The last time she saw him, her father, hisfather, and Malakai were on a brief visit home from the war. She’dcome downstairs to discover them sitting at the dining roomtable.
She’d ignored Malakai’s ravenous stare as shewalked over to rest her hand on her father’s shoulder. She’d leanedforward to get a look at what they were studying, but her fathershoved the papers away before turning to smile at her.
“My beautiful daughter.” He took her hand andclasped it in his. “I won’t bore you with such trivial things aswar.”
“It’s not trivial,” she replied. “I’minterested in what you’re doing.”
He squeezed her hand. “Maybe some other time.Could you please see if Sahira can bring us some blood?”
She knew he was trying to get rid of her, soshe didn’t argue with him. Her father preferred to keep theatrocities of war hidden from her. Besides, she disliked being inthe same room as Malakai.
She felt his eyes boring into her back as shewalked away and decided to avoid him while he was home.Unfortunately, that only lasted an hour.
She was in the stables when he found her andbacked her into a corner. With his hands on either side of herhead, he lowered his face, so they were eye level with eachother.
His disheveled, dark brown hair hung aroundhis handsome face, and his brown eyes burned with an intensityshe’d never seen before. It made her skin crawl as she searched forsome way to bolt, but she wasn’t getting past him.
“Hello, Lexi,” he greeted.
“Malakai.”
“How have you been?”
She swallowed to wet her suddenly parchedthroat and forced herself to smile at him. “I’ve been fine, andyou?”
“I’ve been fighting a war.”
Unlike the look of horror, wisdom, and agethat shone in her father’s eyes when he spoke of the war, the lookin Malakai’s eyes was one of almost twisted, perverse pleasure. Herstomach churned as she realized he enjoyed the fighting, the death,and the brutality of this unnecessary war.
She could never express how his enjoyment ofthe war made her feel sick. It was treasonous, and he would use itagainst her. She was supposed to beforthe war; she wassupposed to want the humans to know about them so immortals couldwalk the earth freely and stop hiding in the shadows.
But it never bothered her that she had tokeep her true nature hidden from the humans. She much preferredhiding to watching the slaughter of countless mortals and immortalsevery day.
“We are going to win this war,” hestated.
“I’m sure you are,” she said and glanced overhis shoulder again. “If you’ll excuse me, I have some things I haveto do.”
When he didn’t move to let her pass, shetried dodging underneath one of his arms. He laughed and loweredhis hand to her hip to keep her in place. Lexi buried the angersurging through her at the intimate gesture.
He wanted to rattle her, and she refused togive him the satisfaction of seeing it happen. But she had no ideahow to get out of this.
Lifting her chin, she was about to ask him tomove his hand when he said something that stole the words from her.“I intend to marry you, Elexiandra.”
She couldn’t keep her jaw from falling at thestatement; she also couldn’t stop a nervous chuckle.
“You find that funny?” he asked.
Not funny, more astonishing, but the malicein his eyes caused her chuckle to stop abruptly. “No, I don’t findit funny at all.”
She’d never spoken truer words in her entirelife.
“We come from good families, our propertiesadjoin each other, and you will give me fine children,” hesaid.
Lexi could only stand and stare at him. Shehad no intention of marrying him. Of course, she didn’t say that tohim, but he would soon learn it didn’t matter what he wanted. Hecouldn’t make her marry him; her father would never allow it.
Lexi grimaced as she replied, “I’m notmarrying you or anyone else.”
He smiled as his gaze raked her. Despitekeeping her shoulders back, her spine straight, and her chinraised, she had to resist covering herself with her hands. She worea black sweater and jeans, but she’d never felt more exposed in herlife.
