Page 44

Once again, I fell asleep to some random movie on the box screen.

The touch is light, scattered around my head. I feel strands of hair disappear from my face. I open my eyes slowly to see Dmitri kneeling at the edge of the bed. I think I’m dreaming, so I close my eyes, but the touches don’t stop. “Wake up, Moss.”

I open my eyes, faster this time, at the sound of his voice. His smile is sad, his eyes looking empty. My eyes widen at the sight of it, and I gasp.

A large gash covered the diagonal length of his face. It’s dark and bruised around it, scabbing up at the tips, small bits of blood leaking from the middle of it where it’s deepest. “What happened?” I ask, my fingers reaching out of instinct, not registering that it’s an open wound.

His hand grabs mine, stopping it in its tracks. “Does it make me look badass? Someone snuck up behind me when I was fighting someone else.” It makes him look unbelievably hotter.

The thought pings in my head, “How long have I been here?” He sighs, running a large hand down his face before continuing to stroke my hair.

“Eight days. I’m sorry, Moss,” he whispers, disappointment written all over his sculpted face. “There’s someone who wants a war with us, and we thought he was going to strike that night, which he did, sort of.” I shoot a questioning look before he continues. “He sent his men that night, but he wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity. He’s trying to lure us out to him on his battlefield, which isn’t fucking happening,” he growls, anger shaking his rigid body.

“So what happens now?” I ask, and his face goes void of all emotion. It scares me how his eyes peer into mine. Nothing shines in them, not a lick of emotion or signs that he’s even alive.

“You will go to the Manor. You will stay there and live your life. I will have people teach you how to drive, and someone will let Viktor know when you’re ready to start learning how to ride a bike. You will not see me again.” His words smack me in my face. What the fuck does that mean? “You are leaving now. Your learner’s car will be driven down sometime this week, and your Kia will be driven down once it is ready. Viktor or Damien will check on you periodically.”

He doesn’t want me. I was played like a violin. The most heartbreaking song echoing through the auditorium. The sound of my own heart breaking louder than the song.

*This book is an advance reader copy and is to not be distributed anywhere. [email protected]*

22

Chapter Twenty-Two

In My Room - Julia Wolf

Penelope

It’s been three months since I’ve seen him, spoken to him, felt him. I can’t lie, I’m drowning, but holy fuck, Destiny will not let me just die. She’s been here since I arrived back that day.

I was in my assigned room in the back of the house, sobbing my eyes out, when I heard her knock on the door. She saw the state I was in and didn’t say a word. She just crawled into bed with me and held me, letting me cry, giving me a shoulder to do so on.

I got closer to Destiny and her friends. Destiny helped me start speaking, so now I would classify myself as select-muteness to very few people. I talk to everyone now, becoming a lot more social with the people I’ve lived around for the past couple of months.

I don’t know how Linda is, and I miss her every day. I’ve asked so many times to figure out if she’s okay, and they just keep saying I’m not allowed to know anything personal about the family.

Learning how to drive was hard. Especially with the snow-covered roads, but I practiced every day for almost two hours, and I think I’m pretty good now. My Kia got delivered a month ago. I enjoy driving. I drive a lot. Destiny and I have taken plenty of trips to the city and come home with a car-full of shopping bags.

Today is actually the day Viktor comes to teach me how to ride my bike. I haven’t seen it yet. Viktor is driving it up in the back of his truck.

Destiny is out of town with her mom, Luna is gone on a mission alone, and the rest of the group is on a mission together. They’ve been gone a lot, always getting called for help. It sucks to be alone all the time.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Viktor stands in the doorway of my bathroom, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest. His sleeves are half pulled up his arms, showing just a little of his shadowy tattoos.

I don’t look for more than a couple of seconds, not wanting to upset him. He seems like he’s in a good enough mood. This is the first time I’ve seen him as well since that day. I’m pissed he hasn’t come by. I’m hurt too. So fucking hurt. Everyone I’d grown to know was gone in an instant, and then I had nobody. I know I had Destiny and the others, but they weren’t there with me at my worst. Dmitri was. But he isn’t here anymore.

Today, the roads are clear of snow. They cleared up a couple of days ago for the first time in almost a month. And the road we’ll be driving on is well maintained, and I haven’t felt or seen any ice on it the past couple of days.

“Is Linda okay?” I ask, and his eyes widen.

“You talk now?” He asks in return, curiosity swirling in his brown eyes.

“Yeah, no reason to hide now. Nobody is going to hurt me here, and if they do, I have a best friend that acts like a guard dog.” I cross my arms over my chest, leaning on my sink counter. He nods his head in acceptance, and I don’t know if he’ll report back to Dmitri or not. I bet he’s moved on.

The truth is, I’m not, though. I cry myself to sleep every night, throw up my food every chance I get. I’ve remained at a normal weight. Having the smallest pudge on my stomach, my thighs are thick with just the smallest gap in between them. My boobs have grown since starting to have a regular cycle.

“I’m hurt you never came to see me,” I whisper. Viktor looks taken aback.