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“You lost any privilege to say a word, or make any kind of decision when you decided to run away in the middle of the night. Tell me, how did you even get that far?”
Something told Avelyn that his attitude and posture should have made her shrink in fear and defeat, but everything about him only managed to make her angrier and more eager to punch him, or destroy something. She clenched her fists, positive she could have broken all the furniture in the office in a fit of anger.
“That is none of your business. Nothing I do is any of your business.”
“But it is, you see? You’re my bride and I will not tolerate this kind of behavior.”
“Your bride?” Avelyn raised her voice, then laughed in disbelief. “Your bride? I’m not your bride. I didn’t agree to anything. You just did exactly what your filthy species does best: you stole something, someone, that didn’t belong to you. What? Do you expect me to come with you voluntarily and turn into some kind of obedient wife? You’re delusional!”
Max looked away for a second, struggling to compose himself. He realized then that the woman before him could bring out the worst in him. She could bring the beast to the surface.
“Enough! You are coming with me and it is not up for discussion. I don’t care what you think or want.” His stomach churned when the last words rolled down his tongue. They tasted bitter. “Listen carefully, Avelyn: what you did last night will not happen again. Not if you don’t want to suffer dire consequences.”
“What will you do?” There was mean sarcasm in her voice. “Make your wolves guard me around the clock? Will you tie me up to your bed if I try to run away? Lock me up in those dungeons people keep talking about?” She stepped closer to him, entering his personal space. “What will you do, you big bad wolf?” She saw him cringe at her words. She knew she was pushing it too far and that she might regret it, but she didn’t think he had it in him to actually hit her. Maybe, somewhere deep down, she wanted him to hit her, so she would have an even stronger reason to despise him. “I listened to you, now you listen to me: you will never have me. Ever.” She stepped back, satisfied by the effect her words seemed to have on him.
Max breathed evenly for a couple of seconds, wondering for the thousandth time in the past 24 hours if he hadn’t made the biggest mistake of his life. The woman standing in front of him was fierce and defiant. He was impressed by how well the blue jeans she was wearing hugged her thighs and hips, and how the loose sky-blue pullover hung on her chest, making her breasts look bigger and fuller. Her reddish blond hair was tied in a high ponytail, a few curls framing her beautiful face. There were dark shadows under her eyes, proof that she hadn’t slept in more than 24 hours. Looking at her, he had to admit that she might have been a mistake, but a sweet one. He couldn’t imagine himself leaving the UK without this woman by his side, and living his life without seeing her again. The torture of keeping her prisoner in the Schloss was far easier to endure than the torture of living without her.
“I do hope you’ll change your opinion one day. Caleb will accompany you to your room and help you carry your luggage. I’ll be waiting at the gate.”
Max opened the door for her and Avelyn had no choice but to leave the office and follow Caleb back upstairs. She was still boiling with anger, and the thing that boggled her mind the most was how stubborn he was. His actions made no sense to her, and she was sure they made no sense to anyone. He had chosen her over Delyse, who would have brought him incredible political advantages, and he had persisted in this crazy feat despite her fierce opposition. What in hell’s name did he think would change? He was truly insane if he thought Avelyn would not try to escape again.
Back in her room, she said her goodbyes for the second time in a complete daze. She was vaguely aware of her friends’ hugs, and she almost missed Amelia’s whispered “I’m sorry it didn’t work out the way you wanted”. All she could think of was a warm bed and the luxury of being left alone. It was 7:30 AM when she climbed down the stairs. The headmistress was waiting for her at the bottom. She was calmer now and she seemed relieved that it had all ended well. She had probably been nervous that Max would cancel the contract and storm out of Alma Venus without even considering the possibility of replacing Avelyn with the more desirable and malleable Delyse. She had been afraid that Avelyn’s crazy attempt would affect the school’s reputation and bring the Delacroix legacy to ruin.
“Take care of yourself, child,” the headmistress said, squeezing Avelyn’s cold hand. “And, for heaven’s sake, don’t do it again. He might not be so reasonable the second time.”
Avelyn didn’t say anything. She looked in the woman’s eyes and was surprised by the flicker of compassion and understanding she saw there. She could almost believe Miss Delacroix was human after all. Her gray hair was pulled mercilessly in a tight bun, making her look serious and professional, but the wrinkles around her eyes and thin lips showed she was growing old and weak. She could still rule over Alma Venus with an iron fist, but for how long? For a second, Avelyn wondered what would happen to the boarding school after Miss Delacroix was gone. The headmistress didn’t have any children, and her husband had long passed away. It was stupid, she knew it, but Alma Venus had been the only home Avelyn knew.
