Chapter 4

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait.” The words tumbled out of me in a rush, my voice a mix of desperation and half-baked bravado. My pulse was thundering so loudly in my ears I could barely hear myself. “My dad was just found dead, alright? If I go missing too, it’ll look suspicious. People will talk. Police, neighbors, coworkers—they’ll all notice. Just let me bury him. Let me handle that much. Once it’s done, I swear I’ll come back.”

Perth didn’t move. He just stood there, those storm-gray eyes fixed on me, his face carved into something unreadable and cruelly perfect. He didn’t need to raise his voice. He didn’t need to threaten me with weapons. His silence did all of that on its own.

Then, finally, his lips curved into a faint smile. The kind of smile that made my blood run cold.

“Your promises mean nothing to me.”

The words slithered under my skin, colder than ice water. A shiver shot straight down my spine, and I couldn’t stop it even if I tried.

“Okay, okay, fine.” I swallowed hard and forced a shaky laugh. “Don’t get dramatic. How about a compromise? One of your guys can come with me. They can watch me. Keep an eye on me. I won’t run. Just give me the chance to bury him. Please.”

That word tasted bitter in my mouth. But I let it hang there anyway, because for once in my life, sarcasm wasn’t enough.

The silence that followed was suffocating. Perth didn’t answer. He just studied me, head tilting slightly, his gaze like a blade pressing against my throat. The room felt smaller, tighter, like the air itself was afraid to move.

Then he stepped forward.

Slow, deliberate steps until he was right in front of me. My body tensed against the ropes that held me, my chest rising and falling too fast. His hand came up, cool fingers gripping my chin, forcing my face upward until I was staring directly into his piercing gray eyes.

He bent closer, his breath brushing against my ear, his voice a whisper sharp enough to cut.

“Very well. You may bury him. But do not mistake this for mercy. You will be watched—every breath, every step. If you try to run, you will never be given a second chance.”

The words slid into me like knives, and my whole body froze.

Then he pulled back just enough, his gaze burning into mine. His lips curved again, sharper this time.

“And even if you tried,” he added, softer, colder, “you could never hide from me. I would always find you.”

Every hair on my body stood on end. I knew, without a doubt, that this wasn’t a threat. It wasn’t a bluff. It was a promise, etched into his very being.

He straightened, released my chin, and without another glance, turned and walked toward the door. The others—the cloaked, silent figures—immediately followed after him, filing out like shadows vanishing behind their master.

And just like that, I was alone.

The silence pressed in hard. My chest was tight, my breath shaky. My whole body was coiled, tense, like I was waiting for him to come back and finish what he started. When the door creaked open again, my heart stopped.

But it wasn’t Perth.

A different figure stepped inside. This one wasn’t cloaked in darkness. His blond hair caught the dim light, tousled but neat. His eyes were strikingly green, sharp against pale skin that almost glowed under the bulb above us. Ridiculously handsome in a way that felt unfair—and, more importantly, normal compared to the others.

He crossed the room briskly, no theatrics, no looming. Just calm, precise movements. He knelt beside me and began working at the knots binding my wrists. The ropes loosened, the fibers scraping as they gave way, and blood rushed painfully back into my hands.

“I’ll be the one accompanying you for the next few days,” he said, voice smooth, clipped. “Until you settle your matters.”

I rubbed my wrists, glaring at him with suspicion. He wasn’t trying to scare me, and somehow, that made me more uneasy.

“Great,” I muttered. “Just what I needed. A babysitter with perfect cheekbones.”

His lips twitched. Not quite a smile, but something close.

Then his expression cooled again, his gaze narrowing slightly. “Sire doesn’t like sloppy work. Don’t make my job harder.”

I let out a sharp breath through my nose, smirking despite myself. “Touchy. Guess you don’t do small talk.”

He ignored that, straightening as he gestured toward the door. “Let’s go.”

I stood on shaky legs, rolling my shoulders, my whole body stiff from being tied up. Just as I was about to take a step, he paused, like something had just occurred to him.

“Oh. Almost forgot.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a strip of dark fabric—a blindfold. He held it out to me.

I frowned. “What’s this? Some kind of kinky bonus round?”

His green eyes flickered, unimpressed. “You can’t see the way out. Until you come here to live permanently, you don’t get to know where this place is.”

Permanently.

The word sank into my chest like a weight. My mouth went dry. Was he saying there’d come a time when I wouldn’t leave at all? That this wasn’t just temporary?

I wanted to ask, but my gut told me not to. My gut told me I didn’t want to hear the answer. So I just tied the blindfold tight, plunging myself into darkness.

“Good,” he said.

The next thing I knew, strong arms wrapped around me, lifting me clean off the ground.

“Whoa, whoa, what the fuck!” I yelped as he slung me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Put me down!”

“It would be too much of a hassle to guide you step by step,” he replied flatly. “This is faster.”

I squirmed, my fists pounding lightly against his back. “I can walk, you know! I’ve got legs!”

“Stay still,” he ordered.

And then, to add insult to injury, he landed a sharp pat on my ass. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to shut me up for half a second out of sheer shock.

My mouth opened, ready to unleash a tirade, but the words never quite made it out. “What’s your name by the way? I huffed out, hanging over his shoulder in the dark, “Kieran” he replied curtly