Page 12 of Unhallowed

“What about the marriage ceremony?”

“You need to be ready for it,” I tell her. “You can’t show weakness. They’ll eat you alive if you do. That’s all I will divulge for now, I’m sure Draven will fill you in on more details.”

“Fine, then answer me this.” She turns her body toward mine, then grabs my face and digs her nails into my cheeks. “Who were those girls and why were they tied up?”

“That’s the one thing I can’t tell you,” I reply, and her nails dig in deeper. Well, there’s much more I cannot say, but I can’t tell her that. “But why did you come along with them? Shouldn’t you know?”

“Draven bought me.”

“Boughtyou?” I raise a brow. “Who the fuck from?”

She’s silent for a beat, and I pry her hand from my face. I mirror her in return, using the same punishing hold on her. Except with my strength she whimpers and closes her eyes.

“My adoptive parents.”

“Why did he buy you from them? Why would he have to? You seem to be grossly in love with each other.” I don’t believe in love, but the way he looks at her is disgusting—like he can’t stand to be without her. I can tell she’s so much more than what he’s telling me. I’d even go as far as saying the love of his life, which only pisses me off.

I let go of her face.

“Because they had me locked up in a basement for a decade!” she snaps, clearly agitated. Her teeth are grinding, her jaw clenched, her hands balled into fists. “Is that what you wanted to know? That he saved me? That I’m grateful and that’s why I’m agreeing? That I don’t have a choice because that’s the only reason he got me out?”

I look down at her heaving chest, stunned into silence. “A basement?” Is all I can get out.

“That’s where I met him, you know?” No, I don’t fucking know shit. Draven didn’t fill me in on this part of his life. “He was locked in there with me.” There are parts of his life he seems to keep under wraps, I’ve always known that—that he had a hard life before my father met him and saw his potential, therefore making him one of his sons. But he’s never trusted me the way I want him to—needhim to. I’ve always needed him.

“It sounds like you feel you owe him a debt. For getting you out, rescuing you.” I pin her to the bed and she closes her eyes, breathing heavily. Her palms meet my chest and she digs her fingernails into it.

I look down to find a trail of blood coming from below her fingernails, and I grin. It begins to wander all the way down to the waistline of my sweatpants, meeting the red devil tattoo. Perfect. I fucking love her violence. “If you want to marry someone else then say that now.” Her eyes snap open, momentarily shocked, but her face turns determined once more, her nails digging in deeper right below my brand on the one side, a snake tattoo on the other.

“I don’t!” she all but growls at me. “I. Don’t. Want.”

“Suit yourself,” I grind out, getting on top of her and pinning my hips against hers, bringing my face closer until our lips are brushing. “Just let me know if you change your mind. Draven may love you, but you can be a true queen, ruling with me. ”

If she knew anything about the ritual she wouldn’t stay here, she’d run as far away as possible even if it meant dying. Not that it would matter much because Draven would likely find her. Or me.

And if I found her, I’d keep her.

I wrap my hand around her throat and she swallows against it. She’s so fucking pretty, it’s unfair, and I’ve never even been partial to blondes. We look at each other for a long moment and she tries to pry my fingers off with hers, but I just tighten my hold. I can’t help myself, I fucking crash my lips against hers. She whimpers at first as I take her, her lips firm, but then she softens for me and my lips mold against hers.

When she relaxes, I loosen my hold on her neck, cupping her cheeks with both hands instead as I deepen the kiss, rocking my hips into hers. I suck her bottom lip into my mouth then slip my tongue inside, coaxing a moan from deep in her throat.

That little noise almost undoes me until I hear the doorknob turning and I pry myself from her, throwing my body to the other side of the bed. Her chest is heaving and her eyes are narrowed at me, and just as my brother walks in through the door he stops in his tracks. I look back at him with a smile and he raises his brows.

“Let’s go, Angel.”

At his command, Angel begins to get up from the bed. I get closer to her and whisper in her ear. “Tell your little love what just happened, baby girl. Or I’m going to keep you all to myself.”

And as she walks out, I decide I have to have her.

I just need to figure out how.

I’ve already been here for two days, and I’m more confused than I’ve ever been in my entire twenty-one years on this earth. I don’t know what I’m getting myself into, but if there’s this much secrecy, it can’t be good. Draven hasn’t told me how we’re getting married, just that it’s tomorrow and it won’t be atraditionalwedding.

Whatever the hell that means.

What’s even more confusing is how Killian treated me two days ago. He made me food, he explained things to me that Draven had kept from me. He fucking kissed me. Then he told me to tell Draven what happened.

Fuck.No.

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