“I can’t do that, Ms. Bellum. I will not dishonor your father and the vow I made to repay my debt to him. You will stay here, under my protection.”
She scoffed. “And where is this?” His voice was like cold ice running over her. It pebbled her nipples and brought goose bumps over her skin but not in a pleasurable way.
“You are at my castle in Norway. We are near the Jorgmund, the biggest hole in the rift, where we get the most lapses. Many of the Atal Warriors are stationed below the castle.”
Chloe squeezed her eyes shut. Think! Okay, what would her sisters do? Willow was probably already near China. No one could ever stop her, and Lily would probably try to perform some voodoo to get free.
She took a deep breath, which did the opposite of calming her because she accidentally drew in his scent. She gasped and felt a flash of pleasure surge through her. He smelled as a man should, like something she could lick and bite and sink her teeth into over and again.
Oh God, what am I doing thinking thoughts like that! She was losing her mind. First her papa died leaving her to this nonsense, and now she was stuck with the most notorious man in the world. She would escape. She could do that. He didn’t seem intent upon hurting her and she might even be able to use the fact that he was indebted to her Papa to gain some leverage, if necessary.
Escape. Her mind whirled with possibilities. Like how the heck did she get out of
Norway and to an airport? She didn’t even have any money on her.
“We need to discuss what will occur at the next new moon.” The thought she’d been
having came to an abrupt stop in her head. Her eyes slammed open and her back dug into the door to try to get away from him.
“You can’t...we can’t,” she said, shaking her head to clear it. “No way,” she said finally.
The commander turned around and marched away. She took a deep breath; it was as if he sucked up all the air in the room with his presence. Now she could breathe but it didn’t smell as delicious as it did when he was near.
She tightened her grip on the towel to keep it from sliding down and embarrassing the hell out of her while she slowly, quietly slipped her free hand behind her. Her heart was beating so hard and fast, she prayed he couldn’t hear it. Could vampires hear such things? She reached, searching for the door handle.
“Something must be done. I am sure you are aware of the changes that you will go
through at the new moon.”
Chloe glared at him. He knew just the right things to say to piss her off. “I am a succubus, of course I know. Better than you, I’m sure,” she said without hiding the sarcasm in her voice.
“And I am not doing that with you,” she added for good measure.
He brought those eyes back to her, seemingly assessing everything about her. From the red nail polish on her toes to the not-perfectly-thin figure she sported. She clutched the towel tighter around her and did what she knew Willow would do. She glared at him with a look that clearly said fuck you.
“That is more than acceptable to me. I am sure you can find any number of willing males around the castle for your time of need. I’d recommend one of my closest guards because I sincerely trust them. If they do not meet your standards perhaps one of the other Atal Warriors that reside below the castle. Please feel free to ask any of them. I shall not announce it to them in order to spare your privacy.”
Chloe thought his proclamation might be sweet if he didn’t say it with a tone that
bordered on arctic. Though she couldn’t help but think that he was acting as her pimp with the suggestion. Bastard. Handsome bastard with a nasty scar that kept drawing her gaze. What was the story behind it? Every scar had a story, no matter how simple. Never mind, it didn’t matter.
She was getting the hell out of here.
“I’m rather tired. I’d like to go now.” That is if I even get my own room. She swore that if he tried to put her in his own bed, he was going to lose his balls by the end of the night.
He gave a clipped nod then strode towards her. Her heart kicked up again. If she plastered herself any more thoroughly against the door, she’d carve herself into it. Whatever she thought he was going to do, it wasn’t to reach behind her and grab the door handle. His hand touched hers, which had curled tightly around the brass. She squealed, jumping at his unexpected touch.
The action sent a series of events into motion.
Chloe jerked her hand away from the shocking, scalding heat of his hand. The quick
motion dislodged the knot of her towel and sent the scrap of cloth fluttering to a pool around her naked feet. As her wide-eyes shot to his, she bent forward to try to cover her nakedness. The commander, Tyrian en Kulev’s expression was something she would never, ever forget.
The cool, indifferent blue of his eyes ran quickly over her nipples, stomach, and sex.
Those ice blue eyes widened a fraction, flared, and burned her with the intensity of their heat.
Chloe gasped in a mix of surprise and pleasure. Stupidly she wondered if the commander had any idea how...seductive, intoxicating, sexy, he looked right now.
The bloom of heat that unfurled from inside her couldn’t be stopped, nor could the
thought of him taking her into his arms and kissing her. Do it, she pleaded silently to his downcast eyes. How did he make her go so quickly from wanting escape to wanting to be in his arms?
He blinked and took one hard step back. The spell broke like glass shattering. He didn’t meet her eyes, but pulled down the door handle and opened it. It was as if the moment never happened.
“Draven,” he called out. A second later, a tall warrior appeared at the door. His eyes instantly hit hers and a grin spread across his face as his eyes trailed down her body in a purely masculine sweep. None of his look had the intensity that Tyrian’s had, nor did it warm her body in hot anticipation. She recognized the warrior as one she’d punched solidly, twice, in the face before he captured her.
Before she had a chance to move, Tyrian flashed before her, picking up the towel and wrapping it around her. She had only a brief glance, but it was enough to see the anger in his eyes. At her or at the warrior? Another flare of heat sparked inside her, warming her blood like hot syrup.
The warrior named Draven nodded at her and, at Tyrian’s orders, led her to her room.
Chloe ached to look back at the commander, which was silly and all kinds of stupid. She was...attracted to him. Literally, the absolute last thing she’d expected when she learned she was his. A warmth washed over her back. Was he watching her right now as his guard led her away?
Surprisingly, insanely, the thought of spending her new moon with the commander was not unpleasant. Chloe followed the guard and wondered what her sisters would do in this situation.
Chapter Six
Willow stepped off the train, tucked her chin to her chest, and kept walking. It didn’t take long for her to feel that same presence behind her as if she was being watched—or followed.
How was that possible? He couldn’t be here already. She barely resisted the urge to turn her head around and scan the area for anyone suspicious. She found herself starting to turn but snapped her head forward. She would not give in to this man in any way. It was a man, too.
She’d felt his masculine presence ever since she’d left London.