“So what’s going on here?” I asked. “The Warden obviously needs me alive; otherwise, I’d be dead by now. What am I, some sort of bait?”
“I’m not supposed to tell you that,” Danielle said. “I’m just supposed to keep you occupied.”
Ugh. Danielle wasn’t going to crack unless I put in some effort. I had to act like I was interested in her. Otherwise, shewouldn’t tell me shit, and if I was in this situation I might as well try to gather some intel.
Danielle was clearly in love with me. I had to use that to my advantage. I knew I could con anyone, but fuck, even considering this felt like cheating on Ava. That thought made me want to hurl more than the inferichite did, but Ava would want me to stay alive no matter what. I had to play Danielle’s game if I wanted to get out of this.
“Come on… darling,” I purred. I nearly choked on the words. “I’d like to get to know you better. We never got a chance back at the Institute to… talk. I want to know more about you.”
“Very well.” Danielle seemed to settle in, because her silverware clinked against her plate as she began eating. Vampires didn’tneedto eat, but they could if they wanted to, just to enjoy the taste.
She didn’t seem to notice I was still shackled and couldn’t lift a fork, but it was better that way. I’d rather die than eat anything the Warden had prepared. It was like she was pretending I was here of my own free will, rather than being dragged here and chained up.
“Perhaps you’d like to hear the story of how I was sentenced to the Institute. I never got to tell you,” she offered. “I thought it was unfair, at first. After all, it’s technically notillegalto take the man you love back to your house and tie him up. Couples do it all the time!”
Delusionaldidn’t even begin to cover it. If Danielle thought kidnapping was anything like BDSM, she was sorely mistaken. At least I bothered toaskAva first before I got the ropes out.
Danielle sighed. “He didn’t understand. We were so in love. Drake and I were the perfect couple, he just didn’t see it… didn’t see me. He never said hello, and we didn’t speak before the day I brought him home, but I saw the way he looked at me when no one else was around. He didn’t realize the special connectionwe had, and I knew I had to make him see it. I kept him in my basement and figured I’d let him out once he understood what we meant to each other. But Drake turned on me. When he escaped, he reported me to the United Supernatural Union.”
Danielle let out an obnoxious noise. “He was a dragon shifter, soof coursethe incident was treated like some crime against the fae. See what I mean by unfair?”
“Completely,” I purred, though I absolutely didn’t.
“I was angry at Drake for what he’d done. It wasn’t right for him to dump me like that out of the blue,” Danielle raged.
Her voice softened. “But then I sawyou, and I realized it was fate that I was sent to the Institute! Drake meant nothing to me anymore, because the moment I met you, it was clear I was being led to my true mate the whole time.”
I wasn’t exactly following along, because vampires didn’t have fated mates the way the fae did. This bitch was even crazier than I thought.
“Of course. I understand now. Iamyour true mate,” I added, playing along. I didn’t think I sounded convincing, but Danielle didn’t seem to notice. “The Warden must’ve sensed it, too. That’s why he sent you after me.”
“I knew you’d understand!” Danielle cried happily. “He said if I help kill your friends, I can keep you!”
What a dumb bitch. She couldn’t actually believe he’d keep his word.
“I knew from the day we met that it was destined to be between us,” Danielle gushed. “You held the door open for me on our first day of class, remember?”
Yeah, that made hersospecial. I held the door open for everyone.
“One day, you brushed up against my hand in Commissary when you picked up a muffin,” she continued. “I knew you felt it, too. I couldn’t stand the thought of you not touching me. Thenthere were all those times I was behind you in the cafeteria line, and you left the last croissant forme!”
Damn, I didn’t even know the Institutehadcroissants in the cafeteria. That would’ve been awesome.
“I saw you push Scarlet off of you that day in the cemetery, and I knew you must’ve been thinking about me,” Danielle said. “It was clear all I had to do was get you alone, and we could finally be together. I tried for so long. Every day you walked to your factory shift, I was there walking behind you. I could never get close with your dog andthat bitcharound, but you’re all mine now!”
Danielle rose from her chair and came to sit on my lap. I nearly vomited all over her right there, but I couldn’t exactly shove her off. I still needed answers.
Danielle ran her fingers through my hair, and I noticed it was tangled in the back, matted with something that was probably blood. I winced, because the area was sensitive and still hurt. “I know you didn’t really love Ava, because you broke up with her. Then you were forced tomarry herto survive, and she ended up in that nasty wheelchair. It was obvious you only stayed with her because you felt bad and couldn’t leave. But you don’t have to feel obligated toheranymore. You’re free!”
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep it together. For her to suggest this was beyond disgusting. Danielle never let me get a word in, though.
“I’m more of a woman than she’ll ever be! I know you can feel it, Charlie.” Danielle shoved her boobs in my face— and they were so fucking huge I couldn’t breathe. I tried to inhale, but the fabric of her dress nearly suffocated me.
“I got a boob job for you!” Danielle raved as she drew away. “I know how you like your women busty. I’m bigger than Ava now!”
Fuck, this was getting out of hand way too quickly. I should’ve listened to my wife. She said this bitch was obsessed with me, and I didn’t believe her.
I had to get Danielle talking about the Warden again, or there was no point in playing along.
