Page 51 of Lycan King's Captives
“No, I am pretty sure I spoke clearly, Xandros. I didn’t abandon her because I know exactly what it’s like to be forced against your will,” I sneer, and his thumb stops brushing my cheek, stopping below my ear.
“I have never forced you.”
“Using the bond against me is the same thing; you know I can’t fight the bond, I am not used to my instincts to fight them, but you, you are.”
“You’re mine,” he growls, becoming annoyed, still I refuse to release him from my angry gaze.
“That is exactly the problem, Xandros. I am yours, but you’re never to be mine. I am property, one of your captives,” I tell him, and he lifts his chin, his gaze turning unsettling.
“Put Carina in the car,” he calls over his shoulder. The guards leave, leaving me with my angry mate.
“It appears you think you can talk back to me now,” I hold my breath waiting for whatever punishment he decides to come.
I step back from him, and he pauses when my ass hits the pool table. He clenches his jaw, and my heart skips a beat in fear. “Come,” he says, turning abruptly on his heel and walking toward the doors.
I can feel his anger radiating off him in waves, and I don’t dare to speak or even look up at him. We make our way to the parking lot, and he stops abruptly. He turns to me and his gaze is menacing and full of rage.
“Now, Sienna! Don’t make me chase you,” he warns, and I swallow, knowing I have no choice. Reluctantly, I follow him outside to see the staff of the blood bar waiting outside along the sidewalk. Xandros waits by the open door of the car, his stony gaze glaring at the brickwork of the club he’s parked in front of. As I near him, he does not meet my gaze. Ducking my head, I slide across the seat, and he climbs in after me.
The car immediately takes off and I move to fix Carina’s skirt that once again has ridden up, before grabbing the throw blanket between the limousine seats and tossing it over her. Sitting back in my seat, I find Xandros watching me with an indecipherable look on his face.
I turn my attention to the window, watching the city lights pass me by. The silence in the limo is cold, deafening and no one speaks. I kinda wish for Carina to wake up, at least then the tension wouldn’t be so thick with Xandros attention on his wife instead of me.
As we reach the iron gates of the castle, I sit up straighter, eager to go back to my prison of a room. Never have I wished for that cold ass room so much. I’m exhausted and want nothing more than to be in my own company. However, as the car pulls up, I find that won’t be allowed. “Wait,” Xandros calls, as the driver opens the door. My heart skips a beat in surprise. I thought we were already done with our silent journey back to the castle. The driver opens my door, and I wait for Xandros’s command.
When he says nothing, I roll my eyes, and turn back to see him scoop up Carina, lifting her from the seat. “I need you to open the doors for me,” he tells me. Of course, that is what he wants me for; an errand girl.
Shaking my head, I climb out of the limo as he slides out with her in his arms. I lead him through the castle back to his quarters, opening doors like he asks. Finally, opening the bedroom door, I leave him with his wife and make my way back to the other side of the castle, to my gilded prison. The door is open, and I step inside, only to hear footsteps come up behind me. With a heavy sigh, I wait for the maid or whoever followed me to lock me inside.
However, I’m surprised to see Xandros step into the room, closing the door behind him. He moves to the fireplace to get it going, while I choose to ignore his presence by wandering into the bathroom. If he is starting the fire means he wants one thing, and one thing only. He can at least let me shower first. Stripping my clothes off, I turn the taps on, and I am about to step in when I feel his presence behind me. The air is suddenly pungent with his scent.
“Can I at least shower first?” I ask him, gritting my teeth. He runs his fingertips down my arm, sending shivers through my body despite my best efforts to remain still. When he doesn’t answer right away, I glance over my shoulder to see him watching me intently. His gaze is so intense it feels like a thousand needles pressing into my skin.
He slowly comes closer and wraps his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on the top of my head and sighing.
“Can I join you?” he whispers in a soft, broken voice that makes me shiver even more than before.
Like I have any choice, ignoring his words I step in, and he removes his shirt, then his pants, letting them slip to the floor. As I said, I don’t have a choice. He invades my space as I shower, bumping into me as he washes himself. I shower quickly, choosing not to linger and get this over with, so I can hopefully sleep. Stepping into the bedroom, I ponder whether to actually bother getting dressed. I just got my new pajamas and these ones are actually warm, I don’t want him ripping them like he usually does.
Xandros steps out a few moments after me and wanders to the walk-in closet. He disappears for a few seconds while I dry myself, then crawl into bed, waiting for his calling to slip out and subdue me as he likes to do.
I am surprised when Xandros crawls in beside me, tugging back the covers and tugging my back against his chest. I tense, expecting him to do something. Instead he just sighs and wraps his arm around me securely. Confused, I glance over my shoulder to find him wearing shorts. His usually pale skin now shows shades of pink on his cheeks as he has a peaceful expression on his face.
“You don’t like your new pajamas?” he asks softly. I furrow my brows, yet before I can question his odd behavior, I hear his breathing even out, his breath warm against my neck. Glancing over my shoulder again, I find him asleep with a look of contentment on his face. Did he just want some warmth tonight?
Unable to wrap my mind around it all, I make myself comfortable and drift off into a deep sleep, too.
27
The next morning when I wake, Xandros is gone, his side of the bed cold, like he has been gone for a while, only his faint lingering scent remains, reminding me last night was not some nightmare my mind conjured up. Getting up, I get dressed, getting ready for another repetitive day.
As the maid unlocks my door, the other servants give me strange looks. I navigate my way through the castle to the kitchens for breakfast, which consists of burned toast because I forgot to turn the toaster down. As the day goes on, I don’t see Xandros, and I find Carina’s absence bizarre; she usually has a never-ending list of things for me to do, ensuring I don’t get a chance to rest while with her.
The castle is abuzz with whispers and murmurs. The wedding has been postponed. I overhear one of the maids gossiping about it, and my heart skips a beat. A flicker of hope ignites within me, only it’s quickly extinguished by the weight of reality. I’m still trapped here, still bound by the mate bond to a man who is supposed to marry another woman. So where does that leave me now? He clearly doesn’t want me and even if he did, I don’t want to be a prisoner, plus his mother hates me, that is a disaster waiting to happen.
As I’m dusting off a tall bookshelf in the library, I hear voices coming from the adjacent room. Curiosity piques, so I quietly creep closer, pressing my ear against the heavy oak door.
The voices grow louder, and for a heartbeat I catch a glimpse of a familiar figure through the keyhole. Carina. My heart jumps into my throat as she talks to someone else, her voice low and urgent. The other person’s voice is not hearable, so I figure she must be on the phone, since I can make out parts of their conversation.
