“You’re already magically bound to complete the training. If you don’t consent to me, then you’ll just go to another member of The Five. The magic won’t have it any other way. You’ll die if you don’t do it.” He waves a hand in dismissal, like my life means nothing. As if he doesn’t care either way what I choose.
“What do you mean I’m bound to complete the training? That’s not consensual at all! I didn’t agree—”
He holds up a hand to silence me.
“Your soul agreed the moment you stepped through that curtain back in the circus. You’ve asked four questions. I won’t answer any more.” His eyes turn a shade darker as he takes another sip from the glass, but I’m not afraid of him.
“So, I either have to complete the training or I die? I have to keep the fact I’m your mate a secretor I die?”
He sighs and rises from his seat. “There’s no other way out of the inbetween than to go through the training. If the other vampires find out you’re my mate, you’re dead. What part of that do you not understand? You have to do this if you want to survive.”
He’s right. I don’t have a choice.
“Then I guess this dinner is over. Thank you for the soup. I’ll head back to my room now.” I need space to think. I get up from my seat, avoiding his eyes as I make my way to the door.
“Wait,” he calls after me. “Don’t you meanourroom?”
I narrow my eyes in response. He closes the gap between us, holding out a hand for me to take as he searches my face for a reaction. I guess I don’t have a choice in this, either. He was right about the bond not liking for us to be apart for too long. Without a reply, I stride past him and out the door into the hallway.
I let him walk ahead, guiding me for a much shorter distance than I’d come. Seems like the hotel doesn’t want to play tricks onme now. When Knox and I reach my room, we stand awkwardly side by side, staring at the door in silence.
Maybe he’s as conflicted as I am?
One moment he’s flirty, then the next he’s sneering and rude. Being around him feels like having whiplash. I never know which side of him I’m getting. The one who held my face tightly and acted as if I was his possession, or the one who is indifferent about whether I live or die.
Knox finally pushes the door open. My cozy bedroom is replaced with a large sitting room, with two doors on either side. The vast desert is still visible through a floor to ceiling glass wall. In the center is a large chaise longue and a small coffee table flanked by marble pillars adorned by bouquets of flowers. A painting of a lake that looks vaguely familiar adorns the nearby wall.
We walk in together, both studying the space and ignoring the current between us.
He opens the door on the left, revealing my room from before.
“I’ll be in here, if the pain gets too much.” He gestures back to the sitting room, then fists his hands into his pockets.
“It won’t be.” I don’t sound convincing.
Before I can make more of an idiot of myself, I stomp past him into my bedroom and slam the door behind me.
Hopefully, it lets him know I hate this arrangement just as much as he does.
11
Danni
As soon as thedoor to my room closes behind me, the aching hollow feeling in my chest returns. I feel like I finally got my wish of wanting to be a thousand miles away from Knox. No matter what I do to distract myself, I can’t take my eyes away from the door or stop imagining him bursting through and fucking me senseless.
I even pulled out a small notebook that I keep tucked inside my bag and started writing down everything I’ve uncovered so far. But no matter how hard I scribbled, I found my body yearned to be touched. I’m pretty sure I’d just been through a traumatic life event that would take years of therapy to dissect, and all I can think about is Knox’s bratty mouth kissing me all over.
My blood temperature rises to an excruciating level even though I know the room is cold. I replace my evening gown with the pale blue silk robe, the soft fabric sliding over my bare skin.A moan nearly slips out when I picture Knox’s touch being just as sensual.
Damn my treacherous body.
I lay back on the bed and stare up at the ceiling. The world swims as I try to focus on something other than the tightness of his pants and the perfection of his ass. I need a release or else I might explode. My hands absently play with the delicate edges of the robe. As soon as my fingers brush across my legs, the need increases.
What the hell am I doing?
I was kidnapped by a bunch of mythical creatures, the same kind that murdered my own mother right in front of me, and now I want to pleasure myself at the thought of one of them. A single tear runs down my face as I attempt to convince myself that this sick desire is just the stupid bond making me feel this way. I’m a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need a mate bond with a vampire lover.
I know what I need to do: I need to survive. And to do that, I need a clear head. Ultimately, surrendering to my own desires will help me stay in control. After all, who knows what tomorrow will bring. Might as well have a little fun.
