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“I—” I don’t know what to say. A numbness ofregret runs through me. “I had no right to react that way. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Lizzie.” Putting my hands up in surrender, I walk toward her. My best friend is practically shaking with emotion. “I’m so sorry, babe, it was wrong of me to jump to conclusions.” She leans into me for a hug.
“Please don’t think badly of me. Don’t hold it against him,” she says softly. Lizzie pulls back with her hands on my shoulders and says, “Tell me you won’t think badly of him. Please.” My lips part, although I’m somehow able to hold my tongue. He hit her. He punished her.
“You liked it?” She nods her head and brushes the tears away with the back of her hand. “A belt?” She blushes again, bright red this time.
“I swear, Grace. It was … kinky and I loved it.”
“Okay.” I try to imagine it and then regret it. “If you’re happy, then I’m happy.” Taking a deep breath, I look right into those baby blue eyes of hers when I tell her, “But if either of them hurts you, you know you can tell me, right?”
“It’s a good hurt.” Her cheeks flush beet red before she gives me a hug as if to end the conversation there. “I love them so damn much. I’m so fucking happy.”
To each their own, I suppose. I don’t know if I’llever look at Caleb the same again. Between the pair of her mates there’s no way I’d have guessed it was Caleb who’d be into that. An odd feeling comes over me as a weight seems to lift off my chest. I glance at my best friend, so happy and at peace with everything. I feel like I can let go, like for the first time in our lives, she doesn’t need me. She has her mates now. Walking past her to pick up my fallen stool, Lizzie gasps and touches her chest.
“Lizzie?” The chair drops back to the floor at the sight of her shocked expression and her hand clutching her shirt.
“I feel my wolf, Grace. I feel her!” Staring at Lizzie, I’m frozen in place.
“What should I do?” I’d do anything for her, but I have no idea how to help her or what to do.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. I’m so scared she’s going to leave me.” Tears well in her eyes again. She rubs her chest before whispering, “Please don’t leave me.”
VINCE
I’ve never been afraid of vampires. Never in my whole life have I even bothered with the thought of fearing bloodsuckers.
But holy fuck. Walking into the den of Veronica’s coven, surrounded by vampires on all sides, I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a cold prick traveling down my spine and eliciting a hint of fear.
Veronica is the first vampire I’ve met who I’ve seen as more than an enemy. She’s the first I’ve been able to interact with beyond strategizing about defense and offense. I’ve seen them before, of course, from the Authority, whenever Devininvited them into our estate, onto our territory. I’ve killed them when necessary. I’ve never had to question what would happen if they attacked. Our pack would have demolished them.
There is no pack with me now, though. On their turf and highly outnumbered, I’m not naive enough to think I stand a chance against them. If they decided I was their prey tonight, there isn’t a thing I could do to win a fight against the coven.
Acutely aware of such facts, I wrap my arm casually around Veronica’s waist. I may be humbled by the terrifying thought, but I’m sure as shit not going to let them know. In my periphery, I keep tabs on them watching me.
Swallowing thickly, I keep my pace even with Veronica’s. The click of her heels is muted as she walks, the sound absorbed by the hardened earth.
Why the fuck do they live underground? They’re wealthy beyond belief.
They’ve had hundreds of years to acquire riches and properties. It’s known as fact among supernaturals that vampires are stacked with cash. They could afford to build mansions above ground where no sunlight would ever touch them. Yet they live in a fucking cave.
As I lick my lips, the salty air from the damp walls settles on the tip of my tongue. It’s a refreshing taste. If I closed my eyes I could almost picture myself on a beach, but it’s far too cold.
Again, I’m not a bitch, but why live like this when you could live anywhere? Fucking stupid, if you ask me. Of course, if they’re going for intimidating, then they hit that nail on the fucking head. With only torches lining the pitch-black passageway, secured in sconces placed every few feet along the rock walls, it’s dark for those whose sight is weak. Realizing I can see better than any of them puts a smirk on my lips.
A relatively large form passes in front of us down another dreary, fire-lit hall; he’s a few inches shorter than me and only wearing a pair of white linen pants. His bare feet and chest reflect the light off his pale skin. I catch his scent and the sight of him clearly: human.
My forehead pinches in confusion for only a moment before I see the small scars along his neck. They form an interesting overlapping pattern, like the scales of a dragon. It must’ve taken hundreds of bites over a long period of time to make that kind of rough scar on the thin skin of his neck. They’re only in a small patch on the right side. I lose sight of him ashe walks farther through the passage and we continue straight ahead. With a glance down, I note that Veronica doesn’t react.
The tunnel appears to end in front of us. No fire on the walls is present to light the path. It only takes a moment to spot the thick, dark red curtains pulled shut that are blocking our way. Veronica reaches forward, drawing one curtain aside. I take the other heavy panel and pull it back much farther than she can, then gesture for her to take the lead. She tries to hide it, but I see her small, satisfied smirk she immediately represses.
My chest constricts. I don’t know whether we’re okay or not. She’s barely spoken to me since I let her off the bed. She’s been glacial to me, icing me out. She hasn’t tried to boss me around or even called me pup. Nothing. She’s given me very little of her attention. She shies away from any physical contact between us. At least she’s accepting my touch now that we’re in her territory.
What worries me is that I don’t know how I’ll react if she continues to ignore me while we’re here. Where I have no one but her. There’s only so much I can hide and my wolf yearns for her touch and acceptance. Brushing off the unwanted feelings, I remindmyself she’s been more receptive since we left the estate. She’s not giving me her full attention, but she’s not ignoring me either.
At the thought, her hand briefly brushes against mine. As if she can perceive I need the reassurance. Veronica makes me weak. I would drop to my knees, begging for her to command me if that would ease the tension between us. If she told me to submit to her this very moment, I wouldn’t hesitate.
She hasn’t told me shit, though. Not a single word.
I’m not sure if she’ll ever trust me. What little trust she had in me seems to have been diminished by me chaining her to the bed. It was only meant to help; to show her she didn’t have any reason to fear me or my touch. That I would always be hers even if she had no physical control of me. It didn’t work. I fucking failed her.
