Semua Bab Bonded to the Bastard: My Rejection, His Obsession: Bab 151 - Bab 160

Alanza’s POV"You actually showed up," a voice says from the shadows behind me.I whip around so fast my neck cracks. Sister Loreen is framed in the doorway, looking exactly like the nightmare I remembered. Her skin has that wax-museum paleness, and her hair is so dark it looks like a hole cut out of the air. Then there are the eyes. They aren't just red; they pulse with a faint, internal glow that makes my skin crawl.The weirdest part is the light. The curtains in this room are tossed wide open, soaking the floor in sunshine. I always thought vampires turned to ash the second a ray hit them, but she just stands there, bathed in it. She visited me during the day once before, too. I really need to do some research on her kind. My ignorance is a liability that's probably going to get me killed eventually."How are we even here?" I ask. My voice shakes, and I hate it. One second I was in my apartment, and the next, I’m in a Gothic fever dream. B

Lucia’s POV"Don't let them hear you breathing," I whispered to the empty, freezing air.It was a useless command. My own lungs betrayed me, pulling in ragged, shivering gulps of oxygen that smelled like wet earth and old copper. I tried to shift my weight, but the heavy iron rings around my wrists bit deep into the raw skin. Every time I moved, the chains clattered against the stone floor, a sharp, metallic ringing that sounded like a dinner bell for whatever monster put me here.The moonlight was gone now. For hours, a silver sliver of light had been my only friend, cutting through the high, barred slit in the wall. Now, the gray sludge of dawn was beginning to reveal the true ugliness of my cage. It wasn't just a basement. It was a tomb. The walls were made of jagged, irregular stones, stained with dark patches that I refused to look at too closely. In the corner, a wooden bucket sat, warped and rotting, the only "furniture" provided for my stay.I stared at my arms. The skin was s

Alanza’s POV"Alanza? Are you in there?"The sound of the door clicking shut makes me jump. I blink a few times, trying to get my head straight after leaving Sister Loreen. Luciano is standing in the entryway, his face tight with a look I cannot quite read. He looks worried, maybe even a little scared."I am here," I say. My voice sounds like it belongs to someone else. It is stiff and formal.I keep thinking about what the sister said regarding payment. It feels like a splinter in my mind, something I should remember but cannot quite reach. I shake the thought away because I need to deal with the man standing two feet from me. The apartment is mostly dark, though the television is still flickering. Sombra lets out a long breath and pads over to the sofa. I can feel her lingering in the back of my brain, a soft shadow of a person."You did not pick up," Luciano says. He shifts his weight, looking out of place in the small room. "I called you a dozen times.""I did not hear the ring,"

Alanza’s POV"So, you aren't going to blow up at me?" I asked, watching the way Luciano’s lips curved into a small, steady smile.I had been waiting for the explosion. I expected the sharp tongue, the pacing, or the heavy weight of his alpha authority to come crashing down on my head. Instead, there was just this quiet stillness. He didn't yell. He didn't even look annoyed. He just sat there, taking in every word I threw at him like he was absorbing a shock.It is almost too easy, Sombra whispered in the back of my mind. Her voice felt distant, like she was distracted by something just out of reach.I didn't want to doubt him. I watched as Luciano stood up and grabbed a glass from the counter. He filled it with cool water and set it on the table, motioning for me to take the seat opposite him. I sat, my muscles feeling a little like coiled springs."Alright," Luciano said, leaning his elbows on the wood so he could look me straight in the eyes. "Give it to me straight. No holding back

Alanza’s POV"I'm not going to be able to keep my hands off you," Luciano had warned me earlier, but now that we are actually here, his eyes say more than his words ever could.He is all hard lines and heavy muscle, a map of silver scars cutting across his chest. I trace one with my gaze before looking lower, my pulse thudding in my throat. The nerves are there, sharp and buzzing, but the heat between us is louder. He moves with a quiet kind of worship, guiding me back against the pillows until his weight settles over me like a shield. When his mouth brushes my skin, I feel like something fragile and precious."Luciano," I breathe, my fingers lost in the thick hair at the nape of his neck.He presses his face into the curve of my neck, his voice a low vibration that travels straight through my bones. "I love you, Alanza. More than anything."The honesty in his voice stings my eyes. I try to find the words to give it back to him, but he doesn't give me the chance. He leans up and takes