“Yes, Xandros,” she growls at me, her eyes glowing brighter in her anger. I gasp. He’s getting married. “So, you’re engaged?” I ask, appalled that he could claim me while having a fiance. My curiosity is piqued as to who she is because I swear she looks familiar. She continues to smile, her sharp fangs gleaming in the dim light. She laughs, the sound sinister despite how beautiful she is.
“Princess Carina Dresden or I suppose it’s now Zeppelin. Legally, we are married already,” the woman taunts before stepping closer. Dresden, it takes me a few moments to figure out why that name is so important. Rumors were the two kingdoms were about to join alliances, and now I know how. I suck in a breath, tripping over the shower mat when she reaches for me. She clicks her tongue and grabs my hair.
“I’m being considerate enough to allow him to keep his side w h ore. The least you can do is offer a f u cking vein s lut!” she snarls as she drags me toward the bedroom. She shoves me, and I hit the ground hard, my head bouncing off the hard floor. My vision blurs, and I sit up, feeling dazed.
She stalks toward me, and I crawl back on my hands and feet to escape her. She grabs my hair and pulls me closer to her. I can feel, her icy breath on my face as she hisses, “You better keep quiet, or
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I’ll make sure you never mutter a peep again.” she snarls. I’m terrified and can feel my heart pounding in my chest. Her fangs elongate, and I try to get away from her. My hand moves quickly, and I slap her. Her face twists to the side, but her grip on my hair doesn’t waiver. She growls. The sound is a low ticking in her throat, and I try to pull away, but her grip on my hair grows harsher and I cry out.
The next minute she rips me to my feet, and my body is sailing through the air; I crash against something. Pain slivers through my body, and I cry out before hitting the floor, realizing she threw me into a cupboard. Before I have a chance to sit up, she has my hair in her hand again, jerking my head back.
“You dare hit your future queen?” she snarls, then yanks my head to the side and clench my eyes closed. I struggle to regain my composure, my hands shaking, lips quivering as tears trek down my face when I feel her breath on my face as she leans in, her voice low and menacing.
“You will never hit me again,” she growls furiously, her words a promise. A whimper escapes me, and I feel the points of her teeth graze my neck. The next second, I hear a whimper, only its not coming from me.
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