My precious little secret.
Only Samantha knows about her, and I regret giving her this knowledge as she snorts and stares at me with an arched brow.
“I know it doesn’t seem like it, War, but you deserve to be happy. Stop this self-inflicted deprivation of happiness and celibacy. Oz is dead. You’re one of the strongest vampires in Louisiana. Why are you denying yourself?”
I blink at her and whatever she reads on my face has her torn. Her playfulness disappears as her eyes flick to mine.
“Do you know why I haven’t asked you to break the bond, to let me go?”
I sit still as ice as she rounds my desk, looking out the large window of my office. It’s nighttime, but they’re the best money can buy with suppressing UV light. Though my skin can never touch the sun, at least I get small glimpses of what daylight feels like.
“You’re the only real family I’ve ever had, the only person who ever really saw me. You gave me this gift of eternal night. I’m in your debt forever for that, but beyond that, I worry that if I left, I’d come back to find you gone. I selfishly stay because I know I’m the only thing keeping you here. I can’t be your reason anymore,” she says, turning around to face me. “You already know what she is to you. Don’t deny yourself this.”
“What are you saying?” I ask, standing to my full height looking down at her.
“I’m saying that you need more than this empire you’ve built. You need a life outside of your obligation to me and our house, that you shouldn’t live in fear of what Oz will do to her. That she’s your?—”
I cut her off, grabbing her arm.
“Are you saying you don’t want the sire bond anymore?”
She tilts her chin defiantly at me. “There’s no way I would leave you right now to fuck this all up. Try with her, is what I’m asking.”
“If I don’t?”
“Then I want to be released from the sire bond immediately,” she says.
If I had a beating heart, I think it may have fractured into millions of pieces.
“And if I try with her?”
“Then I’ll stay until I’m no longer your reason.” She takes a step toward me, straightening out my suit jacket. “Despite what you think, you’re not evil, Warin, I think someone like her could show you that.”
She pats my chest, taking the two glasses with her. She glances back at me from the door.
“It’s not like you can outrun the prophecy forever, father,” she says with a sharp click of my office door.
I fall back into my desk chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose, wondering how I can possibly make this work.
I don’t want Samantha to leave. I also want my witch, but I can’t have her—I don’t deserve her.
My intention all those years ago was to one day make her mine, once I figured out a way to get rid of Oz, so until I could have her, I watched her.
She’s so inherently good it’s sickening. Someone like that shouldn’t be in my orbit. I’d just destroy her.
But even then, I couldn’t let her go. I’d watch her from the shadows and manipulate her mind to make her not want any other man.
I’m a sick, selfish, calculating fuck to my core. I’m like a child who hoards toys at a playground even though I’m not playing with them.
I could have my team turn around and send Ember home, knowing full well she didn’t kill Baptiste, which would mean I would need to release Samantha tonight. If I try to get Ember to like me, does that mean I’m taking off my progeny’s shackles and placing them on her?
I lose too much time contemplating my choices as my office door opens and a wide-eyed, beautiful as ever, Ember is brought into my office.
“Her wand,” I say, holding out my hand. Conner places the cool metal in my hand without a question, also handing me the stake.
“Untie her and leave,” I say and, like a good little minion, he does what he’s told and leaves.
Ember shifts in her chair, her pulse pounding, nearly deafening me as I lick my lips. She holds her finger subconsciously, the one where I tasted her blood. Does some part of her memory remember that night?
