Chapter 15 Nyx
Nyx
Fuck, he read me like an open book. He’s read every thought. Every memory. And he knows my biggest secret. One that I didn’t think would ever matter. But suddenly it does. Because the world knows that Lumi isn’t my mate. And there are consequences to that in the vampire world.
I should have done a better job at blocking him out of my memories. Should have ensured he never realized the truth. But this secret—fuck it’s so hard to keep hidden, especially after last night.
Lumi has so much proof that I am the monster. Not just the smell coated on my body, but she saw through Ambrose’s mind…fuck, I should tell her the truth about that part at least.
But she’s so damaged. So hurt that I would have to tell her the entire truth to win her back. And she’s not mine. She’s his. And her hating me is for the best.
“You won’t tell her anything.”
Ambrose growls back at me. “I’ll tell my mate anything that I think she needs to know. And she needs to know everything you’re hiding.”
“That’s foolish. I just did you a huge favor. You’re free to get her to fall in love with you now.” My sacrifice can’t be for nothing. This can save her. Let me save her, I beg him.
“I’m not going to lie or keep secrets from my mate. That’s not how I get her to fall in love with me.”
He’ll tell her.
She’ll forgive me.
She can’t forgive me.
This all has to be for something. I don’t have a choice. My secret demands things from me. But if I can use it to help Lumi hate me, then it will be worth it. My life will be worth it.
“You will. Our blood deal demands you do everything you can to protect Lumi. Telling her will go against that.” My words are a bluff.
I can see Ambrose testing my words. “I don’t think the blood deal agrees with your assessment, vampire.”
I take a deep breath, cooling my mind to him. Not letting him know what’s coming next.
And then, I attack. I attack harder and faster than I ever have before.
He tries to fight me off. But I’m faster. And I’m not looking to hurt him, to overpower him, to kill him. I’m just attacking for one single thing—a single drop of his blood.
The tangy taste rolls over my tongue as I shift back into my vampire form, standing in the shadows.
I can see the fear form in his eyes. See that for a moment, he thought I was better. That Lumi had made me a better person. But I will do everything I can to protect her. Even using my own painful situation to save her.
“Ambrose, you will not tell her my secret. You will not tell her anything about what transpired here. You will forget my secret. You will forget,” I say, using my mind control on him.
I know my powers have weakened, but in this moment, I pour everything I can into it, and I know the moment that it works.
My breathing eases, and I turn back into the shadows. “We’re done here.”
But I’m not done. I have to figure out why Lumi had that dream in the first place. Because as much as I wanted to hurt her, I never intended for her to have a nightmare like that about me. The scent was all that she was supposed to experience. Fuck, what does it mean? Why?