Page 49 of Their Blood Rite

Three questions? I have a million, but none seem to be able to form one clear and concise sentence.

‘Are you going to kill me?’ I ask finally. ‘How did your blood heal me?’ I think for a moment. Of all the questions, one screams at me. ‘Are you or the others going to rape me?’

In a surprisingly soft gesture, he brushes the hair from my face.

‘I will answer your second question. Our blood is designed to heal you. Just you, Blood Witch. Anyone else drinks it, they burn from the inside out. I made you drink so your broken bone would heal and the cut you inflicted would close. If I hadn’t, you would have bled out from your idiotic self-inflicted wound within the hour.’

‘Youbroke my wrist,’ I remind him.

‘And then I healed it,’ he bites back coldly. ‘I broke your wrist because I was angry. Do not anger me again.’ My lip trembles. His face relaxes a little when it does, and the muscles in his frame unclench. ‘I am sorry I broke your wrist, okay? It was not my finest moment. It will not happen again. You have my word. I just wanted you to drop the glass. The idea of you killing yourself… I couldn’t deal. Iamsorry.’

I give a slight nod.

‘You are not to tell anyone I blood-shared with you, Pixie. They will know what you are in an instant if you do, and you will be taken, torn apart, and placed with the rest of your kind at the edge of the village. Am I understood?’

I nod again, feeling a warm tear slide down into my hairline.

‘Seeing as you did such a good job for us just now, I will also answer one of your other questions. We will not rape you.’

I let out a heavy breath of relief.

‘Our cocks will never enter you without your consent.’

‘Then they will never enter me.’

‘So be it.’

‘Your fingers entered me. I don’t recall you asking permission.’

‘I said cocks, Pixie. And if I remember correctly, you came so fucking hard, your pretty little cunt almost broke my fingers in two.’ I blink and feel my face flush with heat. ‘Didn’t you enjoy it? The truth now. You and I? We’re not going to lie to each other, are we?’

‘Fuck you.’

He scoffs and stands before heading across the room, striding through another door. I yelp as the chain around my neck tugs me after him. The slight silver chain seems to have grown in length. When I hold it, it feels delicate. I try to snap it.

‘Dorian enchanted it. It’s unbreakable and can stretch on for miles if needed,’ he calls after me before giving it another tug. On my feet, I follow. Like I have a choice. My legs are weak and shaking as I join him in his bathroom. He’s at a sink, washing the blood from his wrist. His bite is healed, and his skin is perfectly smooth. He looks back at me in the mirror.

‘What the…’ I gasp, rushing towards it. I run my hands over myself. There’s still a little blood there, but no marks from where they just bit me.

‘You think we’d leave you gushing blood every time we bite you?’ he chuckles, still rinsing his hands. ‘Or all scarred up? Ourbites close up as soon as we stop, and the skin is left as good as new. But watch out if Archie gets you in his wolf form. Those bites will definitely leave a mark.’

‘Then why are these marks still here?’ I ask, pointing at the silver scars.

‘Because they’re claiming marks. They also hurt more, seeing as we injected you with the poison needed to make you our little bitch.’

As I open my mouth to throw back an insult, he cocks his brow, daring me to.

I close my mouth instead.

‘Good choice,’ he says. ‘Get yourself cleaned up.’ He nods to the water and cloth.

After a few minutes, my skin is clear of blood. As I dry myself, he strides back into his bedroom, tugging me along after him.

‘You’ve told me to stay in the room. I can’t leave. The chain isn’t necessary,’ I argue, staggering to a stop.

‘You disobeyed me. This is your consequence. If you want to act like a disobedient bitch, I’ll put a leash on you. Prove that you can behave, and maybe I’ll ask Dorian to remove it.’

‘How did he even make this? You’re vampires. You don’t have magic.’

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