Page 12 of The Duke’s Bloody Bargain

The bond relaxed a little, but the cast of his shoulders remained implacable.

“Would you lie next to me?”

“No, I need…” He averted his gaze, but I didn’t miss his hurt expression.

He didn’t need to finish the sentence. Whenever his fear was triggered, he had to scrub himself raw with lye soap. He needed to remove any trace of the unwanted physical contact. With me.

It saddened me, mostly because it was as if we were going backwards. We still had a lot of work to do.

“I understand.” I forced myself not to touch him.

His struggle with touching had started when Rothbart had beaten him viciously right before his transformation had kicked in. From that moment, Alex had developed a strong sensitivity to touch. As if I didn’t have enough reason to hate Rothbart.

Alex paused at the door. Our bond trembled. “One way or another, I’ll make you proud of me.” He left my bedroom with slow steps, radiating sadness.

But I was already proud of him.

5

ANY PRICE

Alex

Disgust for physical contact had been my unwanted companion for years, since the day of my transformation.

My condition had bothered me, yes, mostly because it was a weakness, and enemies exploited weaknesses. But with Irene, I didn’t care about being weak. I trusted her. And not being able to touch her hurt like poison in my blood.

For the first time, I wanted to be normal, not because my fear was a weakness, but because my desire to be the man Irene needed was too strong, and I was tired of always being jumpy and in pain. As if the constant thirst and the vampire instincts weren’t enough.

How long would Irene accept the fact she wasn’t allowed to touch me? How long would I? What if she grew tired and left me?

Sitting on my bed in complete darkness after having slept all day, I watched the moonlight creeping over the carpet. When the silver light shone half an inch from the tip of my boot, it took another route as if it wanted to avoid me and leave me in the shadows.

But I didn’t have to remain in the darkness.

A while ago, the witch Carabosse had offered me a solution and a different future. A future without fear and filled with possibilities. A future where I held Irene, free from weakness.

I was aware she was a deceiver. In exchange for her help, Cara would ask for a piece of me, literally. A limb or an internal organ.

But I couldn’t live like a coward. What did I have to lose? If she wanted one of my legs to make me normal, I would gladly give it to her.

I rushed out of the bedroom, unleashing my power to enhance my senses. The hallway was dimly lit, and the air was thick with different scents, from Irene’s perfume to the aroma of white soup wafting from downstairs.

The east wing, where the witch lived, was flooded with moonlight pouring through the tall windows. The white marble floor and the white walls amplified the glow, shading the world in silver. I took it as a good omen.

I knocked on Cara’s door. “Cara? May I come in?”

No answer. I peeked inside. I didn’t mean to pry… Well, I did, but her room was so different from Irene’s or Myrtha’s that it piqued my curiosity.

No frilly curtains or pastel colours. The drapes were a deep, plain blue, not ugly but heavy. The large walnut furniture choked the space. Lit dark-coloured candles were scattered around, and despite their glow and the light from the gas lamps, the room remained tenebrous. Books and rolls of parchment competed for space on the long table in the middle of the room.

Magic spells and formulas I didn’t understand filled page after page. Witches and wizards spent their days studying magic and consulting ridiculously heavy tomes. There was nothing unusual in that. But Darius’s desk wasn’t covered with drawings of decomposed bodies or monstrous creatures with too many teeth or limbs.

Darius’s room had colourful silk cushions everywhere, glittering drapes, and books filled with unicorns and flowers. Not to mention boxes of sweets that would make any child giddy with happiness.

I didn’t know much about magic, but Cara’s tastes were concerning.

I left a message on the desk, informing Cara that I was looking for her. Whispers coming from a corner made me pause. But there was no one in the room. As I searched the dimly lit nook, the whispers ceased. The moment I turned around, they started again.