But the way he was looking at me, the intensity behind those shadows, froze my blood. This wasn’t a joke. This was deadly serious.
“I need an alliance. And you, Vivian, just became the perfect candidate.”
I stared at him, my mind spinning in a thousand directions at once. Was this some twisted game? He wanted to marry me? What sick power play was this?
He must have seen the disbelief in my eyes because he crossed his arms over his chest. “Icouldjust kill you here and now. But where’s the fun in that?”
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry again. I was trapped, and he knew it. Whatever game he was playing, he had the upper hand, and I was just a pawn on his board. But I wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
“I’d rather die than marry you,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
His smirk widened, a dark, dangerous curve that sent ice through my veins. “I’ve heard such threats before, but everyone changes their mind. Eventually.”
5
THE SHADOW
The instant the words left my mouth, I saw the shock slam into Vivian as if I had punched her in the gut. Her eyes widened, a storm of emotions flickering through those hazel depths: disbelief, rage, and something that bordered on hysteria.
For a second, I thought she might launch herself at me, fists swinging, like some wild creature backed into a corner. Instead, she started laughing. The harsh, unhinged sound had my shadows twitching in response. She was on the edge. Maybe she had finally snapped, and if I was being honest, I didn’t give a damn. Let her break. It would make it that much easier to control her.
But damn it, her defiance was… enticing. Even now, covered in the remnants of dirt and sweat from the event, her chestnut hair tumbling messily around her face, she looked like an untamed force of nature. She shoved her hair back behind her ear with a jerky motion, as if it were a persistent adversary. Tears had tracked lines down her cheeks, but that did nothing to diminish the fire in her eyes.
It would make extinguishing her spirit so much sweeter.
Her laughter eventually died as she took a heaving breath, and then she did the most ridiculous thing. She sat down in the middle of the floor like a stubborn child and crossed her arms over her chest.
“I’m not moving. Not until you explain what the hell you mean by... by...marrying me?”
I let the silence stretch between us, savoring the absurdity of the scene. This woman, who had thrown herself in front of an executioner’s axe for a fool of a boy, was now reduced to throwing tantrums on my pristine marble floor. Part of me admired her spirit. The other part of me wanted to crush it beneath my boot.
I pushed out of my chair and took slow, measured steps until I was right in front of her, studying her with cold detachment. She looked up at me, defiance still sparking in her eyes, daring me to force her to her feet.
“You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, Vivian,” I said, somewhat bored. “I needed a wife, and you needed rescuing. So, here we are.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she shook her head like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “That’s it? This is some twisted business transaction?”
“Yes.” My voice was as flat and unfeeling as the stone beneath her. “A business transaction. You will fulfill a role I need filled, and you have saved your… Will.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Why the hell do you need a wife? What’s the benefit for you? For yourpreciousterritory?”
Her sarcasm was almost enough to coax a laugh out of me, but I held it back. No. She would not get the satisfaction of seeing any reaction beyond what I wanted her to see. I was the monster lurking in the dark, the man everyone feared. She needed to understand she was no exception.
“You will help me solidify an alliance. The details are irrelevant to you, but suffice it to say, this marriage will benefit me... greatly.”
Vivian rolled her eyes, a bitter smile twisting her lips. “Oh, well, why didn’t you say so? If it benefitsyou, I’m all for becoming your blushing bride.”
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and shot off a text to one of my guards. Enough of this. She would learn soon enough that resistance was futile.
“One of my men will take you to your room,” I said, slipping my phone back into my pocket. “It’s in my wing of the estate where I can keep an eye on you. We’ll dine together this evening.”
She gazed down at her tattered black dress, and I allowed my eyes to linger on the expanse of her bare legs for a beat longer than necessary. “As much as I enjoy the view, I suggest you get cleaned up and put on more appropriate clothing for a formal meal. I’ll have my people bring you some.”
A sharp knock echoed through the room, and the door swung open to reveal one of my guards, a burly shifter with a perpetual scowl etched into his features. He crossed the room in a few heavy steps and pulled Vivian to her feet.
“No!” She twisted in his grip, her eyes wild as she looked back at me. “You owe me more than this. You owe me a full explanation of what you plan to do with me.”
My shadows flickered ominously as I allowed a sliver of my power to bleed into the room. “I owe you nothing, Vivian,” I growled. “You’re here because I decided to save your life. Don’t mistake my mercy for kindness.”
