The officiant held out his hand, a blue flame flickering to life in his palm. “Hold your hands above the flame of darkness,” he intoned. “Let the shadows entwine your fingers. In this moment, your fates are tied, and the blood in your veins shall remember this day for as long as it flows.”
My hands trembled as I reached out. His fingers entwined with mine and guided me far closer to the flame than I liked. The heat licked at my skin, making me wince. Just as I thought it might burn me, he released my hand, his touch lingering for a moment longer than necessary.
“By the will of shadows, by the blood that binds, and by the ancient pacts that govern this house, I declare you married. Raffaele, you may now kiss your bride.”
My heart stopped.Fuck no.I hadn’t accounted for this. But before I could react, his hands were on my face, his touch both possessive and surprisingly gentle. And then his mouth was on mine.
I expected a brief and perfunctory press of his mouth against mine. Instead, he kissed me like he was claiming me, his tongue sweeping over my lips before forcing its way inside. The kiss was demanding, consuming, and I hated that my body responded to it. My knees weakened, and I gripped his jacket to steady myself. His tongue danced with mine, coaxing a heat I despised but couldn’t ignore.
When he finally pulled back, I was breathless, my heart hammering against my ribs. I stared up at him, my mind reeling. It was the most passionate kiss I’d ever experienced.
And it was withRaffaele Gallanti.
What a damn shame.
15
VIVIAN
The SUV rumbled along the winding road, the sound of the tires on gravel filling the suffocating silence. I sat stiffly in my seat, the scratchy lace of my dress irritating my skin as much as the man sitting beside me. Raffaele—it felt so weird knowing his name—stared out the window, his jaw clenched and shoulders tense. He looked pissed, and it wasn’t the cold, calculated anger I’d seen before. No, this was different—sharper, more intense.
Good,I thought, even as my own nerves rattled. If he was brooding over marrying me, I couldn’t blame him. The feeling was mutual. Although, part of me couldn’t help but be offended.
I fiddled with the lace at my wrist, twisting and untwisting the delicate fabric between my fingers. My mind raced, darting between thoughts of escape and the inevitability of what awaited me. The consummation. My stomach churned at the word, bile rising in my throat. The memory of those men in the village the night I’d tried to escape clawed its way to the forefront of my mind. Even now, I could feel their rough, greedy hands on me.
Would Raffaele be the same? A man who simplytookbecause he could?
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He was still staring out the window, his profile shadowed and unreadable. I inhaled shakily, trying to steel myself. Whatever he wanted, he’d get. He’d made that abundantly clear.
The thought made my hands tremble, and I clenched them tightly to stop the shaking. When I looked up again, I found Raffaele’s gaze on me, his expression impossible to decipher. His eyes were darker than usual, a shade of blue so deep it bordered on black, and they seemed to pierce through me, seeing far too much.
“You clean up well… I mean… you look beautiful,” he said.
I blinked, caught off guard by the compliment. Then I smirked. “So do you.”
His brow arched slightly, but his expression gave nothing away. Shaking my head, I let out a sharp, bitter laugh.
“Let’s skip the faux pleasantries,Raffaele. We both know this isn’t that kind of arrangement.”
The energy in the SUV shifted immediately. He clenched his jaw and pressed his lips into a thin line. “Don’t fucking call me that,” he snapped. The ice in his voice sent a shiver down my spine.
I leaned back.So, that’s a sore spot.I filed the information away for later. If it bothered him that much, I’d make sure to call him by his name every fucking time. Small victories were still victories.
Silence descended on us again, but this time it was charged and electric. The rest of the ride dragged on, each passing moment knotting my stomach tighter. When the estate came into view, its looming spires rising against the night sky, my heart stuttered. I wasn’t ready for whateverthiswas going to be.
The SUV stopped, and before the driver could even step out, Raffaele opened his door. He turned to me, his hand outstretched. Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his. The warmth ofhis skin was startling against my cold, clammy fingers. His grip tightened as he pulled me out of the car.
He didn’t release me as he began walking toward the estate, practically dragging me along behind him. “Raffaele,” I said, stumbling slightly as I tried to match his pace. “What are you?—”
“Don’t,” he said sharply. “Just don’t.”
My heart pounded as he led me up the steps. My thoughts spiraled, panic setting in as I realized where this was probably heading. He was taking me to his bedroom. My breathing grew shallow, and each step felt like a march toward the gallows.
Shit, shit, shit.The words repeated in my mind, a frantic mantra as we entered through the front doors. The hallways blurred together as he pulled me along, our footsteps echoing in the vast space. My chest tightened as panic clawed at my throat.
“I—I need a minute,” I stammered, trying to wrench my hand free from his grip.
He stopped abruptly and whirled around, his face unreadable. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
