Chapter 9 Danni
Danni
Time moves differently here.
It seems like I am sitting for an age at the dressing table watching Betty work miracles with my unruly hair. I let her work in silence while my mind obsesses over him. Stupid, lovesick thoughts, which no matter how many times I try to replace stabbing him with my stake, will not go away.
I feel absolutely mad.
Betty leaves me to dress once she is satisfied with my appearance.
I can’t lie. She did a good job. The bags under my eyes disappeared with a foundation as thick as cement.
An attractive pink rouge brings a flush to my cheeks and smoky black kohl frames my eyes.
A little dramatic for my taste, but that seems the rule to live by around here.
I haven’t managed to move since she left.
Instead, I’ve sat and stared at myself, ignoring a hollow feeling settling in my chest. At first it felt like palpitations, which is only natural considering I’m trapped in the middle of a desert inside a weird hotel that caters to your dreams. But it’s now warped into a deep, almost painful sadness.
It aches.
The door to my room opens dramatically, startling me out of my misery. I grab the stake within arm’s reach and point it at the intruder.
Warmth immediately leaves the room. Knox is the picture of midnight in his formal suit and shiny shoes as he eclipses the space.
My heart races as I look around the room for an escape, but there’s only the one door he just came through.
His face paint is gone, revealing a flawlessly pale complexion that’s all hard lines and arrogance.
“You’re awake,” he says flatly as his vermillion eyes slide over my body.
I involuntarily shiver under his gaze. “No shit,” I retort, my knuckles turning white from gripping the stake so hard.
“You took so long I thought you’d fallen asleep.” His eyes flash to the stake. I grip it even tighter.
Knox huffs a humorless laugh that doesn’t reach his eyes, putting his hands in his pockets and closing the space between us. He backs me away from the dressing table and towards the bed. “Careful. I enjoy a chase, but even I have limits when it comes to blatant disrespect.”
The closer he gets, the air between our bodies becomes electrically charged. The hollow emptiness inside of me disappears as energy surges through me.
I sigh in relief. My brain fog clears as I inhale his dark musky scent. He smells like midnight and blood.
To my surprise, he sighs as well.
Did he feel a void, too?
I don’t like the thought of him being in pain.
Snap out of it! You are not going to develop Stockholm Syndrome right now.
“You’re keeping me here against my will. Why would I treat you any other way?” My heart pounds, but not out of fear.
“Familiars should be grateful. Only a handful are chosen each time we break through the surface. By the way your blood reeks of fear and self-loathing, I should’ve thrown you to the Rabbids without a second glance.
” He breaks the insane staring contest to flick a piece of invisible lint off his jacket.
“I don’t have any ‘self-loathing’.” I mimic his voice to the best of my ability. It’s childish, I know, but that comment got right under my skin.
“Oh, please,” he sneers. “I’ve had hundreds of years to recognize the disgusting scent of self-loathing.”
“Then why not give me to the Rabbids?! Why put me through the torture of having to listen to your arrogant voice any longer?”
His eyes grow a shade darker when I mention the Rabbids. But the change is gone as quickly as it came; instead, he does something worse… he smiles.
“You know why?”
“Oh, yes, because I’m your mate or whatever? You still haven’t explained what the fuck that means, by the way.” This man is beyond frustrating.
“Ah, that would give the game away too quickly, love.” He takes another step forward, engulfing me in his darkness.
My hands search behind me for the safety of the bedframe. I lean back to get some distance, but this only seems to make his smile grow wider. He’s getting a kick out of seeing me like this. Fragile, defenseless, trapped.
“You’re deranged.” My knuckles turn white from how hard I grip the wood.
Knox laughs with humor this time as his eyes flick to my mouth. “You have no idea. Let’s save the dirty talk until after dinner, shall we?”
My breath catches. All I want to do is jump out of the window behind me, but my body is a treacherous slut and has other ideas.
“I’m not having dinner with you and there will be no after.” I don’t sound the least bit confident that I mean it.
“You will have dinner with me in an hour. We need to discuss your training. And yes, there will be an after. The mate bond doesn’t like it when we’re apart for so long.”
My eyes widen in horror, which only makes him smile more. A dimple appears in the hollow of his right cheek.
“You’re not staying in this room.” Heat pools between my legs at the thought.
His eyes turn so dark they’re almost black.
He grabs my chin and pulls me close, so close I can smell the iron that lingers on his breath.
Fresh blood. He’s fed recently. As if he hears my thoughts, he digs his fingers deep into my skin, hard enough to leave a bruise.
“If you don’t come to this dinner, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you there myself.
Nobody in this entire fucking realm is to know what you are to me, do you understand?
As far as anyone else is concerned, you are a brain-dead human who would give her left arm to worship me in every possible way a Familiar might. ”
I should be fighting him. I should kick and scream and throw myself out of the window to get away.
But I lean into his touch, his possessive tone weakening my resolve.
His body presses flush against mine as he holds me up by my jaw.
He leans in, inhaling against the skin of my neck as he tilts my head backwards. His teeth gently graze my skin.
My body is an inferno for this… man… this monster.
“If anyone here finds out what you are, you will die. So do your fucking part in this relationship and pretend you’re here for the same reasons as everyone else.” He releases me, practically shoving me away, and the rejection feels like a cold bucket of water is thrown over my body.
“I’m not having dinner with you.” My voice is breathy as I clutch my racing heart.
“Then I guess you’ll starve.” His eyes skim over me again. “Wear something nice, white looks awful on you.”
I glance over at my work shirt. “White, really? Or the dirt on it from being dragged around by those things out there?!”
“Wearing white here represents something entirely different than what a Familiar should wear. Unless you’re telling me you are pure and I should parade you around like a golden trophy?” Knox smirks, that stupid dimple making its appearance again.
What does he mean by pure? Oh…
I don’t even think as I dash to the bedside table to grab the candelabra and hurl it at him. I miss, of course, the candelabra uselessly hitting the floor beside him, but his eyes light up in amusement all the same.
I hate this man.
“I can tell you’re going to make an excellent Familiar.” His smile grows wider.
“Go to hell.” I grit my teeth at the sound of his deep laughter.
“Oh, love, take a look around. You’re already in it.”