Page 7 of Sold to the Devil
I nod, swallowing hard.
“Yes, I was just lost in thought. Memories. It's nothing, really,” I lie.
The blond man looks skeptical for a few seconds before nodding. My attention returns to the snake. Sadness fills me at the thought that it might have been born here, in captivity and I fight the urge to beg Mattheo to let me buy it. I know he won't agree, and I don't want to make a fool of myself here in the shop. I hear a sigh from my right and I look at Mattheo. He's clearly annoyed.
“Okay, I'll ask this once and I want an honest, straightforward answer,” he begins, his brown eyes meeting mine, “did you want to adopt this snake?”
I'm surprised by his question. Has he read my mind again? Is this really in good faith, or will he mock me once I answer? I avoid his gaze, looking at the reptile.
My thoughts turn to the horror of living in captivity, a prisoner of someone other than oneself. What if saying yes saved her from a nightmarish life?
“Yes, I would love to…”
I immediately start to feel uncomfortable. Mattheo's gaze pierces my skin, and I'm afraid of his reaction now that I've admitted it. I start to play with my fingers, not daring to look up at him. Another sigh is heard before his raspy voice rises.
“Fine, you can have it, but I don't want you to ever ask for anything else again.”
I almost answer, wanting to retort back that I didn't ask him anything in the first place, that he's the one asking me, but I bite my tongue. I want to adopt it, and he agrees without me having to ask. I have to take this small victory and not push my luck with him.
“Thank you. I won't ask for anything else, I promise.”
“Good.”
I glance at the snake, already trying to think of a name for it. Mattheo turns and leaves, probably to pay for its adoption. Arthur's hand presses my shoulder and he smiles softly, giving me a playful wink.
“Looks like you got yourself a pet, little lady.”
I laugh softly, happiness flooding my body. Indeed, I finally have a pet after years of dreaming about it. Mattheo returns a few moments later with the seller. The man opens the cage and takes the snake out, placing it in a box so we can travel with it.
I suppress a smile as the reptile curls into a ball and lets itself be picked up and placed in the transport crate without harm. Mattheo hands the money to the clerk, grabs the transport box, and we leave the store. Once again, the blond man's hand rests on my wrist while Mattheo's grabs my forearm, and we teleport to Leroi Manor.
Immediately, the brunette lets go of me and heads toward the Manor, completely ignoring us. I can't help but feel sad at his behavior. I don't understand why he hates me so much. Sure, he's not happy about our arranged marriage, but I'm not the one to blame.
I sigh and follow Arthur inside. I glance at the clock to my left, it’s 6:45 PM.
It's almost dinnertime, and I really don't want to have the same dinner I had last night. I apologize to my blond friend, explaining that I'm tired and going to bed.
“Aren't you coming down to eat?” He frowns, worried.
“I'm not hungry right now,” I shake my head. Once I notice the worry shining in his gray eyes, I smile softly. “Don't worry, I'll probably grab something later, if I'm hungry.”
He nods and kisses me on the cheek. I feel myself blush and he smiles at my reaction.
“Good night then, my little Lady.”
“Good night, Arthur.”
I'm flustered and hope the redness in my cheeks will have faded before I reach the bedroom. I fear how Mattheo will react if he sees me like this. It seems he already resents my friendship with the blond ; gods know what he'd think if he saw how nervous he's made me.
I stop in front of the door and take a deep breath, preparing myself to face my grumpy future husband. I turn the doorknob and step inside, closing it quietly behind me.
Mattheo is there, standing next to the sofas and the bookcase, wand in hand. I frown, wondering what he's doing. He ignores me, not even glancing in my direction, yet I know he's aware of my presence. He mutters a spell and a huge terrarium appears. It takes up the entire space between the bed and the bookcase side of the room, which means my snake will feel comfortable in it if she decides to enter.
It's almost as big as our bathroom!
I lower my head, hiding the smile that takes up space on my lips. It's a truly generous gesture of him to give her so much space and I'm surprised to see this side of him.
Maybe he's not as bad as he lets on.
