Chapter 22 Danni
Danni
Betty’s cold and clammy hands wake me from my deep sleep.
“Miss Danni, you must wake up. Your training is about to start, you are very late!”
What the fuck?
I open my eyes to find myself back in Knox’s bed.
His stupid scent keeps fogging up my brain and lulling me into a false sense of security.
I will need to scold him later for putting me in here instead of my own bed.
The bond hums happily inside my chest. I take that to mean it’s happy I’ve spent the night close to him again.
“What do you mean, training today? Knox never—” But I’m cut off by a very high-pitched voice that should never be heard so early in the morning. Great, it’s Celeste.
“Knox isn’t very good at communicating. Besides, he’s been busy cleaning up your mess from last night. Now get your ass out of bed before I drag you out!” Blondie rips back the sheets, earning a disapproving look from Betty as cool air stings my skin.
I groan at them both. “What do you mean, my mess? Where is that asshole anyway?” I swing my legs over the side of the enormous bed and pad my way over to the bathroom.
“Asshole? Aren’t you supposed to be under his spell?” Blondie chimes in as I splash my face with ice cold water to wake myself up.
Ah, fuck…
I shouldn’t be allowed to speak before a cup of coffee.
“Well, yes, I’m head over heels, but that doesn’t make him any less of an asshole.” I can tell I’m doing nothing to rectify the situation.
“Oh, yes, he’s definitely an asshole. But you’re going to have to do better than that if you’re going to impress The Five with your act.”
“By the way, why do they call themselves The Five when I only met four last night?”
I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My skin is even paler than yesterday and the bags under my eyes are starting to become more prominent.
“Are you going to answer any of my questions at all?” I snark at Blondie. I emerge from the bathroom to find her laying on the bed in front of a tray of food, a goblet of deep red liquid in her hands.
“You broke a vampire’s compulsion last night. Do you understand how impossible that is? Especially when it’s a member of The Five that’s doing it. They can even compel us regular vampires. That’s how strong they are.” Blondie takes a deep swig of her drink and I mull the thought over for a moment.
How did I do it?
I remember the crack forming in his concentration and how I could mentally tear it to shreds, but I didn’t physically do anything.
“So why would that cause a mess?”
Betty holds out a sheer, glittery dress for me to try on, the fabric adorned with silver sparkles and cut in a style that leaves very little to the imagination.
“Because there’s only one type of person who can do that.”
I turn back to Blondie and raise my eyebrows at her before pulling Knox’s T-shirt over my head.
Wait, why am I in his T-shirt? Did he dress me for bed?
I’ll add it to my list of things he’s already done to annoy me today.
“A descendant of a very powerful family,” she continues. “The same family that banished us down here.”
My brows knit together in thought over her insinuation. “What do you mean? I’m not some special fucking chosen one.”
Am I? I know very little about my heritage. Mom never got the chance to tell me anything and I didn’t dare ask my aunt. I’ve never even jumped on the ancestry DNA bandwagon like everyone else has.
I was too busy chasing vampires.
“No time to explain. We need to get you out there, now!” Blondie clicks her fingers and I feel my hair pull itself back into a fancy updo. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to magic.
“You basically tell me I’m descended from a powerful family with the power to break a vampire’s compulsion and just expect me to—”
Blondie holds up her hand to stop me. “Everyone in this place has a different theory on who you might be and what your presence means to the vampire society that lives further underground. If you make it through this training, I’ll tell you everything afterwards.” She pats my shoulders.
I glance over at Betty, who gives me a reassuring nod.
“What do I have to do for the training?” I ask.
“This one’s easy. Just trust Knox.”
Easier said than done. And what does that even mean?
I’m so sick and tired of having no idea what I’m doing. I’m the kinda girl who likes a plan. I don’t cope well with curveballs. The bond does a backflip inside of me at the prospect of seeing Knox but I want to rip the damn thing out of my chest. If it’s even a tangible thing, that is.
