Page 54 of Captive Hybrid

I lower my gaze, weighing my response. ‘I don’t know. Like you said… trust.’ I bite my lip. ‘There’s no trust there anymore.’

His eyes shine with sympathy. ‘Because of this?’ He gently grasps my forearm, entwining my vines without hesitation or fear. ‘This is part of you. You’re special. Don’t ever accept someone saying you’re less for it.’

I balk, air catching at the back of my throat. For several long moments, I stare at him in shock. ‘T—thank you.’ For a moment, my mind wanders, and perhaps because of where we are, I wonder how this tender-hearted witch is in the bedroom. Rough, or gentle? It’s hard to picture a vampire being dominated by a witch, but maybe she lets him? Blush heats my cheeks.

As if sensing my thoughts, Aidan smirks. ‘Do you think your wolf will come for you?’

I push the idea of Aidan in bed away. It’s not because I’m attracted to him. I’m just coming to understand how complicated people are, and how varied different relationships can be. And, let’s face it, I don’t have much experience in the bedroom. The idea of being bitten, either by a werewolf or a vampire, seems the same level of frightening to me.

‘I don’t know,’ I say. ‘It would be a death trap for him.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Aidan says. ‘But just in case.’ He taps my vines. ‘Let’s try that again.’

‘Part of me thinks you enjoy this.’ I focus on summoning my vines quickly.

Aidan neither confirms nor denies this. He just smiles. ‘Come on, blondie, let’s see what damage you can do.’

As promised, after we leave the feeding room, Aidan shows me two exits, leading up to the ground. Guilt swims in me. He thinks he’s doing this to help me feel better about being underground—and honestly, the longer I spend down here, the more I feel as though I can’t breathe—when it’s recon for Mordecai and the others still coming to my rescue.

He points out the hidden doors set into the walls, expertly crafted to be damn-near invisible, and he describes how they lead up, up, up, for how long, exactly, he doesn’t know, just that they reach the ground, where sunlight would bathe whomever opened the metal, sealed hatch at the top.

Still lost in this place, unable to tell one hallway from another, Aidan leads us back to Evelyn’s place. We both get a surprise when Evelyn herself is hosting Will and a female vampire I’ve never seen.

Will’s mouth drops open, eyes bugging wide. ‘Wow,’ he says to Evelyn, ‘you really sunk into him this time.’ He eyes the dozens of thorn-pricks, mistaking them for fang-marks.

Evelyn shoots to her feet, copper gaze like molten fire.

Aidan reaches out and clasps her hands before she can turn that rage on me. ‘I’m fine,’ he promises. ‘I’ll explain later, but I promise I’m okay.’ He leans in and kisses her cheek tenderly. He ducks his head around her to greet their guests. ‘Hey guys. Let me go get cleaned up.’ He brushes my arm, nodding to them, indicating it’s okay for me to join.

Evelyn eyes me warily for a moment, then seems to relax, trusting her witch’s words. ‘Yes,’ she says slowly, ‘Zenna, come meet Siobhan.’

I lower myself into a seat nervously. ‘Hi. Nice to meet you.’

Will tilts his head. ‘Is Aidan okay?’

I’m surprised to hear real concern in the guy’s voice. ‘Yep,’ I say tightly.

He seems to take my word for it. ‘Cool.’

Siobhan leans forward, intrigued. ‘Fascinating. A hybrid, aren’t you?’ Her voice is soft, polite.

I nod. ‘Witch and fae, yes.’

She licks her lips unnervingly. Will sets a hand on her thigh, which alarms me, as though he’s asking her to calm down and not eat me. I wish Aidan would return.

Siobhan turns her gaze to Evelyn. ‘Does she taste different to other witches?’ Her eyes gleam.

I startle back from my seat. ‘You freak.’ My vines surge from my skin, hovering in the air between us.

Siobhan looses a soft snarl, lips curved in a smile, fangs glimmering and pointed.

Evelyn rolls her eyes. ‘We’re not tasting her, Siobhan.’ She sounds almost bored.

‘Babe, don’t.’ Will reaches for her arm.

For a moment, I worry for him. That Siobhan will turn on him like a dog guarding its food.

But his touch seems to calm her. She straightens, blinking. She licks her lips once again, flashing her gaze to her hostess. ‘Apologies,’ she says, ever so quietly. ‘She… smells delicious.’

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