Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
brAUM
E verly’s hazel eyes grow wide with confusion, her cheeks turning a slight pink. She reminds me of a doe. A beautiful, graceful creature always on alert, always wary of danger.
I want to assure her she’s safe. That with me, she will be untouchable.
I could say it, but I want no lies between us.
There’s a danger present in the room, and I don’t know how to protect her from it.
The gnawing ache in the middle of my chest is growing more frantic, more urgent.
It started the moment my fingers dipped into her tight, wet pussy.
The moment I entered her body, the whisper of The Universe grew into a symphony inside my head.
The sudden, unexpected explosion of sound and colors sent me reeling.
I couldn’t understand it. It’s like I’ve been hearing The Universe through a layer of concrete my entire life.
Everly Woodrow is the door to the unknown.
I need to open her up and explore the things that make her tick.
And I’m going to.
But first, she needs to know who she belongs to. Once she understands her new position in life, once she adjusts to it, we will be unstoppable. I just fucking know it.
“I get what I want,” I continue, “Always have, always will.”
Everly’s head bows as she hides her expression from me.
She does this a lot—not meeting my eyes and getting easily flustered by attention.
The way she combats it is to make herself smaller or to fidget.
On the couch, she unconsciously hunched her shoulders or anxiously twisted that little napkin until it was wound tight.
Now, her trembling hands reach up to toy with the drawstring of the sweatpants she’s wearing.
“You’re not making any sense,” she objects softly.
“The Universe led you here for me to possess,” I tell her.
Using my finger, I reach beneath her chin to force her head up to meet my gaze.
Her bottom lip immediately gets trapped between her teeth as she stares back at me.
“Just standing here before me, I can feel Its contentment humming around us. It would be asinine to even consider letting you leave.”
Her small, nearly inaudible gasp is immediately followed by her pulling away from my light touch.
She shakes her head. “I-I’m not a patient. I don’t belong here. I’m only here because?—”
“Of Vick,” I spit his name out like a curse as heat gathers in my face. “As noble as your ambitions are, he doesn’t want you around.”
“Yeah, I know. I got that last night,” she says with a hint of exasperation. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up on him.”
Honestly, I admire her tenacity. Right now, however, it’s pointed in the wrong direction.
Taking a deep breath, I rein in the rising anger in response to her objection.
No isn’t a word I’m used to hearing. My dad would say it.
My mom too. But it’s been a long time since I’ve heard it.
Even here, within the perimeters of Serenity Falls, no isn’t a word I hear all that often.
Most of the time, people want to say yes to me.
Changing tactics, I tell her, “I don’t know who you think Vick is, but around here he’s a violent psychopath,” I tell her, my voice softening as best I can.
Whatever she sees in him, I’m going to make sure that vision is snuffed out.
“You saw that he didn’t hesitate to see you suffer.
He didn’t know that the ECT machine wasn’t supposed to work. ”
That’s a lie, but Everly doesn’t need to know that. I’ll do whatever it takes to plant a seed of doubt, then water it so it grows. Her connection with Vick will be severed. Once it is, I’ll make sure to be there when she needs to redirect her affections.
“Since last night wasn’t enough to show you that he’s got a screw loose, you’ll see him again tonight in all his fucked up glory.”
“Wait… he’s out? Like, he didn’t get swept up in a security sweep or whatever you called it?” she asks, her eyes beginning to twinkle with hope. “I thought?—”
“My sources haven’t confirmed his whereabouts yet,” I cut off, hating how excited she’s getting at the prospect of seeing him. But I need it. This is how I’ll gain her cooperation. “But if he managed to escape the security sweep, he’ll definitely show up tonight.”
Everly frowns. “What’s happening tonight?”
“Rowan and I have decided to throw you a coronation ceremony,” I announce, smiling at the terminology.
No doubt Rowan’s declaration that the kings of Serenity Falls have a queen has spread.
“It’ll be a party to introduce you to our closest friends.
Vick isn't invited, but just watch. He’ll show up and cause trouble.
He always does. Vick’s made it his mission to destroy all the fun within these walls.
