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Stellan’s tender kiss devastated me in a way that rough sex with my monsters couldn’t. The others made me feel empowered; they hurt me, and I hurt them back. When Stellan kissed me, I wanted to kiss him back, to lose myself in him.
The new Aurora shoved him away. “I can't do this with you, not until you're ready to give me all of you. Not until you can come to me with no reservations. If you really think that I can be close to you knowing that you think I could have hurt Sophia…” I shook my head.
“Everyone else in the Sphinx thinks you're a monster.” His voice had gone cool, his eyes shuttering. He crossed his arms over his powerful chest. “Why is it so terrible if I wonder about it too?”
“Because you were supposed to be the one who knew me! You recognized me despite all those surgeries! You knew me before! When you figured out I was the Demon’s daughter, you should’ve known I left to protect you!” I exploded back, and suddenly I realized how true my disappointment was.
I'd always wanted Stellan to be the one who knew what I'd done and who loved me anyway. That had been a dream I'd had when I was younger, a dream that seemed ridiculous now.
“You did?” Stellan asked. He was frowning again. “So you knew the Demon might hurt my sister?”
“No. I thought the Demon would hurt you.”
Chapter24
Aurora
I’d left Stellan with that thought and went back to my room for the afternoon. And now Remington and I were headed toward dinner. He swept his hand up the curve of my ass to rest lightly at the small of my back. “Unfortunately, we have to leave for a while tonight. You should invite Jenna over and lock yourselves up in the house, because the Sphinx will be empty.”
“I’m used to being alone, Remington,” I reminded him.
“I don’t like it,” he disagreed. “I like to know you’re safe. That’s why I’d even let you break the no-strangers in the Sphinx rule for tonight. I’ll argue with the guys.”
“If you just want to know I’m safe, I don’t know why I’m still here with you all,” I said lightly. “I didn’t exactly feel safe when you and Cain did your very best minotaur impressions and chased me through the labyrinth.”
Remington looked at me skeptically, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders. “You knew it was us.”
“You’re not safe, nice men.”
Remington scoffed, then slung his arm over my shoulders for the two of us to head through the den and into the dining room. “You don’t like safe, nice men. Leave that type to sweet girls like Jenna.”
At dinner, I declined Remington and Cain’s forceful invitations to sit on their laps. As I waved them off and draped my napkin in my lap, I reminded them, “You’re all very cute, but I don’t like for anyone to get between me and my dinner.”
“So, tonight is initiation night for the Sphinx members,” I said.
Pax pointed his fork at me. “Yes. You’ll be unattended. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“It’s not my fault that trouble always finds me. I tried.” I mimed a circle around my face; I’d done everything I could to start over. “But don’t worry. I’ll stay close.”
Cain cocked his head to one side.
“You’ll need to stay here,” Remington said. “It’s all Sphinx business. Just like at the Twisted Rose, rich people are weird about their traditions.”
“I would like to join the Sphinx,” I said calmly, pulling the worn book out from under my napkin and dropping it on the table.
They all seemed shocked for a second.
“It’s a long process,” Pax said. “And girls aren’t allowed.”
“Girls aren’t officially forbidden,” I argued, tapping the book with my long red fingernails. Jenna and I had gone through their possible objections, and given the general faint Axe-body-spray stench of much of the Sphinx, we’d figured that might be one of them. “And Clause Eight says that there’s not to be additional prescriptions added to any incoming class at the Sphinx,unlessby unanimous agreement of all its senior members. Who happen to be sitting at this table.”And owing me.
“No,” Stellan scoffed. “I’m sorry, Aurora, but you’d ruin the Sphinx’s reputation. And you haven’t done any of the requirements.”
I held up a finger. “One. Two significant favors for two existing members. Remington, was itsignificantthat I helped rescue your mom and siblings?”
Cain sat back, the look on his face amused, and he seemed to expect my next words as I turned to him. “Was it significant that I acted as bait for your takeover of the Twisted Rose? Because I feel like an accessory to murder.”
“As well as my favorite fucktoy?” Cain asked.
