Page 11 of Blood Moon Heat

We weren’t mated, but we were blood bound, which meant for me the suffering he’d caused me with every one of his visits was over. But if we remained unmated, he would be the one to suffer, he had to know that.

Maybe I should hold my tongue, this male was so incredibly cold, capable of anything, but right then I couldn’t think of anything worse than the circumstances I found myself in now, so I didn’t hold back. I let the temper that my parents often scolded me for loose. “And you’ll need to get used to the pain I promised you,” I said. “You don’t want me as your mate? Fine. Just know that when the pain is more than you can bear, and you’re begging for me to take it away, I won’t. I wouldn’t mate with you now even if my life depends on it. You don’t want me? No, Nero. I won’t have you.”

The muscle in his jaw tightened. “Is that right?”

“Yes, and just so you know, I will find a way out of here. I will leave you, and I’ll never come back,” I fired at him, then gave him my back and walked to the window, staring at the brick wall across from me.

I sounded like a child throwing a tantrum, but it was all I had. Rejecting him, when he’d already rejected me, was the only weapon I possessed.

The sound of the door closing, the lock engaging a moment later, had me spinning around.

A highly ineffective weapon.

He’d left without a word.

How could you wound when your target was incapable of feeling pain?

I didn’t see Nero for two days after that. A male who said little, named Pretender—an odd name, if you asked me—brought me food.

No, I hadn’t been in here that long, but I already felt as if I were losing my mind.

My only escape was when I slept. I climbed into bed now and turned off the lamp. Then I stared at the ceiling because I didn’t even have anything new to read. All the books on the bookshelf were identical to the ones I’d had in my bedroom at home, all books I’d already read. He truly thought of me like some kind of doll frozen in time and space. As if I didn’t exist outside of his yearly visits.

I’d never encountered anyone like him, which wasn’t so surprising, I suppose, considering I’d been locked away for the last five years, but still, I’d met old vampires before. None of them had been as twisted as Nero.

The sound of the lock turning, slowly, carefully, reached me in the darkness, and I held my breath. I knew it was him, instantly. I gripped the covers, about to jump out of bed, but then froze as the door slowly and silently swung open.

I kept my eyes closed, waiting, listening, while I felt his gaze burning into me. Had he changed his mind? Had he realized he’d made a mistake and he wanted me to be his mate, after all? Did I even want that anymore?

Anything has to be better than the situation I’m in now.

But the silence dragged on. He made no move to come closer, and he said nothing. He just stood and watched me like he had the times before at my parents’ house.

He hadn’t changed his mind.

He hadn’t come for me, he’d come for whatever it was he got out of being this close to me. This room, my prison, it was all about recreating his past visits. Only this time, I wasn’t suffering, there was no intoxicating pain for him to revel in.

There was fear, though. So much of it. I was confused, alone, and now that I had a taste of just how disturbed Nero truly was, the fear was deeper than ever before.

He wanted that, didn’t he? He wanted me to be a good little doll, to lie in my bed, squirming and afraid, to feed the ravenous beast inside him delicious morsels of my terror.

Well, I refused to just lie here. Despite how afraid I was, I wouldn’t give him permission to treat me this way. I wouldn’t play along with this…this twisted fantasy of his.

Taking a steadying breath, I opened my eyes and lifted to my elbows. His violet eyes glowed in the darkness and locked on to mine.

“Lie back down, Mina. Close your eyes,” he said, his voice strange, tight.

I forced myself to stare back. “No, I won’t do it.”

He moved quick, so fast, I didn’t see him coming. One moment he stood across the room, the next he was leaning over me.

“You belong to me, little doll. You do as I command.”

“I will not.” That’s when I noticed the strain on his face. “You’re in pain.”

He bared his teeth and leaned closer, his lips just a breath from mine. “Yes,” he said softly. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve felt true agony, Mina? Since I’ve felt deep satisfying pleasure?”

I shook my head, my breath shaking.

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