Page 207 of Owned

“I told you to trust me,” she said. Her voice was breathless, and I couldn’t tell if it was fear—or something else.

“Trust you?” I snarled. “After what you just did? After you put a fucking binding spell on us?”

“You don’t understand—”

“Then explain it to me.” I growled. “I’mdyingto know how you’d like to justify that little stunt.”

She winced and stiffened in my hold, but I wasn’t letting her go.

Not yet.

“I didn’t have a choice,” she whispered. I could see the struggle in her eyes, the shift in her expression—were her eyes different? I couldn’t be sure in the lantern light. “I did it to protect you.”

“Protect us?” My voice was sharp with disbelief. “We don’t need your help—”

“Lucian would have killed you,” she said.

I didn’t believe her.

Not yet.

“Why didn’t you let us stop the wedding? Why did you go through with it?”

Her eyes flicked back to mine. “I had to do it—”

“Bullshit.” My fingers tightened. “We could have helped you. We could have taken him down.”

“In front of all his loyalists? They would have killed you!” she said. Her voice was harsh, but I couldn’t tell if it was anger or fear. “I know you don’t believe me, but I have a plan—”

“A plan?” I said savagely. “This isn’t a fucking plan. You’re playing us— You intended to do this all along. Revenge—”

“No!” Her voice was small. “I’m not— I swear I’m not.”

“Then why did you go through with it? The contract. Everything!”

The question seemed to surprise her.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

I grabbed her wrist again and pulled her closer. “Tell me.”

“You have to trust me,” she replied. She was calm now, her expression smooth and serene. I had expected to see fear in her eyes—but it wasn’t there.

I wasn’t sure what I saw.

“Do you even know what Lucian’s plans are? What he wants?” My voice dropped to a low growl.

I didn’t wait for her to respond.

“He wants you pregnant,” I continued. “And once he has that child, he’ll kill you and take your power… just like he did to your mother. Just like he does to all the women in his life.”

I expected her to look shocked.

Terrified.

I expected her to cry.

But she didn’t.

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