I incline my head slightly, refusing to bow. He is not my prince.PrincipeSebastien Malvani is the only prince I recognize, and only because I’m madly in love with him, his family has not earned my respect.
“Elina, good evening. It is so lovely to finally meet you. I have been watching you, of course, but seeing you in my home?Tout est parfait!” I do not respond. I don’t believe he even requires a response. I watch him carefully, looking for anything to tell me who he is or why he has brought me here. “You are much more subdued than I expected. Having watched you for some time, as well as reports from Claudel and others, I expected a much more exuberant response to being a guest in my home.”
“A guest? I was not invited, nor was I permitted to decline. You might call me a guest but we both know I am a prisoner.” I inject as much venom into my tone as I can. Claudel hisses beside me before grabbing the back of my neck and pushing me to my knees on the floor.
“Sir, the disrespect from thecrepusculewhore exceeds reasonable bounds. Should I remove her?” Claudel asks his prince.
I stare directly into the eyes of the monster pretending to be a man sitting in front of me. He stares back, a slow feline smile spreading across his face, his fangs on full display. He waves his hand at Claudel who immediately releases me.
“No, Claudel. I would like to hear what she has to say to me. We are to be bound after all.”
I feel my mouth drop open in shock. I twist my face into a sneer. “Over my dead fucking body will I bind myself to you.”
“You’ll come around.” With those ominously final words, he throws me a wink and Claudel drags me to my feet. “Take her to her room. Maybe by tomorrow tonight she will be more willing to discuss our future.”
Tomorrow night? How long does he intend to keep me here? I allow Claudel to pull me down the hallway and up the stairs. Pushing my bedroom door open, he shoves me in,causing me to fall to my knees. Slamming the door behind me, I hear him turn his key in the lock.
I lie on the floor and cry until my body gives out and I fall asleep.
