Page 141 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Amelia studied his face. He didn’t need to see the reaction in her eyes to know that his own had changed colour.

“You’re angry about my visions,” she finally said.

“Why would I be?” He ground his teeth, forcing himself to take a breath. Nothing could stop the accusing torrent of words escaping him, though. “Is it because if you’d told me sooner about your secret conversations with the Oracle, I’d have placed guards in front of her door? And by doing so, I wouldn’t have been left wondering if she was murdered or not?” Why hadn’t he placed guards in front of her door? Had he really believed only her healers and himself had access to the room?

Amelia dared a step closer. “You told me she was ill a long time. Maybe she just didn’t survive the attack…”

“I don’t need your theories, Amelia.” His voice was ice cold.

She pursed her lips, pausing her advance towards him. “I’m sorry, but…”

“Do you realise I’ve been trying to talk to her for weeks? And I couldn’t because she was unconscious. And this whole time, you had a direct connection to her. A connection that could’ve given us – could’ve given me – much more information about what’s going on!”

“It wasn’t exactly a two-way thing.”

“That’s not what it sounded like to me. ‘I said words, and asked questions, and she responded.’ Was that not what you said?” He uncrossed his arms, his mind seething with resentment. “Had you told me about this earlier, I could have found a way to make it a two-way thing.”

“I didn’t know it was her voice in my head! And then…”

Excuses. Why was he not surprised? Don’t they all do that when the situation gets rough?

“But you knew you were dreaming of my memories, right?” he said.

“No. Mikhail, I told you…” Amelia shook her head, pleading filling her gaze. “In the beginning, I didn’t know they were memories. I thought they were just my dreams.”

“Whatever.” Mikhail’s insides boiled with cold rage. “You could have told me about them. Then I would have been sure something was happening. With you. We could have stopped the attack on Dave, dammit!”

“I wanted to warn you about him, but you weren’t here. I was locked up. No phone.” Amelia scowled, then added, “Not that it matters if I have one, anyway. I’ve been calling you since yesterday and you never picked up.”

He sneered. “Didn’t it occur to that pretty little head of yours that I wasn’t in the mood to talk?”

She flinched at his words. “Mikhail, I know I shouldn’t have hidden it from you and I’m sorry I did, but—”

“But if you hadn’t, things would be very different now,” he finished for her.

More than a hundred years! That was how long he’d spent in search of a cure for the immortals’ regeneration issues. And his only lead was gone, because the woman before him had decided to keep things from him.

Amelia stiffened, her tone giving away her frustration. “Different how, exactly? You wouldn’t have turned into a monster and nearly scared me to death? You wouldn’t be so rude?”

“And here I thought you were starting to like me.” He mocked, refusing to admit her words hurt him. So, she really did see him as a monster. For a short time, he had believed that Amelia was into him. Her ragged breaths and intoxicating smell, while she had trembled with arousal underneath him, had indicated as much.

He couldn’t help but wonder how real any of her attraction had been, or whether it was all a ruse to manipulate him. She wouldn’t be the first to use sex as a bargaining chip. Wouldn’t be the first to pretend to be driven by her lust for him.

His anger surged again. The reminder of Valeria’s deception still stung, and Amelia’s secrets had awakened that old wound. The two women blurred in his mind, their intentions eerily similar. His beast snarled.

“Did you enjoy how I made you come, Amelia?” His voice sounded more like an animal growl, but he fully intended his words to cut as much as hers had. “Or was it just for show? What’s your goal here?”

“What’s my goal?!” Rage burned in her eyes. “I want to leave!”

“Ah, the truth emerges. So that’s what your little show was all about?” Mikhail smiled with malice. “Well, I’ve got news for you. You’re not going anywhere.”

“Oh, yes, I am. We had a two-week deal. The two weeks are up. I’m leaving – today.”

Mikhail snorted, finding her tantrum amusing. “Get a grip, little beast. There’s no deal. Never was one. I hadn’t planned on letting you leave, not when you clearly play a role in all this.”

Amelia shook her head. “And to think all this time, I was ready to uphold my end, had you not started to behave like an absolute asshole.”

He stared back at her, unaffected. Yes, that’s who he was and the sooner she realised it, the better.

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