Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
Summer raced back up both flights of stairs to the blue room and bolted the door behind her. She ripped the black evening gown from her body, allowing the shreds of fabric to fall to the floor.
She was naked, the dress wasn’t one which needed a bra, and her panties were… she had no idea. She suspected the vampire might have a clue, but it wasn’t as if she wanted to see them again. She certainly never wanted to wear them. Not ever.
She snatched a clean towel from the linen press and marched into the bathroom. At the bathroom door, she hesitated, looking over her shoulder at the apparently empty room.
With a shiver, she stomped to the shower and turned the faucets on and the temperature as high as she could bear. When she stepped under the jets of water, she let it slide down her body, caressing her skin like… No, don’t think about that!
She snatched up the washcloth and shower gel.
She lathered the cloth, and under the scalding water, she rubbed her skin red raw.
She paid particular attention to her breasts, her neck, her hands and between her legs.
Everywhere that man’s… he’s not a man, that creature’s hands, lips and tongue had been.
How had she let this happen? Again. She’d been angry with Rowan after he marked her with his claiming bite, but this time.
She’s said no, hadn’t she? Summer relived the moments.
Pushing him away, then he took her hand and stared deep into her soul.
Then she gave in to him. Was it the wine?
Was there something in the wine? Why had she given in?
She didn’t want him. Wanted nothing to do with him.
All she wanted was the knowledge his library contained.
She didn’t want sex with him. Made love?
That was what he’d said, wasn’t it? But his shivery touch held none of the tenderness of Rowan’s heated passion.
If it was love, then why do I feel so dirty?
She scrubbed at her skin. Determined to rid herself of the memory of his chilled hands on her flesh. She squeezed more gel onto the washcloth and scoured her face and neck. The cloth snagged on the claiming scar. Rowan! Oh, Rowan, can you ever forgive me?
Summer faced the faucets and let the water scald her back. She rubbed the cloth against her thighs. As the tears ran down her face. She raised her head to the water, but unable to stand the burning water on her cheeks, she looked down, hands poised to carry on washing.
Not until she saw the water turning a pale pink did she stop scrubbing.
Leaning her back against the tiled wall, her knees gave way, and she sank to the base, sitting under the hot water, clutching her knees to her chest as she sobbed furiously.
Only when the water started to chill her body, did she rise and begin the laborious task of drying her tender skin.
She dressed slowly, covering every inch of her body with dark clothing.
Selecting an old, thick black hoodie over the blue cashmere sweater she’d found in the closet.
She’d stick to her old clothes from now on.
She slumped in front of the dresser’s mirror, sweeping her arm across the surface and sending the vase of black roses to the floor.
Pushing her wet hair from her eyes, she fixed her reflection with a scowl.
He has your wolf. Pretty lies. Pale lord. Golden cage.
The strange woman’s garbled words came back to her. He has your wolf. Her mother’s journal. The journal. Her mother had made reference to a pale lord and a wolf. She needed to read the journal again. Where is it?
With a groan, Summer remembered she had left the journal in the vampire’s library. But to hell with him. She’d go and get it back.
Unbolting the bedroom door, Summer peeked out into the corridor.
With a sigh of relief, seeing it empty and no shadows in the alcoves for the other bedroom doors, Summer edged her way to the head of the stairs.
She paused, holding her breath, but feeling the flames break out on her palms gave her courage, and she crept down the stairs, past the dining room, to the library.
Standing on the threshold, she relived the moment as the vampire nudged his cock into her, recalling how her body reacted to him sucking her breasts.
Both hands flew to her face. How had she let him do that to her?
There must have been something in the wine.
She was sure the vampire was not in the room, and she inched over to the desk.
Snatching her mother’s journal to her chest, she tiptoed back to the door, every moment expecting the vampire to ooze from the shadows to claim her again.
As she pulled the library door closed, she took a breath, trying to still her pounding heart. He would hear her. Know she wasn’t in her room. Would he…?
When Summer fled the room, Fabian dismissed her from his thoughts momentarily and strolled to his study.
He reached for his phone to check on the evening’s other business when he heard footsteps in the hallway.
It was probably Summer, unable to sleep after their passionate encounter.
He smiled and moved toward the study door, intending to offer her warm milk or perhaps another conversation by the fire.
But when he opened the door, the hallway was empty. The footsteps continued padding toward the main staircase, and when he followed quietly, he saw Summer descending toward the first floor with the careful, measured steps of someone apparently sleepwalking.
He was about to follow when his phone rang. Vincent’s name appeared on the screen, and Fabian answered while keeping his eyes on Summer’s retreating figure.
“Master, the Vatican representative is here for the scheduled call.”
“Transfer it to the study phone,” Fabian instructed, his attention split between Summer’s sleepwalking form and the business requiring his attention. “I’ll take it in five minutes.”
He watched Summer disappear around a corner, then returned to his study to handle the call that would determine the next phase of their operation. When the phone rang, he answered in Latin—the language of Vatican business and old agreements.
“Bona sera, my friend. How proceed the preparations?”
“All according to schedule,” Fabian replied, settling behind his desk. “The specimens are responding well to the reversal process. We should have a complete batch ready by Halloween night.”
“Excellent. And the wolf?”
Fabian’s jaw tightened slightly. “Contained and secure. The bond weakening process is nearly complete.”
“Good. The Cardinal will be pleased. What of the doctor?”
“Proceeding as planned. She suspects nothing and grows more dependent daily. By the time she realizes the truth, it will be too late for any meaningful resistance.”
“You sound… reluctant.”
Fabian was quiet for a moment, thinking of Summer’s taste, her softness, the way she’d looked at him with such trust and longing as he’d thrust into her. “Personal feelings are irrelevant to the mission.”
“Indeed. Remember, my friend, sentiment is a luxury we cannot afford. The doctor’s abilities make her valuable, but not irreplaceable. Should she become problematic…”
“She won’t,” Fabian said firmly. “I have the situation well in hand.”
After ending the call, he sat in the dark study for a long time, staring at the phone and trying to reconcile the tenderness he’d felt holding Summer with the cold calculations required by his agreements with the Vatican hunters.
Biting back a whimper, Summer snuck along the corridor to the foot of the stairs.
She planned to race back to the comparative safety of her room, but she heard the vampire speaking.
She frowned. She didn’t recognize the language.
It wasn’t English or his native French… What the heck?
It was Latin. Despite only a rudimentary knowledge of the language from the Catholic School her father had sent her to, Summer pressed her ear to the door to listen.
In the hallway outside, Summer pressed against the wall, having heard enough of the conversation to understand her worst fears were confirmed. Summer’s hand covered her mouth to stifle the sob that threatened to escape as the full scope of Fabian’s betrayal became clear.
The wolf was contained. The bond was being artificially weakened. And she was nothing more than a valuable asset in some larger game she’d never even realized she was playing.
The beautiful cage had just revealed its true nature, and this time there would be no pretending the bars were merely decoration.