Page 26 of Undying Thirst

He grinned and swept me close to him.

“My Pet is quite funny,” he cooed, and he strolled out of the kitchen with his arm around my shoulders. The foyer was devoid of workers, but the space was swept clean and the broken, jagged edges of the walls were smoothed with plaster. “That will be finalized and painted tomorrow.”

Whatever. I didn’t think I’d be alive long enough for it to matter. There was only one place this could possibly head to, and that was my death. Once Asher grew bored of me as everyone that knew him insinuated he would, I had no doubt he’d toss me to the side. If he didn’t off me, then it would be Ren or Jax.

The cold truth settled into my heart.

Either way, there was no use dwelling on the inevitable. Ren attacking me like that couldn’t have made it more transparentand with that came the realization that I didn’t care to hold my tongue. In fact, if I could get all of this over with sooner, then all the better. I’d try to escape, but if all else failed, inciting their wrath to kill me quickly would be my way to go. I was too much of a coward to off myself, anyway.

“Why can’t I wear something from the stuff you ordered?”

“None will suit.”

He shuffled me up the two flights of stairs until he reached the rounded alcove that broke into two directions. He headed left and dramatically shoved through the two swinging doors. This side was as large as the one that mirrored it.

“We moved back in here a few months ago. We try to rotate through our homes every ten years or so as to not raise suspicion by staying in one place.”

In the corner of the room were four large leather chests fastened with metal bands. A large rectangular object under a white sheet leaned against the wall behind it.

Setting me on my feet, he flipped the latch of the closest chest and rifled through bright colored tulle, releasing a burst of musk with his movements. Skirts spilled out from the edge and he pulled the ends of a dress. All I could focus on was the gaudy purple that would wash out my tan skin.

Imogen didn’t have good taste, there, that was the truth. And evidently a truth these vampires were unwilling to hear. Other than Asher. He’d been the only one willing to speak about her to me.

They were so secretive about their precious Imogen.

It wasn’t kind, or nice of me to think this way of a dead person, but I couldn’t lie to myself when her shadow hung over me at every moment in their presence. All this drama was caused by her in the first place. They were angry that I took her ashes. The fact that my mouth became as dry as sawdust at the thought was something I’d happily ignore.

He hooked the dress over his shoulder and the clingy, silky skirt molded to his chest. In a few steps he was in front of me.

“Hey,” I gasped as he disrobed me as easily as if I were a doll. He jerked my shirt over my head. I sputtered. Then I was standing in my bra and panties. He paused, admiring the swell of my breasts. “Hey.” I crossed my arms over my chest, scowling.

Asher smirked and jerked the dress over my head. I remained stiff and unrelenting. He gently pulled my hair through the collar.

“Hurry it up if you don’t want Jaxon seeing your gorgeous body.”

Gritting my teeth, I slid my arms through the long scratchy sleeves. As soon as my arms were through, Jax slammed through the doors. They swung behind him. Asher didn’t even look, he just

continued straightening the skirt. Turning me so my back was to him, he pulled the string of the corset until it banded around my stomach.

“She shouldn’t come,” Jax said through gritted teeth.

Did he ever say anything while not angry?

My lips tightened, but I tried to keep my expression neutral.

“Leave her here.”

Asher paused for so long that I peeked over my shoulder, in time to see him throw his head back, laughing. “She is mine to do with as I want.” He tightened the corset another rung. “Unless you would like to share my Pet, but you gave up your claim when you voted for her death. That means anything to do with her will be handled by me and Tobias.”

Jax scoffed and walked toward a large open window at the furthest end of the room. Then returned to where Asher and I stood in a few clipped steps. A pacing vampire.

I focused on Asher and pressed my hand to the ribbed corset compressing my stomach. The dress pushed up my cleavage andthe tight fit didn’t make them any less prominent. Asher popped another chest open, unveiling a bunch of shoes.

I pursed my lips at the glittering heels. The stilettos would kill me since my leg wasn’t fully healed. That wasn’t taking into consideration that they weren’t really my style. I peeked up at him under my eyelashes. He stared at me without a twitch. Whatever, I’d grin and bear it for the chance of getting outside of this prison. I didn’t have any false hopes that I’d manage to escape, but at least I would get fresh air.

“She would make you pay for allowing a human to touch her things.”

“If she were alive, Jax,” Asher drawled. “But she is not, so I have nothing to worry about.”

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