Page 143 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

“—but I will do what I must to protect myself and my heart. I’ve lived too many unhappy days throughout my life. I don’t intend to be miserable if I can avoid it. I’ve been hurt by too many people—you included.”

That made him freeze. “You knew what I was when you let me between your legs,” he breathed, growing angered.

“Yes. And then I stupidly let my feelings get involved. That was my mistake. So make your decision. If you don’t want to give love a try, then like I said, I’ll readjust my expectations and move on.”

“And what of our blood sharing?”

“We can still share blood.” She shrugged.

“And how do you expect to keep sex out of it?”

“We don’t have to. Sex doesn’t have to mean anything—just a way to scratch the itch.”

Her words left him reeling. That was the last thing he wanted. What he did want was all of her. He wanted her desperate for him. He wanted her completely. The only problem was the obvious one. Could he love her the way she deserved to be loved? The question left him feeling strangely uncertain—a sensation he wasn’t accustomed to.

36

The countryside rolled by the car window. I was overly aware of Laurent beside me. It hurt to have him so close and yet…so far. His hand cupped my thigh, unwilling to let go. I let him, just as I’d let him kiss me over the past few days. Every time he tried to take things further, I used my voice to stop him in his tracks. Each attempt at seduction had failed spectacularly. And to think, he’d been so assured of his success.

I stood by what I said. I wanted an answer to the question I had posed. Could he try to love me, despite what he was? Was he willing to? Based on his reaction, he seemed eager to admit defeat, as if I wasn’t worth the attempt.

It should have hurt me, but it infuriated me. Part of that was my fault. I’d failed to heed Zola’s warning. I’d allowed my feelings to get involved, let myself fall for a man who was emotionally unavailable.

Supposedly.

He wanted me to think he was.

I knew better. Deep down, there was so much more to him than what he allowed others to see. He had shown me glimpses. Perhaps I understood him better than he realized. I saw the truth. He was afraid to disappoint me.

“There, you can see the turrets just over that hill.” Laurent leaned in and pointed. He’d been overly attentive since our argument three days ago. As if he might win me back in other ways.

“Oh,” I breathed, caught up by the sight. Turrets and then banners rose from the hillside as a castle took form, its dark gray walls foreboding. I half expected bats to grace the parapets. “That’s House Sarkas?”

It wasn’t a house. It was a fortress built for war, not comfort—though I suspected it had seen plenty of both over the centuries.

“Anoth Fortress,” Laurent confirmed. “It’s been a few years.”

“It’s…huge.”

He hummed. A moment later, Vittorio broke from the main road and tires crunched on gravel. I felt a burst of cold crawl over my skin. “What was that?” I whispered.

“The wards. Thousands of years ago my sire had a host of powerful witches at his beck and call. They warded the place against outsiders. Only those of our family can enter.”

“But I’m not family.”

“You are. You carry my blood. You will be safe here. There will be no surprise visits as there were in Braxton. No demon will cross the boundary or dare infringe upon Sarkas lands.”

That offered me a measure of comfort, especially given what had happened to Drazgus. I was still uneasy about the whole situation. It was all too convenient that the person who’d been hired to abduct me was now dead.

Anoth rose up around me. It looked positively medieval. Nothing like the gothic architecture I was used to. This looked like something that stood against the test of time. I was afraid to ask how old it truly was.

Vittorio took us across a moat and through an ancient portcullis into a giant courtyard. There he deposited us in front of a large staircase that presumably acted as the main entrance to Anoth. Because stairs were easier to defend.

Laurent wasted no time in helping me out and taking my hand. He escorted me up the stairs and into a grand hall. I blinked, taking everything in. Unlike the outside, the inside had been entirely made over. While it contained hints of times long past, like tapestries and armor, it also had electric lighting, restored windows, and other comfortable amenities.

“Come, I’ll give you the grand tour,” Laurent drawled. Catina appeared from the shadows.

“No trouble, sire?”