Page 6 of Wedded to the Deviant Duke

He gazed at her with that same, all-knowing presence, as if her mask did little good to hide anything from him. She quickly stumbled backwards, her hand catching against the wall. He, in return, took a leisurely step forward, then paused, seemingly distracted by invisible lint across his vest.

Her heart still racing, Thalia took another series of quick steps away. He seemed to contemplate, then took another slow, deliberate step. Her face flushed as hot irritation rose from her chest.

“D-Do you think me an easy target, sir?”

In reply, he simply plucked the rose from his vest, twirling it by the stem before glancing her way once more.

Thalia scoffed, her shoulders squaring up as she stared defiantly down the hall. He didn’t seem surprised, per se, but it wasn’t entirely the reaction he’d expected, either. Somewhere, another delighted squeal rang out, and as the man’s leg twitched, Thalia shot off around the corner.

Oh, but she was furious; angry for letting herself get wrapped up in this stupid game. She hated aiding in whatever sick pleasure that—that man—had taken from cornering her. Worst of all, Thalia hated how much she had enjoyed the brief moment between them.

It wasn’t the same as Giles’ attack against her. It held the same feeling of helpless desperation, yes, but this had been oddly… enticing. There was a level of danger when she had nearly been caught by the speaker just then. Her heart still hammered in her chest, and adrenaline coursed through her veins, pushing her instinct to flee from such a dangerous beast.

Yet, some unspoken promise had been made between her and the speaker; no danger would come to her, so long as she didn’t wish it. She truly held a level of sway over the situation, a level of power unfamiliar to her.

Thalia slowed her pace, uncertain how long she’d been running. A long hallway of doors presented itself, and she decided to check the knobs in the hope that one hadn’t been locked. After a few jiggles, one actually gave under her weight, and she stumbled into what looked to be a joint study.

Dozens of writing desks and chairs had been placed haphazardly around the space, the walls lined with shelves and filing cabinets likely associated with club business.

She breathed a sigh of relief and stepped further in, targeting her search towards the nearest desk. Whether she’d outrun her pursuer or not, her time was almost up.

If she stayed here, and waited for guests to gather back in the main hall, she could search without worry of interruption. Maybe even find a few unbarred staircases, travel the upper floors in search of more sensitive information–

“ Caught you, little rabbit.”

* * *

She quite obviously hadn’t been invited—the way she shifted her constantly, and her fingers occasionally picked at the hem of her glove. The moment Gabriel picked her out from the crowd, he could feel the guilt rolling off her.

This woman truly embodied the nervous energy of the animal she wore on her face, and it had been too tantalizing an opportunity to waste. He could have stopped her before the game started, could have alerted club members to pull her aside and take her off the grounds. But she was the perfect prey, and Gabriel simply couldn’t let her get off so easily.

To her credit, their meeting in the hallway had been a pleasant surprise. He hadn’t expected her to wield so much bite behind that trembling visage, and he was willing to admit she had gotten him briefly excited. But now, as they stood across the study from each other, Gabriel knew their game had come to an end. Whether she was a Devil’s girl or a passing stranger, he couldn’t rightly say. Yet.

“Seems I’ve won our little game,” Gabriel began lightly.

The woman remained frozen in place, a stack of papers still trembling in her arms. Good; he wanted her terrified. A cruel lesson for the thief, while sending a thrilling rush throughout Gabriel. Two birds, one stone. He opened his mouth to speak further, but was surprised when the woman interrupted him instead. “Y-You’ve done no such thing, sir.”

“Elaborate.”

Her resilience continued to surprise him. Even now, caught red-handed, she held herself proudly and spoke as if she belonged. “You… haven’t won the hunt. You never touched me and… and…”

Somewhere in the house, a grandfather clock chimed for the hour.

“And… your time is up.”

Gabriel couldn’t help but raise a brow. He let the moment linger alongside the chime of the clock, genuinely impressed. He’d barely taken a step when a flurry of papers flew at him, the woman spinning on her heel to try and flee.

Lunging past the storm, his hand stretched out to grasp for something, anything, before firmly grabbing her wrist. But the pained shrill that escaped her throat nearly had him release his hold immediately. He knew he hadn’t hurt her; something was terribly wrong.

“Please,” she begged, her legs nearly giving out there and then. “Don’t t-turn me in. I swear, I can explain.”

He pulled himself closer, peeling her glove down the length of her arm before revealing the hastily-created splint. Immediately, he released his hold around her wrist, acutely aware of the sound of footfalls drawing close.

A flurry of emotions raged in his chest, but for the time being, he could only think of one course of action.

“I’m taking you to the infirmary,” he commanded, taking her uninjured hand again. “You will submit entirely to me, little rabbit.”

CHAPTER4

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