“Come with me, mate.”
I finally lifted my head with some effort—the blood from my split lip had dried and stuck to the pillow. It hurt to move. It even hurt to breathe, as I was pretty sure he’d broken one of my ribs.
Then he tucked his arms under my knees and back, picking me up in a bridal carry and taking me out to the living room.
Splatters of blood decorated the white walls. The TV hung at a strange angle, its screen cracked, and the coffee table was split in half beneath the body of the werewolf Premier, his icy eyes glassy. I bit back my gasp at the gruesome sight of his chest, cracked open, his heart laying still on the floor a few feet away.
A bite-sized chunk missing.
Bloodied lips kissed my swollen cheek. “May you never doubt my love for you, my beautiful mate, nor ask me again if you can leave. Can’t you see? This world is not safe for you.”
I couldn’t believe it, but… he’d been right. This whole time.
Something new blossomed in my chest. It wasn’t love or affection.
But it was something close. Close enough to hold onto.
Comfort.
I leaned my head against his chest. He smelled good.
“Yes, alpha.”
21
Betrayal
Six months later
“Welcome home, alpha,” I said with a bow.
Victor entered, his hands hiding a shopping bag behind his back and a mischievous grin on his face. “Thank you, darling. Have you been a good girl today? Did you drink all your supplements?”
There was no point in him asking, since after Premier Ulfic’s attack, Victor had had security cameras installed almost everywhere in the apartment. If I spent so much as too long taking a bath, I’d hear about it when he came home.
“Of course, alpha,” I replied.
He smiled knowingly, his eyes crinkling. “Of course. I brought you a present since you’ve done so well for me recently.”
I clapped my hands together in a show of joy, but there was no way he’d ever get something I really wanted. All his presentsfor me were really about him, and I’d learned long ago to temper my expectations.
I took the bag from his hands, fake joy plastered on my face, as I pulled out the white, lacy baby doll dress with matching thong.
Knew it.
“Oh, Victor, it’s beautiful!” I lied. I was getting good at that. “Do you want me to wear it now?” I held it up to me body for him to see.
“No, I want you to wear it for me tomorrow. Today, I’d prefer you in nothing at all.”
He brought me into his arms and his mouth eagerly met mine.
The other change since the werewolf Premier’s attack had been his touch.
His enthusiasm was still the same, but his roughness had melted into something tender. Loving, even. Sex no longer felt like a punishment, but a reward for the both of us having to put with up with the charade that we were a normal couple.
He played my body like an instrument, knowing where he could strum or stroke to make me sing, and oh, did I sing. Several times a day, in fact. I was surprised he could even function during the night, because we sometimes spent all day slowly exploring each other in bed.
I still hated him down to his rotten core. I hated him for kidnapping me and locking me away for the past… how many years? I hated that I’d lost track.
