Page 30 of Viktor's Temptation
“Only slightly,” he replied, his voice laced with humor. “Your indignation is… entertaining.”
“Entertaining?!” she huffed, planting her hands on her hips. “You weren’t the one doing his laundry! Do you know how many times I pulled his disgusting gym socks out of the couch cushions? Or found his half-empty chip wrappers hidden behind the TV?Behind the TV, Viktor! Who does that?!”
He chuckled, clearly enjoying her rant. “A man who clearly doesn’t appreciate a handy garbage can—or furniture.”
“Or boundaries,” she added sharply. “He’s probably still inmyhouse, sitting onmycouch, wearing the same sweatpants he’s worn for a week straight. I bet he hasn’t vacuumed once, either. He’s probably using the carpet as his personal crumb collector.”
“And yet,” Viktor said smoothly, “this is why we’ve left him in place. Men like Warren aren’t subtle. If he’s involved, he’ll make a mistake.”
She jabbed a finger at him. “Fine. But when this is over, I’m burning that couch. And if I find so much as one moldy food container, you’re helping me throw it out.”
Viktor gave her a solemn nod, though his silver eyes were dancing with laughter. “I’ll consider it part of your training.”
Gracie turned away, muttering under her breath. “First vampire lessons, then learning to pick better boyfriends. Can we add ‘finding a cleaning service’ to the list?”
Viktor stopped walking and gently turned Gracie toward him, his hand firm but tender on her arm. His silver eyes bore into hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. “Gracie, he sounds like a miserable person. Why did you agree to marry him?”
She frowned, her lips pressing together as she looked past him, the memories flickering like old film reels in her mind. “He wasn’t always like that,” she murmured, her voice softer now, laced with a wistful sadness. “He used to be fun and charming. In the beginning, Warren would compliment me and tell me I was pretty.” She hesitated, her gaze lifting to meet his, squinting slightly as the sun blazed just behind his head. “Just like you are doing.”
Viktor stiffened, her words a blade of unintended accusation. He didn’t like where this was heading, the comparison slicing through his composure. “First of all,” he said,his tone firmer than he intended, “I have a housekeeper who cleans every day. I would never ask you to clean up after me.”
“That’s nice,” she replied with a faint smile, but her tone carried a weight of skepticism, the kind that came from too many broken promises.
“And secondly,” Viktor continued, his voice softening now, the edge giving way to something more earnest, “I think you are a lovely, amazing person. Not just beautiful, Gracie—though you are that—but kind, resilient, and strong. I will always treat you with respect and kindness. Always.”
Gracie stared at him, her expression unreadable. But Viktor could feel the lingering shadow of her past in the way her shoulders sagged, the way her eyes dulled as if retreating to another place. He clenched his jaw, his fury simmering beneath the surface—not at her, but at the man who had stripped her of her spark, the man who had made her doubt her worth.
She finally nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you for that.”
But Viktor saw it—the absence of light in her silver eyes. She wasn’t truly with him in that moment. Warren’s specter still loomed, his poison still laced through her thoughts. The idea that the man still had any hold on her burned in Viktor’s chest like acid.
“Gracie,” he said softly, tilting her chin up so she would look at him, his thumb grazing her jaw with a reverence that made her shiver. “You deserve so much more than what he gave you. Don’t let his shadows dim your light. You’re free now. Truly free.”
Her breath hitched, and for the briefest moment, her eyes flickered with something new—hope, perhaps. A tiny spark. It was enough for Viktor. For now.
Viktor’s tone lightened, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Let’s give you a bit of your power back,” he said, his voice laced with a mixture of encouragement and challenge. With a fluid motion, he gestured for her to follow him as he started walking down the bustling sidewalk.
“You know,” he began conversationally, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, “once you perfect your mind control talent, you could go back and really mess with Warren.”
Gracie stopped mid-step, her eyes wide with intrigue. “How?” she demanded, her tone eager now, curiosity breaking through the lingering clouds of doubt.
Viktor’s grin widened, satisfied.That’s better,he thought. “Let me show you,” he said, gesturing toward the throng of pedestrians bustling past them. “Choose someone. Anyone. And with just your thoughts, tell them to stop walking.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he confirmed with an encouraging nod. “No pressure. Just think it.”
Gracie chewed on her bottom lip, an endearing habit that Viktor realized he was starting to look forward to. He could see the nervous energy in the way she fidgeted, but there was also something else—excitement. She was beginning to believe in herself, to trust the possibilities of her new abilities.
“Okay…” she said slowly, her gaze scanning the crowd like a kid picking a prize at a carnival booth. “Just…think it?”
Viktor smothered a chuckle, his chest tightening with affection. “It helps if you look into their eyes first,” he advised, leaning slightly closer to her. “But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to compel someone without even making eye contact.”
Gracie nodded, her lips pressing together in determined concentration. Her silver eyes locked on a man walking a few paces ahead—a middle-aged guy in a sharp suit, clearly preoccupied with his phone. She straightened her spine, took a deep breath, and whispered under her breath, “Stop walking.”
The man halted mid-step so abruptly that the person behind him nearly collided with him. He blinked, confused, looking around as if trying to figure out why he’d stopped.
Gracie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh my gosh, it worked!” she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with awe and giddy delight. She turned to Viktor, her cheeks flushed. “Did you see that? He just stopped! Like…he juststopped!”
