“I know,” she says, raking her hands through my hair. “I begged both him and Kole, but they refused to tell me. They even made it seem like you were somewhere far away. If I had known you were out here, I would’ve searched the woods and beaches until I found you myself.”
“Well, you’re here now. That’s all that matters.”
“Right… so about that…” She flashes me a guilty smile, batting her dark lashes at me.
“They sent you, didn’t they?”
“Yes, but I’m not here for them. Really. I’m here for you.” She takes my hand and drags me to the couch that’s illuminated by the fire I’ve still got going. “They told me about the contract, and I totally understand why you didn’t agree to it. They think I’m here to convince you to reconsider it, but I’m not.”
“What are you here for then?” I ask, watching her pull out a pen and pad of paper from her bag.
“I’m here to help you write your own contract,” she answers with a devious grin that has my interest piquing. “But first, let’s lay out all of the facts. One, Thane and you are marked. Like it or not, you both can’t ignore that kind of bond, especially because it seems to be stronger between the two of you.Second, if you go running, you’ll be in hiding again, having to live alone and scavenge.” She looks at me, raising both her brows. “Personally, I hate that for you. Three, something happened on Halloween to flip a switch in Thane. Pretty sure none of us, including Thane, understands why or how, but something changed. He’s agreed to not keep you as a pet or prisoner and to lay off doing anything that would hurt you, aside from the bite, which I’m not so sure even hurts anymore.” She gives me a pointed look that tells me she’s referring to what happened after he bit me on Halloween.
“Fine, but how long will he agree to that? It’s not like some contract is going to keep him from tossing me in a dungeon if I piss him off one day.”
Sienna holds up her finger with a smile. “See, that’s where you’re wrong. With vampires and werewolves, contracts are unbreakable. That’s why they’re so rare. It’s held to a higher standard. All of the territory leaders have to sign one, which, if you remember, Thane killed two of them. I’m pretty sure it’s because they broke the contract in some way.”
I’m hesitant to believe that Thane would allow a simple signed piece of paper to restrict his behavior, but Sienna looks serious about it, and I have to admit that I don’t always understand how the vampires and werewolves operate.
“Is that what they used when they decided to come together and annihilate the human race?” Sienna flinches at the word annihilate, reminding me that she didn’t love the way things happened either.
“No, that was all agreed to based on aligned interests. Since it involved two entire species having to agree, a contract wouldn’t work, which is also why certain groups have started to push back now that the humans are gone. They don’t have the restriction of a contract keeping them in line.”
I nod, taking in everything she’s telling me.
“Okay, so if what you’re saying is true, then if I sign some kind of contract, Thane won’t be able to go back on it?”
“Right!” she says, jumping up to slip her leg beneath her. “Sooooo, entertain me for a moment, and let’s come up with some things you would want in the contract.”
I exhale, turning my attention to the dancing fire. Could I really live with Thane? With vampires and werewolves like I had with humans? Exist in their world without fear of being hunted or tortured? Not as a pet or a prisoner, but as an equal? Just the thought of that sounds absurd, but then again, so did their existence, and yet I’ve adapted to that reality over the years.
“Alright, I’ll play along.”
Sienna claps her hands and scribbles something on the pad of paper in her lap. “What’s first?”
“Hmm, I want a car.” Sienna bursts out laughing. “A fast one.”
“Yes, Fallon! This is what I’m talking about!” She starts writing as a proud smirk pulls at her mouth. “Give me more.”
“No collar, no chains, no leashes, no pen, and no dungeon. I get to choose what I wear, and Thane doesn’t get a say in the things I do.” Sienna continues to write everything down, and I can’t deny a feeling of excitement has begun to bubble up inside me. “And I want a phone so that I can text you. And I want to have the penthouse in Seattle to myself one weekend a month so that I can have some privacy and time away from the two of them. Oo, and an allowance. A thousand dollars a month, so we can go out and have fun, and I can get whatever I want without having to ask for it.”
Sienna pauses, looking up at me. “Are you sure you haven’t thought about this before?”
I laugh, and so does she. “If I’m going to let Thane drink from me and live in a world full of beasts who killed everyone I’ve ever known, then I’m going to milk it.”
“As you should,” she agrees with a nod. “Anything else?”
“I guess that’s probably enough. I don’t think I should push my luck.” Sienna grins as she stuffs the paper back into her bag. “What’s that look for?”
“You’re coming home.”
I open my mouth but close it, because she’s right. If I run, where will it get me, and for how long? I’ve always been stubborn, but I can’t keep trying to convince myself that being on the run and hiding from Thane is some sort of a life. It’s not. But if Sienna is right, and this contract really is binding, thenmaybejust maybe I can make a life for myself in this new world.
“Okay,” I say, grabbing a hold of her hands to pull her up from the couch. “Let’s go present a counteroffer.”
When we pull up to the mansion, I half expect Thane and Kole to come rushing down the steps to greet us. Instead, we make our way inside and find the two of them propped up in the living room, sipping on whiskey and laughing. In fact, they don’t even notice us at first, and when they turn around and shoot up from their seats, I kind of wish they hadn’t. There was something almost innocent about the way they had been a moment ago, and I wanted to see more of how they were with each other when they thought no one was watching.
“You’re back!” Thane practically gasps like he had no hope in Sienna.