As she crossed the large hall towards the main door, she couldn’t help throwing a last glance at the walls and up to the tall celling. Caleb walked ahead of her, his light, gracious steps barely disturbing the cobblestones on the alley that led to the main gate. Avelyn followed him and felt her eyes blur with tears. This time, they weren’t tears of anger or frustration, but of regret. She had no idea that leaving Alma Venus would make her feel so emotional. Max was waiting for them outside the gate, the door to the black car already opened, ready to trap her in with him. As she approached him, she thought of wiping her tears, but then she realized she didn’t care what he thought of her. She’d never change to accommodate him. She turned to look at the huge school building for the last time, and smiled in sadness seeing that she was finally outside the gates of Alma Venus but didn’t feel free at all. On the contrary, she felt trapped. This man was taking her to her cage. No matter, every cage had its weakness.
***
Schloss Blackmane was a medieval castle that stood tall and proud at the top of Mount Halbmond, at around 2,800 feet above sea level. When Max told her to look out the window of the private jet that had taken them from the Myrtle Valley airport to the Black Forest Mountains, Avelyn grumpily obeyed and stuck her nose to the cold glass. The view was stunning. Noticing her excitement Max decided to give her some general information about her new home. The castle dated back to the 11th century, but it had been restored three times by different Alphas of Clan Blackmane. Mostly, the renovations were needed because the structure degraded in time, reminding the residents how nothing built by mortal hands could ever be eternal. However, each Alpha had also wanted to give the castle his own personal flair. The last time it had been renovated was between 1855 and 1867 by Max’s father. Nikolas Blackmane was an art lover who had a fascination for the medieval architecture of France and England, and that’s how the Schloss ended up sporting a neo-Gothic style that Avelyn would later recognize, after stepping out of the plane. From above, she could see that the court was a semi-circle, adorned with flowerbeds here and there. When she asked how many rooms there were, Max’s heart warm
ed at her enthusiasm, and he told her there were 140 rooms, and that she was going to love the library. He could already imagine her running up and down the stairs of the castle, inspecting all the chambers, and studying the furniture and the paintings. Then, at the end of the day, he would find her in the library, lying in his father’s comfortable armchair, reading under the warm light of the Victorian lampshade he had bought some years ago from an antique store in London. He hoped the Schloss would conquer Avelyn’s heart, determining her to give up her possible plans of running away.
The moment they got out of the plane, all eyes turned on them. The court was filled with a dozen werewolves, some in their human form, others in their wolf form, as if they had been expecting them. Their curious gazes made Avelyn feel apprehensive, but she still refused Max’s arm when he offered it to her. Yes, it was true that the castle was beyond anything she could have ever imagined and that the benches scattered around the court, each guarded by a beech tree, looked like the perfect reading nooks, but that didn’t change the fact that this place had just become her prison. And she wasn’t about to give anyone the impression that she was going in of her own accord. Max sighed in defeat and motioned to the main entrance, then he took her bag from Caleb and told him he and Daniel were free for the time being. As they made their way between the wolves, everyone greeted Max, but not one of them said “hi” to her, or at least nodded their head in her direction. She immediately understood she was not welcome here. Of course she was not. She was a Vulpes bride. It was as if Max had brought a lifetime enemy into their home. He guided her up the stairs to the third floor, where their bedroom was.
The room was just as impressive as everything else in the castle. It was as large as an apartment, with a king-sized bed in the middle, a desk and a comfortable office chair right under the tall windows, and a long sofa on the right wall, with a glass table in front of it. On the table and the sofa, Avelyn could see some books and papers that probably belonged to Max, but the desk was clean. A dressing room and a bathroom were attached to the bedroom, and Avelyn had to admit that the luxury impressed her. However, she wasn’t about to openly declare it. She stepped inside the room and stopped in the middle. She looked around her, then turned to Max and waited for him to speak.
“Well, what do you think? Do you like it?”
“A hotel room would’ve been just as good,” she answered.
He was almost sure she was faking it, but it still hurt. He placed her bag on the floor.
“You can put your clothes in the dressing room over there.” He pointed to the door on the left, next to the bathroom. He didn’t know what else to add. Except the question about the number of rooms, she hadn’t said anything from Myrtle Valley to the Schloss, and he ached to hear her soft voice. She took her bag and started unpacking, sorting her clothes on the bed. He watched her slow, graceful movements and admired her ass as she bent over the clothes. He felt the urge to go to her and hug her from behind to feel that firm flesh underneath her jeans against his crotch, but he kept himself in check. Her attitude and her refusal to talk to him were clearly defensive, and he had to convince himself that she needed time to adjust. After the defeat she had suffered, her wounds needed time to heal. Pressing his erection against her ass was not the best way to gain her trust.
“All right, then. I have a couple of things to sort downstairs, so I’ll see you later. I’ll ask Christine to bring you your lunch.”
“Who’s Christine?”
“She’s the one who’s going to take care of you. You know, bring you your meals and keep you company from time to time. If you want her around, of course.”
“Bring my meals and keep me company?” Avelyn turned around, disbelief sparkling in her blue eyes. “What is this? The only thing that’s missing is for you to tell me that I’m not allowed to leave the room.”
“You’re not,” said Max.
Avelyn’s neck and cheeks turned a bright red, and she clenched her fists to stop herself from jumping at him and clawing his eyes out. “You’re kidding, right?”