He thinks we’re the bat-shit crazy ones and by stopping us he’s somehow superior to?—”
“What? A party? No!” She shakes her head at once. “I need to lay low!”
“Don’t worry,” I give her a smile. “Between the two of us, we came up with a story for you—and by you, I mean Anastasia Hutchinson. It’ll give you more freedom around here, having others watching your back as well.”
“I don’t plan on being around here long enough to need my back watched,” she counters with an impressive scowl.
I shrug. “I have a feeling you’re going to want to stick around for a while; at least until you get some closure with Vick.
” I can see I’m right by the way her expression shutters.
“But to do that without getting caught, you need me and Rowan. We have the ability to keep you hidden and the means to tend to your needs.”
Everly opens and closes her mouth, her face contorting with desperation. “Braum…”
“Is this going to be a problem?” I press, raising a brow.
“Because it sounds like you’re getting a good deal.
The ability to stay here as long as you like to finish whatever business you have with Vick while getting fucking pampered?
It’s not an offer we’d extend to just anyone.
But if that’s not something that appeals to you… ”
“Wait!” she cries out quickly, lifting both hands out in front of her, as if she’s capable of blocking me. The desperation on her face is clear as day. “Tell me exactly what you want, Braum. You’re offering to help me, but I know this doesn’t come for free. There’s always a price.”
Everything. I want everything . Nothing less will do.
I want to fill my lungs with the air she breathes, to coat my tongue with the tears she weeps, and to absorb the tremors that rush through her body as she cums all over my dick.
Most importantly, I want her heart. The Universe has spoken and told me of its absolute pricelessness.
Not that I needed The Universe to tell me such things. I’ve seen it in action.
Everly lets her heart drive her every decision.
I don’t mean that in a stupidly mushy, romantic sort of way.
It rewrites logic, it adds fuel to her ambitions.
The heart that beats in this woman’s chest is sharper than her mind, a beacon in the dark that Everly follows without question.
It’s what I need to possess in order to control her. Bend her to my will. To make her mine .
The vibration of The Universe shifts, feeling more like a steady hum rather than static against my skin, confirming my assessment.
“First, I want your cooperation. You’ll be my— our, ” I correct, “guest. We’ll announce you as our queen , a new patient that’s captured our attention.
Our close-knit group, who we call our court, will adore you.
They’ll want to be around you. Their constant presence will keep you from being noticed.
You’ll need to blend in if you’re going to move around campus.
Keep in mind that if it’s discovered Rowan and I are harboring someone who doesn’t belong here, we’ll get in serious trouble and you’ll get the boot.
You need to do exactly what you’re told at all times in order to avoid that.
We know how things work around here, not you. Got it?”
She nods grimly as she returns to fidgeting with drawstring of her sweatpants. “Okay…”
“Second—”
“Wait,” she interrupts, a little fire flaring up in her gaze. “How long is this list?”
“Does it matter if you get what you want?” I counter, smiling when she purses her lips in displeasure but otherwise doesn’t reply. “That’s what I thought. Now, where was I? Oh, right, second, you’ll show us gratitude.”
She waits a beat. When I don’t continue, she asks, “Show you gratitude… how?”
“I’m so glad you asked,” My smile grows as my gaze drops down to her lips. “It’s however we see fit.”
Everly catches on quickly. She gasps and steps back, her eyes going wide.
“N-no! I mean no .” Her second objection comes out much sterner than the first. “You’re disgusting!”
I shrug. “I can be.”
It doesn’t bother me as she takes another step away.
She’s not going anywhere. Convincing Everly into staying with me and Rowan will be the easiest part of this transition.
She has one goal here. Her heart believes Vick doesn’t deserve the fate The Universe has given him, and she thinks she can correct it.
But you can’t change the plans The Universe has put into place.
Everly is going to learn this the hard way.
Her heart has led her to a dead end in that regard.
But while she slowly figures this out, I’ll begin to weave myself into her life.
“No,” Everly asserts again. “I won’t… My body isn’t on the table for negotiations.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her it’s not just her body I want. But The Universe is pulsating in the way that tells me to go slow. Tread carefully. So I opt to point out, “You have no other bargaining chip.”