Page 93 of Taste of Death

“Sorry, love. How’s this?” Cyan held up a bottle for her inspection, his grin a mix of sheepish and adoring.

“Better, thank you.” Tavia leaned over and kissed him, the two of them smiling, gazes warm and loving when they separated.

That was the moment my composure broke, when the brittle outer layer of numbness finally shattered to expose all of the raw, ugly hurt underneath.

Because I would never, ever have what they had. The easy, quietknowingthat you had your person, and knowing they were devoted to you like it was a basic fact of life. I’d never have that feeling of steadfast support, love, and desire. I’d never be special to anyone.

I thought I found it. I thought I was so close to my happily ever after. But I’d only been duped again. Silly, weak little Amy always fell for it.

“Amy? Oh my God!”

Tavia rushed over and crushed me in a protective bear hug. She smelled like grape juice. I must have been sobbing, but it felt like fighting for air against a saw slicing open my heart and ribs.

“What did he do?” She petted my hair while holding me to her like she always used to. “I’m gonna fucking kill him. Cyan? Thorne? I can do that, right?”

“Can’t allow it, as much as I’d like to.” Thorne sounded legitimately disappointed. “Being a two-timing piece of shit isn’t a crime.”

“What the fuck?”

I couldn’t see with my face buried in Tavia’s shirt, but I pictured the bewildered look that she and Cyan shared. They had shared a bottle of wine with Novak, had even begun to like him.

He fooled them too. He played us all. But for what?

That was the biggest piece that I couldn’t make sense of. Why? Why tell me so many elaborate lies? Why start a friendship with me, pretend for weeks that he cared about me? Why convince me to show him my scars if he never wanted me in the first place? Just for the conquest?

I knew some people enjoyed being cruel, enjoyed the torment and humiliation of others. But not even Tom Harrison triedthishard to make me trust him.

“Come on.”

Tavia turned me around, leading me through the great room toward the underground apartments.

“I’m gonna burrito you up in a blanket, you’re gonna drink as much wine as you want, and you’re gonna tell me what happened, okay?”

My only answer was a shaky, rattling breath.

Chapter 29

Novak

Even after Amy left, I had to be careful. I had to make sure she got far enough away that Baros would forget about her. Out of sight, out of mind. If he saw her, he might get curious again and see if he could use her to torment me.

She was safest far away, even though it killed me to speak to her like that. And watching her go, with the heartbreak plain on her face, killed me all over again.

Baros turned to his daughter and me at the base of the stairs, seemingly having already forgotten all about Amy.

“Now,” he made ushering motions with his hands, “get on with it, will you? You’ll probably have to fuck a few times before dawn.”

Inessa’s expression barely changed, but I saw the slight clench in her jaw. She hated being used in her father’s schemes, she had to. If only I could have a real conversation with her without Baros hovering.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, leaning in to brush her mouth against my ear. “That was your blood mate?” The question was so soft to avoid Baros’s detection, she made barely any noise besides breath.

I leaned my head back as if in pleasure. “Yes… ”

Her nose drifted along the side of my neck. “You’re no longer affected by my scent?”

Her blood that I’d tasted from her finger still sat inside my cheek. It tasted so damn foul, so much unlike Amy, that I couldn’t bring myself to swallow. My erection was gone and my head was clear. Tasting the blood of someone who was not my mate made me stone-cold sober, as I’d hoped it would.

I just hated that Amy had to see me do it.

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