“It’s done,” she replied instead, a hard, cold mask falling over her soft features. Dropping the brush and hot air-blowing machine on the desk, she marched toward the door without another word.
Except, she abruptly spun to face me.
“I know you have been brainwashed by those fucking assholes your entire life. That you’ve been kept from the real world so there’s a lot you don’t know, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to be a bitch, Natasha. I know all of this is a lot for you, so I want to be patient and understanding. But frankly, the fact that you don’t want the ‘dangerous Vampires’ to touch youwhen you are arguably the most powerful being among all of us, is laughable.”
Flabbergasted, I stared at her. “I can’t even shift into my wolf without hurting myself, Vanessa.”
“That’s a moot point!” she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. “What you are able or unable to achieve right now, doesn’t stop what you are destined to become.” Both awe and anger mixed within her voice and she humorlessly chuckled, shaking her head while her gaze searched for something far away. “You know, I shouldn’t even answer your stupid question, but the truth is, the choice wasn’t between remaining human or becoming whatever ‘monster’ you think I am. Yet, between who I was and being part of a destiny bigger than me. So yes, I would choose it again… and that’s all I’m going to say about it.”
Whirling around, she walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Barely a second passed before the door swung open again, and she pointed a single finger at me.
“And I’ll tell you something else! My brother risked his life to get to you. D endured vicious magic meant to kill him and let the Hunters catch him so he could distract that asshole from forcing you to mate. Everything they did to him was real. His gushing blood was real. The slashes they enjoyed leaving along his body and ripping his skin open were real. The profound weakness he fought to still fly you out of danger was very much real, and although he needed blood, he didn’t drain any humans to survive it. Even when his decision messed everything the hell up, he saved your life, Natasha. And I’m certain that if he had to choose between his safety and you, he would risk his life for you again without a second thought. But you don’t really care about that, right? Because D is just a monster to you.”
The door slammed against the frame with her retreat for the second time, but swung open from the force, splitting in the middle.
“Impressive,” Dante sarcastically offered, appearing in the hallway. “It takes a lot to piss off Vanessa. And I mean, A LOT. Of all of us, she’s the patient one.”
My eyes stung even as I looked at him, because all I could see were the images of the “human”, struggling to stay alive in that cage in the forest. Pain sliced through me again, but it wasn’t because I was starving. It grew from the vivid memories of how the hunters had beaten D within an inch of his life… and he’d only done that to protect me from Ryker.
The scenes changed in my mind’s eye to D holding me in his arms and jumping into the sky before Ryker’s wolf could sink his claws into me and the Hunters ripped my flesh to pieces.
“Hey,” Dante cooed, coming to my side, and cradling my cheek. “Whatever happened, it’s okay… You’ve been through a lot?—”
“It was you, wasn’t it?” I asked, glancing up at him as my throat burned, the memories becoming clear for me.
Confusion clouded his eyes. “What was me?”
“You were the darkness cloaking the Vampire attack in the village, obscuring them from view.”
A heavy sigh left Dante, expanding his chest slowly. “I had to. When Ryker grabbed you against your will, D quite literally snapped, the plan went to fucking hell, and we all had to jump into the fold to help him as best we could. Bjørn, Vane, and Hannes distracted the other hunters, and I cloaked everyone to protect them. It was my job to keep my family safe.”
“I understand,” I admitted.
His attention went to the hallway, concern growing over his features. “What did you say to her?”
Shame squeezed my heart at the hurt I’d seen in her eyes. “I called her a… monster,” I whispered so low, hoping he wouldn’t hear it. I couldn’t even look at him.
“Cazzo!” he cursed under his breath, and let go of me, rushing toward the door, but suddenly stopped. “Bjørn isn’t back yet so I ordered pizza. It’s on the kitchen counter. After the hall to the left.”
With that, he disappeared.
10
Shadows greeted me when I stepped into the hallway, but it wasn’t Dante’s welcoming darkness. The penthouse was silent, only a few spotlights on the ceiling illuminated my path, while I tried to make it to the kitchen.
I didn’t know why I was going. I wasn’t even hungry anymore.
When I turned the corner after the second hall, bright lights turned on of their own accord, as though sensing my presence, and a space larger than I expected extended before me. The kitchen was huge, filled with the same white, polished countertops, light greys, gold fixtures, and luxurious simplicity my room had. A huge refrigerator was in it, with two ovens on the wall, and a few machines I wouldn’t even know how to use.
Five boxes were stacked on the large counter that resembled a table. It had several chairs but only on one side, and it divided the otherwise open space between the kitchen and what appeared to be a communal sitting area.
As the smell of delicious, strange spices reached my nose, my stomach spasmed, immediately reminding me I hadn’t eaten.
“Pizza,” the box read, yet I had no idea what pizza was.
Opening the box, I noticed a round, flat bread inside it—or at least it appeared to be toasted bread. What looked like tomato sauce, spices, and loads and loads of melted cheese were piled on top, causing my stomach to howl. If it had cheese, it couldn’t be bad.
