Page 49 of Coveted

The penthouse makes sense, because I can’t imagine Lucan living in a dorm. There’d be nowhere to keep his shoeshine boys.

A group of freshmen passes by, staring at me and whispering. I hear them say something about me visiting Altar. News really does travel fast at Darkbloom.

Ducking my head, I climb inside the black sedan. The door closes behind me with a soft thud, silencing outside noises. Campus looks muted and distant through the tinted windows as we roll down the driveway.

Despite the luxury, I feel distinctly like cargo. Like Lucan placed an order and now I’m being transported.

My face burns when I think about sitting on that glass table for his viewing pleasure.

How will I look him in the eye today, knowing he saw the most private part of my body? Knowing he stared at it, commented on it? Has probably thought about it since?

Arrgh.

The attempted abduction was good for one thing at least, because it gives us something else to talk about. And if he mentions the glass table, I will simply pass away.

The vehicle accelerates with a purr, taking me straight to him.

CHAPTER 12

Sadie

Twenty minutes later, a gilded gate looms at the entrance to Lucan’s family estate.

My nerves flare through my body. I seriously consider asking Cormac to turn the car around and drive me back to Darkbloom.

Cameras watch from stone pillars like modern-day gargoyles, swiveling as the car approaches. The Hale residence is well-guarded. No surprise there.

The gate swings open before Cormac even slows down.

I shuffle to the window for a better view, only to find the house isn’t visible yet. The driveway winds through acres of mature trees and manicured lawns. Crimson leaves glow like gems on the tree branches as autumn takes hold.

We encounter no other cars or people as we drive. Only a fox slinks through the long purple shadows.

Suddenly, a segment of neat evergreens seems to bend in a gale. Through the thick car windows, I hear whirring rotors.

A helicopter rises from the treetops like a bird taking flight, passing right over us and scattering leaves across the driveway.

It makes total sense that Lucan’s family has a helicopter.

As for me, I’ve never even been on a plane. My mom hadn’t either. When I was a kid, some of the earliest stories I wrote involved us flying away on wild adventures that we would never get to actually take.

The house appears in glimpses of pale stone, terraces, and tall windows. Then the trees fall away, revealing the entire mansion.

The marble columns, slate roof, and expansive wings spread across the perfectly green hill. The estate is so large it feels more like a private kingdom than a home.

Cormac glides the car into a circular driveway in front of the house.

“We made good time,” he says, glancing in the rearview mirror. “You’re earlier than expected.”

I peer at the mansion. “Should I wait?”

If I were early to anyone else’s home, I would text or call. Maybe knock on the door like a regular human.

But this palatial building feels as unapproachable as Lucan himself. Normal rules don’t seem to apply.

“You should go in, Miss Sadie,” says Cormac. “Never mind being early. It’ll do Mr. Hale good to have the company of the fair likes of you. But don’t tell him I said so.”

“You’re sweet,” I say, fumbling with my buckle.