Page 20 of Blood Moon Heat

“Prisoners don’t get to choose, Nero. We don’t get to choose anything.”

“Tell me what your favorite meal is.”

“Why do you care?”

I didn’t know why, but for some reason, I did. Knowing what her favorite meal was had suddenly become incredibly important. “Tell me.” She kept her lips pressed tight. “You said you don’t get to choose; I’m letting you choose, Lalka.”

She was silent several more seconds, then finally glanced my way. “I like pasta dishes and fresh baked bread and, for sweets, I like cake and anything with lemon in it.”

I nodded. “I’ll make sure you have some of your favorites from now on. If there’s anything else you want to add to that list, just say so and I’ll make sure you get it.”

She made a little huffing sound and nodded, then she finally reached for the food in front of her, placing some roast meat and vegetables on her plate.

I did the same, hoping to make her feel at ease. I couldn’t take another night like the last, banished from her room, desperate for her scent, her closeness.

We ate in silence, and though, yes, the food tasted good, was enjoyable even for the first time in centuries, I found her silence began to irritate me. I wanted to hear her speak. I wanted her eyes on me while she talked. I searched my mind for something to say to engage her in conversation. I was out of practice—I didn’t know how to converse anymore—so coming up with a topic was difficult.

I searched the room for ideas, my gaze ultimately landing on a painting, a scenery.

“Do you enjoy art?”

She stilled. “Art? Like paintings?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know. I suppose so. I’ve only ever looked at the ones in my parents’ house and in books…you know, since I was kept at home after you went to the vampire court and announced your intention to claim me, to mate me, when I came of age. Which it turns out was a big fat lie. You don’t actually want a mate though, do you? You just want a little doll?”

She was trying to get under my skin, to bait me, obviously, and she’d succeeded. I didn’t like the way that made me feel either. “What about music?” I asked, attempting to change the subject.

“The music I listened to was restricted since my future mate would want his female innocent and untainted by the outside world,” she said, not sparing me so much as a glance this time, then she slid a slice of tomato between her perfect rosebud lips.

I gripped the edge of the table. “I never asked for that.”

She huffed a humorless laugh. “You had to know that’s the way it would be, Nero. Did you think about what would happen to me at all when you stated your intention to claim me? Did you even spare me a thought? Did you wonder about my life and how it would change?”

No, I hadn’t, not beyond her safety. “I wanted you safe.”

“No, you wanted to make sure your possession was sparkly and new when you finally got to take it home. You turned me into a prisoner in my own home.” She placed her knife and fork on the table. “And you’ve kept me that way…a prisoner.”

The more we spoke, the more tumultuous my burgeoning emotions became and the farther away from my goal we got. “Would you like a tour of the apartment?” I needed to stop this line of conversation now, for both our sakes.

“Sure,” she said, standing immediately and tossing her napkin on the table eagerly, too eagerly.

Placing my hand on the small of her back, I led her to the living room, pointing out the antiques and other items of value and possible interest to her, then directed her down the hall toward my bedroom.

Mina seemed to be searching for something as we walked, then after a few minutes, she visibly deflated. I realized what she was doing—she was looking for a way out, an escape.

I will find a way out of here. I will leave you, and I’ll never come back.

As her vow filtered through my mind, a feeling like a storm swelled inside me. Didn’t she know I would never let her leave? The knowledge that she was unhappy enough to want to run from me, that I was spectacularly failing at this, unable to make my young bride happy, had darkness, gnarled and ugly, spreading through me like poison.

I didn’t know what the fuck to do. My reanimating emotions were growing inside me, but they were all jumbled and made me feel insane. I’d even reverted to asking August for assistance. He’d said his female didn’t want to mate with him yet but liked to sleep in his arms. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d allowed someone to sleep in my bed with me, but if that made Mina happy, I’d do it.

Would she even want to? Would I be able to hold her without touching her like I truly wanted to? Without this dark, twisted thing inside me taking hold and doing a lot more than wrap my arms around her?

All I knew was I wanted her to be happy here, happy with me.

I opened the door at the end of the hall and motioned her inside. She walked through, then stopped suddenly.

---