ScarlettI felt drawn to him, as if a rope was tied to my chest and he was softly tugging at it. My heart thumped so violently in my chest I thought it might leap out and betray me. My pulse echoed in my ears, drowning out every other sound. I could barely hear my own ragged breaths.He leaned back slowly, his hand withdrawing from me at last and a low chuckle slipped past his lips. Blinking out of my semi-daze, I stared at him, stunned. He was dangerously beautiful; an enthralling kind. He was the kind of guy that would make one sin and go to hell willingly. The corner of his mouth lifted slowly and I caught myself. I was falling into another daze. My eyes landed on his and his danced with amusement as they watched my every move.There was something intimate about how we were alone together. It gutted me but I didn't know what to do about the ambience. Dining privately with your slave master was totally unconventional. Yet, I was here.“You tremble as though I intend to devour you,”
ScarlettMy tears had dried, but a different storm began to stir inside me. I looked down at Harley’s hands again, still faintly warm from where they had held mine. Healing. That was her gift. A pack member, not even the one sitting on the throne, and yet she carried a power that could snatch life back from the jaws of death.My stomach turned.If Harley could do this… what of him? What of Lord Cardan?The thought alone made my skin prickle, a cold sweat slicking my neck. I had always known he was powerful, that much had been obvious from the very first moment I set eyes on him at the auction.I wanted to ask. Gods, I wanted to ask her— ‘What does he have? What can he do?’ If this was the ability of someone beneath him, what kind of weapon was the man who ruled over them all?But the question died in my throat before I could give it breath. It didn’t feel right to ask now.“I don’t know how to thank you,” I said softly, my voice breaking on the words.Harley’s eyes lingered on me, sof
ScarlettThe red of the blood was a shocking view against my pale fingers. My fingers trembled as much as my lips and my eyes watered with unshed tears. This could not be happening.Had I finally lost everything I had dear? Not even this one could stay? Heartache like nothing I had ever felt before rend through me. I didn't bother trying to stop my sobs. The knock on the door seemed like a noise from a hazy dream. Nothing seemed real anymore.“Scarlett. Open up.” Came the muffled sound and knocking. I curled tighter against the floorboards, tears streaming hot down my face, soaking into my sleeve. The pounding on the door only grew louder, more insistent, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe properly past the raw sobs tearing through me.“Scarlett!” Harley’s voice broke through the haze, muffled but fierce. “Open up!”When I didn’t answer, the door burst open with a crash, slamming against the wall. Harley’s eyes darted over me, her face blanching at the sight of the crimson
Scarlett I tore my hands from his like his touch burned. My wrists still tingled where his fingers had wrapped around them, the phantom pressure making my pulse stutter and my thoughts tangle.Without looking back, I turned on my heel and left his presence. My chest felt tight, as if his gaze still pinned me in place, but I forced my legs to move faster. Not bothering to take the elevator this time around, I went down the stairs, passing the tall, watching portraits that seemed to judge my misdeed. I just needed to reach my room. Shut the door. And breathe.But when I rounded the corner at the bottom of the staircase, she was there.My madam.Her lips were pressed so tight they had gone bloodless, her arms folded across her chest like a gate I would never be allowed to pass. Her eyes swept over me once, sharp and accusing, before pinning me with a look that made my stomach clench.“I—” My voice caught, my throat dry. “The Lord…he summoned me—”The words barely left my mouth before he
CardanI hadn’t expected to find her here. She was clutching a cleaning brush like it was a dagger, her eyes wide and locked on the floor as if looking at me might turn her to stone. The scent of her hit me first, warm skin, soap, and something faintly sweet that travelled straight to my head like a rush of good wine.I had meant to check on her days ago, but the pack had been relentless—patrol disputes, territory negotiations, meetings with people I would rather see buried six feet under. Still, the thought of her had lingered in the back of my mind. And now here she was.“Enjoying your new job?” I asked, my voice sounding tired and gravelly.My eyes followed her every move, scanning her from head to toe and stopping at her knuckles whitened around the brush handle. She looked like she expected me to bare my teeth and tear her apart right there. That thought made the corner of my mouth lift. I wouldn’t eat her… at least not yet.I stepped closer, close enough to see the pulse flutte
ScarlettHer words were so dark and unexpected. My face fell slowly as I regarded her with a range of emotions. First shock, then confusion, and then hurt at her words.All this time, she knew. She knew about the pregnancy I was trying so hard to hide. I had my suspicions but she had finally come open, confirming them. As surprised as I was, I still wasn't as shocked at the knowledge as I was at her words.The cruelty in it wasn’t something I was used to from her. My lips parted, ready to ask her what she meant, but Harley moved before I could. She pushed up from the chair so fast it scraped against the floor, the sound sharp enough to make me flinch.Then, she was pacing. Back and forth, one hand gripping the ends of her blonde hair, always twisted in a braid. She twisting it like she wanted to pull the thoughts straight from her head.“Don’t you think?” she threw at me suddenly, her voice rising. “I mean, you were brought here a lowlife, Scarlett. And for the next ten years, you’re