Page 115 of The Midnight Order
“What have you given me freely?” he deadpans.
“My blood, my body, my soul.”
The last one stings through me like a heated blade, and I see my maker shift on his feet as the words also throw him off. They’ve hit the mark Silver aimed for well.
“Relationships are about much more than feelings. There’s some compromise, Lowell. Just because you’ll miss me while I’m away doesn’t mean that you can keep me prisoner.”
Fuck me if Lowell doesn’t seem to consider her words, as if she’s breaking through his rage and bloodlust.
“Compromise,” he murmurs.
“Yes. I’ll only stay away for five days because I know you’ll be upset that I’m gone.”
For a second, I consider that she might get her way. That she’ll get him to bend to her wishes.
Folly. Pure folly.
“No.” It’s to the point, and his tone says it’s final. He crouches, lifts her off her feet, and tosses her over his shoulder.
I’m ready to drown in a bottle of bourbon and finally ascend to the skies when Lowell turns toward me on his exit. “You’re not going either. Research and complete your tasks from home. It’s the only way this works.”
His order is absolute, so I deflate and take a seat, finishing my drink as I hear the plane engines being shut down one by one and my luggage being loaded back into the trunk of the car.
Silver’s cries of anger grow distant as Lowell runs through the surrounding forest with her in tow, and I take a deep breath.
That could’ve gone much worse than it did.
I thought she was getting through to him for a split second. That she was softening the male I’ve known almost my entire existence.
Even though he held to his command, I saw the flicker of a waver in his eyes.
Lowell Thorngray has met his match in Silver Tenebris, which might be the saving grace of us all.
It also might be our demise.
Chapter 30
Silver
“Put me down!”My fists beat Lowell’s back, and I know he feels them, even if he’s immune. The woods look familiar, meaning we’re likely close to either my aunt’s house or the manor, but I can’t stand to go back to either right now. Not as defeated as I feel.
I thought he’d let me go once I stood my ground. At the very least, I thought I wouldn’t have to deal with Lowell until I returned from the trip.
But their very vampiric way of doing shit had shot my plans to bits before it was even off the ground—metaphorically speaking.
“Lowell, I swear to God!” I screech, and finally, he slows and drops me onto the cold, wet ground. I grumble as I stand and brush myself off.
“You’re a maddening woman! Do you know that? I told you no; you went against my order. I thought we understood one another. I thought we turned a page last night. That you finally understood who you are to me.”
“Yours,” I echo his sentiments from last night.
“Exactly.”
“But not yours to fuck or feed from, right? Only to pass me around your coven and refuse to try anything with yourself.” It’s a low blow, and it hits his mark.
He steps into me and growls.
It’s preternatural; I swear, even the surrounding forest life goes silent.
