Page 8 of Balor

Her eyes filled with tears again. “I swear. I didn’t know. I didn’t want to do it this way, but it was the only chance I had. If I’d gone with the other coven’s leader, he might have killed me long before I gave birth. I didn’t want to die. I didn’t want my baby to die. I’m sorry. So very sorry.”

“Why would he risk losing a powerful child?” I asked. If that was the selling point for Belladonna being his wife, then it didn’t make sense.

“Because he’s the sort who wants all the power for himself. If he thought his child would outshine him, he’d not hesitate to kill them.” She licked her lips. “My coven and his are both well-known. My marriage to that awful man would have brought our covens together. Think of it as a political marriage between royal families.”

I saw the way her hands shook. Knew she realized exactly how much trouble she was currently in. The slight scent of fear teased my nose, and I knew she was terrified of me. It calmed the beast inside me, knowing she’d been right to fear me.

“The prophecy you mentioned. Why Halloween night?”

“Because it’s when the veil is thinnest between worlds. I don’t fully understand it.” She swallowed hard. “When I heard my father talking to the other man, I knew I had to act quickly. I didn’t have time to come up with a plan.”

I heard the truth behind her words. I wasn’t happy with the situation, but I didn’t see as I had much of a choice. If the other coven wanted her, they’d come for her. And I wouldn’t let them take her.

“Do you have a place to stay?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“You’ll stay here for now. I’ll put a protection spell on you so you can’t leave the mansion. I won’t have you running off.”

She had to know how effortless my magick had been and knew exactly how powerful I was. She’d be a fool to run. My gaze raked over her, anger still simmering in my veins, but under that was something else. Desire. I didn’t think it was lingering aftereffects of her spell, which meant there was something real between us.

Her eyes widened. “I haven’t agreed to stay.”

I reached out and let my fingers trail down her belly again. “You think I care what you want? You took away my free will. It’s only fair I return the favor.”

She shivered and closed her eyes. “I guess I deserve that.”

I let the bindings fall away, although I didn’t release my hold on her magick. I didn’t trust her not to cast another spell on me. I didn’t think she’d done anything beyond whatever she’d used to get me to sleep with her. I’d been able to watch what happened by peeking into her mind. She hadn’t lured me in any other way. Even though I’d been unable to stop myself, I hadn’t been a puppet.

I picked up a shirt and tossed it to her. “Put that on. I’ll take you to the kitchen and feed you. We can talk more.”

I pulled on a pair of sweatpants, then I led her down the hall. I tried to ignore the hurt look in her eyes. From the scent of blood in the air and her overall demeanor, I had a feeling she’d been a virgin until last night. I wasn’t the only one she’d hurt with this stunt. Did she even realize what she’d stolen from herself?

As we walked to the kitchen, she rubbed at her neck and ran her hands down her arms. She had to be feeling my magick restraining her. I wondered about the man she’d spoken of before. How powerful was he? I wasn’t really concerned. There were few in the world who could match me. Most had died long ago.

When we got to the kitchen, I pointed to the table and chairs. She sat while I went to the fridge and pulled out a carton of eggs and some bacon. I felt her gaze on me as I made breakfast for us. Even if she’d offered to help, I wouldn’t have let her. Not until I knew more about her and our situation.

I heard her stomach rumble and fought not to smile. When was the last time I’d done something like this? It wasn’t like I’d lived my life as a monk. But it had been decades since I’d cooked for a woman, and I’d never allowed one to live with me, even temporarily. Despite the fact I didn’t look older than thirty-five, I was closer to two hundred years old. Unless someone bigger and badder came along, I could easily live another two hundred years. Well, that or bind myself to someone who didn’t have a long lifespan. Then I’d halve my years with her.

Bonding for my kind wasn’t the same as a shifter’s mate bond. It involved a blood ritual, some heavy magick, and giving up part of my lifespan, which meant I needed to be damn sure. The flip side was that we’d feel each other’s pain. I could handle it, but could she? Even among mages, I was rare and didn’t do things the way most people would.

I finished cooking and plated our food, adding toast to each. After I set it on the table, I poured her some juice and grabbed a bottle of water for myself. There was still much we needed to discuss, but I wasn’t sure I was in the right frame of mind for it.

“I really am sorry,” she murmured.

“You may have felt justified in what you did, but it doesn’t make it right. Like I said before, if you weren’t a woman, things would have ended differently. I’d have killed you for casting a spell like that on me.”

She winced and quietly went back to eating. I was honestly surprised she hadn’t asked me why I hadn’t shaken the spell off. Technically, I could have, which meant on some level, I hadn’t wanted to. My powers were far greater than hers. While I’d been intoxicated on her magick, had my baser instincts kicked in? I didn’t remember reading her thoughts and memories, but what if I had and knew she was only doing what she had to in order to survive?

Sadly, I couldn’t read my own memories so I’d never know for sure, not unless everything came back to me. I caught bits and pieces of what happened in flashes. The entire picture, however, didn’t want to form in my mind.

When she’d finished eating, I cleared the table. Staring at her, I wondered what I should do with the little witch.

“Did you bring anything with you?” I asked.

“Just a few changes of clothes. I didn’t exactly have time to pack everything.” She dropped her gaze to the table. “I’d planned to stay at a hotel or something.”

“Right. Because you didn’t want to be here when I woke up.”

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