Cecilia made a thoughtful sound. Giving him a narrow-eyed look, she asked, “You suspended or something? No offense, but going by what I’ve seen, you don’t exactly screamrule follower.”
The corners of his mouth twitched. “I’m not.”
It was a fun little game Fracture played. Already alienated from elvish society and the hierarchy of Patrol, they liked to see just how far they could push limits. They also got a lot of pleasure out of literal interpretation. That was why they’d been on what was essentially house arrest since they tracked down the captain and his mate. The sovereign had given them strict orders tofindhis brother, notbring him home.
Of course, the sovereign hadn’t taken that well.
“So you’re gonna stay here.” She paused to eat another chip. “With me. For how long?”
“However long it takes.”
Whatitwas… Well, she could interpret that however she pleased, because he had no answer for her.
Cecilia set aside the bag of chips and dusted off her hands. Her head tilted as she peered into his visor. “Are you gonna wear that thing all the time?”
Licking his lips, he rasped, “I only take it off within the barracks.”
“Why?”
“Protocol.”
“But why is it protocol?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” he observed.
Those dark brows arched. “Can’t blame a girl for wanting clarity when she’s considering spending an undeclared amount of time with the stalker who kidnapped her.”
“I saved you,” he insisted.
“And I’m, like, wicked grateful for that,” she replied, nodding. “But you’ve also been stalking me for a yearandyou took me to a secondary location against my will. It’s a big ask, demanding I trust you. It’s an even bigger one to want me to stay.”
Sloane flexed his claws behind his back. “I thought you’d decided already.”
“I’mdeciding,”she clarified. “It’s a process.”
“You required freedom. I let you out of the bedroom. What more do you require?”
Cecilia gave him a long, patient look he’d often seen caregivers at the nursery give to misbehaving young. “Okay, well, first of all, beinglet outof the bedroom has a bad ring to it. You hear the implication, right? I need to know you hear that.”
When he said nothing, she let out another sigh. “Look, Sloane, I appreciate the thought behind all of this and the, uh, trouble you’ve gone to, but I can’t escape the reality that if I agree to stay with you for a while, I’m officially the stupidest person alive.”
“Because I’m dangerous,” he confirmed.
Cecilia didn’t respond right away. Curling her fingers around the edge of the countertop, she leaned forward slightly as she examined him. His skin tingled wherever she looked. Despite the visor, despite the layers of his armored kit, he felt naked under those searching eyes.
In a quieter voice, she said, “Yeah, you are. I’m probably gonna have nightmares about what you did to Duke for months. I’m terrified of you.”
His stomach sank.
She was right to fear him. Despite being the only person on the planet he could never harm, he was still the biggest threat to her. One inhale without his helmet and she would never be free. She’d never have the life she dreamed of. She’d be the sole obsession of a monster who’d done things even her nightmares couldn’t conjure.
But is she free now?
Sloane tried to imagine letting her go. If he discovered there were no threats from the vampires and nothing else to save her from, he’d have no reason to keep her by his side. She’d go back to her life and he’d return to watching her from afar, surrounded by pigeons and dreaming of what it’d be like to simply be near her.
I can’t,he realized, bile curdling in his belly.I’d come up with some other excuse. I’d find something else to keep her here. I can’t go back to watching.
Eventually he’d be found out. Eventually she’d find another mate. Eventually the control he’d clung to for so long would snap and he’d do it all over again.
