Page 37 of Forced Vampire Mate

So it came back to this: What would I feel if I opened the bond? Would I get an insight into what Luken actually wanted sexually? What if it was utterly depraved? Would I feel worse for not being enough for him, or relieved that he was letting things between us progress at my pace instead of his…?

Also—why the fuck did I care?

My chest ached. I focused on my anger, trying to hold onto it. If it slipped away, all that would be left was the pain. I snatched up the lockpick again and went back at it. The dungeon wasn’t as far away from the queen’s chambers as I’d thought it would be. It was a large, empty space on the outside branches of the tree palace, with nothing but cages hanging in the air here and there. No guards. Skeletons filled the cages, but no living thing except me was out here.

I was lucky that the former occupants of my cage had been, by this time, stripped to the bone.

The lock suddenly sprang free. I pushed the door open and stretched out my arms, reaching for the closest branch. It was covered in a slippery slime, and I couldn’t get a good grip on it. No matter. I turned back to the corpse and stripped off its clothes. I made myself a rope and glanced at how far I was from the ground. A wind shifted the cage, making the heights seem even more dizzily high. There was a thinner branch about twenty feet beneath me. If I could get to it, I’d be able to ease myself along to the trunk, even if it was covered in the same slime.

I knotted my rope to the cage and started to climb down. The wind picked up, buffeting me. I gritted my teeth as I lowered myself, hand over hand. Finally, I reached the thin branch. It bent under my weight but held. I released my rope and clung to the branch, scooting myself forward inch by agonizing inch. My hands and torso were covered by the slippery stuff by the time I reached the trunk, but from there, I was able to wipe the worst of it off my hands and reach for a nearby window.

Once I was inside, I collapsed to the floor and sprawled on my back, gasping for air. That had been almost as bad as flying—no, it was worse, because I didn’t have Luken’s strong arms around me.

Breathe in. Hold. Release. I grounded myself, knowing I didn’t have time for a meltdown. The danger of falling to my death had passed, and now the danger was being caught and put back in the cages. I pulled myself to my feet and glanced around. I was in some sort of pantry. Jars of dried fruit lined tall shelves, along with bundles of herbs and jerky. The stars blessed me today. I scraped as much of the gel off myself as I could, wiping it on the walls, before I got to my feet. My shoes were slick, too, but after grinding them against the wooden floor for a few minutes, I was able to walk.

A quick search of the pantry brought me two more strokes of luck. One was a shoulder yoke with two burlap bags attached to either side. I loosened one from it and filled it with reserves, then tied the bag to my hip. It made me feel lopsided, but I needed the food. The second was a broomstick with a head that could be screwed off. Not exactly a staff, but better than nothing.

Now, all I had to do was sneak out of here and get out of the Silver Forest. I still had the map I’d gotten from Luken’s palace. I could make my way to the temples myself. I didn’t need Luken.

Even though Draven was still out there.

Even though the Gods themselves were gunning for me.

Even though I had no idea how to navigate the Silver Forest, Donelle was sure to send people after me when she realized I had escaped.

Okay, so maybe it was stupid to leave without Luken. But it wasn’t like I had a choice. He’d made his bed, and now he had to lie in it. I reached for the door handle.

The way Luken’s jaw tightened when I asked him if he’d been here before made me pause. My stomach tightened as that protective anger slipped. He hadn’t looked happy about coming here in the first place. Didn’t seem like he had fond memories of his previous visit. Sure, he’d smiled and was charming with Donelle, but… but…what if?

What if she didn’t want to sleep with him? What if she wanted to kill him? He’d mentioned an incident that prevented his father from returning to these courts. What if it was because Donelle had tried to assassinate Luken’s father? Or his mother? She had certainly been derisive enough about his mother. There were political strains between Taimarah and the Silver Forest; I knew that much.

If I opened the bond, what would I find?

My chest constricted, and my stomach churned. I closed my eyes, fighting against myself. I should open the bond. I should feel what he was doing and feeling, and use that information to make my decision. But if I opened it, what would I find? There were two options, as far as I could see, and either one would devastate me. I couldn’t do it.

But if I was going to get out of here, find Darcie and Thessa, and make it out of the temples with all of us alive? Well. I needed him.

Mind made up, I steeled myself and flung open the door. The long hallway echoed with the moans and cries of sex. I shuddered and headed toward the nearest stairs. The queen’s chambers were two or three levels above me. I’d been taken down one to go to the dungeons, and I’d passed another layer of windows, climbing down the rope.

As I neared the stairs, a group of people stumbled down them. They were stripping off their clothes, kissing each other. Several were naked already. I dodged into the nearest room, hoping they were too busy with theiramourto have noticed me. I hid around the door as they drew nearer. Oh, Gods! The noises they made!

Please don’t let them come in here.

The group passed by me. I peeked out the doorway in time to see a woman jump onto the back of a man and start pegging him. My cheeks went hot, and I pulled back. Would Luken likethat?

Nope. No more of those thoughts. The orgy had disappeared into another room, without bothering to close the door. But they wouldn’t see me now.

I wanted out of this kingdom. Now!

There were no guards on the stairs or in the next few hallways. I recognized where I was quickly and stole along the edge of the hallway, listening and watching warily. Where were the guards? They should be here somewhere. It was all so quiet. Suspiciously quiet. My nerves ran ragged, making the hair on the back of my neck prickle.

I reached the queen’s chambers; the door was open, and I gripped my broomstick handle tighter. It wasn’t much of a weapon, but I could at least—

A moan came from inside the room. Deep, masculine. The sound of a man in the throes of passion. It was answered by a series of sharp, feminine cries. The queen. She was breathless, excited, and cried out for more. The moan came again, the man answering in a voice too low for me to understand. I peeked around the doorframe. Donelle mounted a man on the floor, her back toward me. She was utterly naked, bouncing as she fucked the man. His hands were tight on her hips. I couldn’t see his face, but his hair was rich and dark.

Luken.

I pulled back, sagging against the wall. My blood felt like ice, and I couldn’t breathe.

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