Who fucking knows? Not me!
***
There are less of us queued up this time. I didn’t really realize how many people didn’t make it through the first training. Megan is in front of me, in full burlesque wear, complete with a deep red feather boa that just so happens to be the same shade as Knox’s eyes.
Ugh, why does everything remind me of that prick?
I take an unladylike bite out of the croissant Celeste shoved into my hand before leaving me to wait my turn.
Megan throws a disapproving side glance at me.
“What?” I ask with my mouth full.
“Nothing. I just find it hard to believe you of all people managed to break Egor’s compulsion,” she snarks, one of her eyebrows rising up and disappearing into the curls that frame her face.
I narrow my eyes. “And why is that?” I place my free hand on my hip and stand up to my full height. I’ve dealt with women like Megan my entire life.
“Oh, no reason.” Megan reveals a sickly smile as her eyes travel up and down my frame.
It’s getting harder and harder to remind myself that I’m doing this to save people like her.
Maybe Knox was right. Perhaps they don’t want to be saved.
My heart sinks just as the crowd roars from behind the curtain. I guess the other guy made it through.
Megan takes a deep breath before heading out next, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the annoying ache in my chest. I have about a second of peace before a hand clasps around my wrist to yank me back, my body colliding with a hard chest.
The bond purrs and the ache eases as sparks fly from where our skin touches. For a moment, all of my fears and worries ebb away, leaving me craving something else other than my freedom.
“You’ve caused quite the stir, my pet.”
I shiver despite how warm his breath feels against the shell of my ear. Knox holds me so tightly against him that if I was made of glass, I would’ve shattered.
“What do you want?” The bond doesn’t like how I speak to him. It rattles inside of me, twisting itself into knots. Knox’s low chuckle against my temple causes my temperature to skyrocket.
“I came to wish you good luck and let you know that everyone is waiting to see exactly what you can do. So don’t fuck it up.
” His words become a gentle caress that stir the loose hairs near my forehead.
“Give into the bond and just trust me. If you don’t, then they’ll try to steal you from me, and I can’t have that. ”
“You can’t have something stolen from you that was never yours to begin with.” My voice quivers. The last of my restraint dissipates with each breath of his against the sensitive spot below my ear.
Knox leans in closer as he inhales. His lips graze my skin, and a knot begins to form deep in my stomach. “I will not condemn you to this life, Danni. But for the duration of your stay, you will be mine. Do you feel this?”
Knox presses himself flush against me, his hard length finding its home between my ass cheeks. I can’t help the moan that escapes my lips.
“This is what you do to me. I am a man crazed with thoughts of you. Day and night, I dream of all of the ways in which I might please you with this.” He rocks his hips into me again and I whimper, desperate to feel even more of him.
Knox places his tongue flat on my neck and licks all the way up to my ear. Teeth playfully nip the lobe and I imagine him doing the same thing to my nipples.
What is he doing to me?
“You need to trust me if you’re going to convince them you’re deep under my spell, my pet. If you do, I will reward you. Would you like that?”
Would I?
My mind screams at me to stomp on his toe or elbow him in the groin, but my body is a treacherous slut that needs to be touched.
I know what he is doing. The Five are out there waiting to see if I’m just like all the rest of the potentials.
I need to be hot and heavy for him. I can’t smell like fear.
My mind turns back to Megan and how she didn’t seem like she wanted to be saved.
Can I ignore my duty for one day and let myself fall into him? It’s a dangerous game to play, but maybe, it won’t hurt anyone if I just simply enjoy myself.
My body melts further into him as my mind races. “Yes.” My whisper echoes in the empty backstage area.
Another nip on my earlobe. “I’ll make it worth your while, I promise.”
And then he’s gone.
My body is suddenly cold and empty, but a ball of anticipation churns itself over and over inside of me.
Did I just sell my soul to a vampire?