I don’t know what to do.
The gray haze grows impossibly thicker, suffocating me. Tears start to roll down my cheeks, and I curl up on top of the blankets, still wearing my god-awful corset. This time, I don’t have it in me to hold them back.
All I want to do is open the mate bond and let Sin comfort me, but I don’t dare. Feeling my pain would only hurt him more.
I sob until finally, I fall asleep.
There’s someone in my room.
It takes all my willpower not to move a muscle when I regain consciousness. Instead, I freeze, trying to piece together what I’m hearing, without alerting whoever is in here that I’m awake.
There’s a wet slapping noise, punctuated by the occasional whispered groan.
Another minute and I catch the sound of heavy breathing.
My blood turns to ice.
Peeking just a sliver, I find Leon standing over my bed, pleasuring himself as he watches me sleep.
Fuck, no. Not tonight. I thought I had more time.
His breathing picks up, and he reaches for the bed. My panic ratchets up another notch, and I mentally scramble as to what I can say to get him away from me. But rather than touch me, he picks something up, fisting it in front of his erection.
My dress, I realize. He’s picked up my dress.
Another moment and the wet slapping noises grow more erratic, until he lets out a guttural groan.
I close my eyes, forcing myself to look peacefully asleep, in a desperate hope that he’ll leave.
My stomach lurches when a moist thumb brushes against my bottom lip.
“So fucking soon,” Leon whispers.
His footsteps retreat, but not in the direction of our adjoining door.
Confused, I peek again, only to see him stop in front of the wall beside my main door. He looks perfectly satisfied as he presses down on an intricate pattern carved beneath the sconce. The action causes a slab of the wall to silently swing inside.
A door.
There’s a secret door to my room.
Bile rises in my throat, wondering what else he might have done over the last few nights.
The door shuts behind him, and I’m alone once more.
Grabbing a blanket, I rub the moisture off my lips until they feel like they’re going to bleed.
I want to peel my skin off, crawl out of it – anything to not feel like this. My eyes water from the feeling of complete violation, but I shove it down.
The castle is quiet enough that I easily track Leon’s footsteps as he enters his own room. I wait ages after he’s stopped moving, wanting to make sure he’s fully asleep, before I silently pad out of bed.
I have a secret meeting to get to.
Chapter 22
Vivian’s Point of View
Rule twenty-two:Think like a curtain. Act like a curtain. Be one with the curtain.
