Page 191 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

Anna was sure to give the senator her full attention, even as she longed for Alex. She’d felt Devin’s anger and didn’t want to rile him anymore than the truth already had.

She kneeled before the senator and pushed thoughts of Alex aside. She pulled the man’s cock out and sucked on it, glancing up into his eyes and smiling as she did so.

He didn’t hurt her and seemed enthralled by her attention. She should be grateful. And she was. She just wished she weren’t at the Manor. Walking into the Great Hall had dampened her spirit. All the joy she’d experienced since being with Alex was being sucked out of her.

But Devin was her Master, too, and she needed to obey him. Deep inside, she wanted to obey him. She truly did. But being with him, navigating his desires, was like struggling to find her way through a dark, smoky room compared to running through a sunshine-bathed grassy field with Alex.

Alex was gone. For now. He would return soon, and then her heart would be whole again. She could make it a few more days.

With that hope lifting her heart, she smiled up at the senator and stood to straddle his lap. She would please him the best way she knew how and then do her best to please Devin and appease the anger she could still feel radiating out from him.

Much later that night, Devin stood, frowning, over a very pale Anna. He’d made love to her and then tried to manipulate her mind, but it hadn’t worked. She’d screamed out in pain and had passed out a few minutes later.

“Kaveh!”

A golden flash announced the Immortal’s arrival.

Devin turned to the glowing man. “Did I break her?”

Kaveh moved closer to the bed and placed his hand on Anna’s head. He closed his eyes and was still for a long time. “No. You did not break her.” He opened his eyes and looked at Devin. “You were very close. Her mind protected itself. What were you trying to do?”

He sneered. “She’s spent time with Alex and likes him.”

“Ah.” Kaveh looked back at Anna, shaking his head. “Her bond with him has been solidified. You cannot manipulate her against him anymore.”

“Fuck.” Devin leaned against the bed and crossed his arms. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?”

“She was afraid of him before, yes?”

“Because I made her be afraid.”

Kaveh shrugged. “Can you make her afraid of him without manipulating her mind? Can you manipulate his mind?”

Devin frowned. “Of course n—‍” He stopped as an idea sprang to mind. “I can’t manipulate it, but I have something that would work almost as well.” He grinned. “I know exactly what to do.”

Chapter 84

Anna drove to the studio Tuesday morning excited for the day. She would participate in her first partnering class that afternoon. There had been one on the previous Thursday, but she’d just watched. Delia wanted her to have more of the advanced classes before she started dancing with a partner. She’d enjoyed watching the couples dance. The girls were elegant; the guys were strong. She couldn’t wait for her turn.

The morning dragged, although she couldn’t deny her enjoyment of the challenging advanced classes. After lunch and a demanding pointe class, she finally stepped into the class she’d been eagerly waiting for since the previous week.

Delia paired her with a dancer named Nate, a surprise to Anna. He was one of the top students in the school.

Anna apologized to Nate quite a few times throughout the class, but he was easygoing and didn’t seem to mind when she made mistakes. He was an encouraging partner to dance with and offered corrections and adjustments as needed.

Not only was he a remarkable dancer, he was also very good looking, with chestnut-brown hair that hung over his forehead. His warm whiskey-brown eyes held a kindness that made Anna feel safe. He reminded her of Aaron, which brought a smile to her face.

“What are you smiling about?” Nate asked as he held her waist in preparation for a pirouette. Delia had the couples working on their own for a few minutes, without music.

Anna blushed. “Oh, you just reminded me of someone.”

Nate grinned. “I hope it’s a good someone.”

Anna caught his eye in the mirror in front of them and nodded. Fifth position and push, she said silently and executed a perfect double pirouette.

Nate’s hands skimmed around her waist as she turned, but held her up on pointe when she finished. He grinned. “Who?”

“Who what?”

---