• 𝓜𝓪𝓮 •

I steeled myself for what I was about to walk into the moment I opened the bathroom door. I wasn't sure if they would still be out there, or if I'd walk out into an empty room. Truth be told, I knew at least one of them would be waiting. They had to keep an eye on me and all that shit.

I narrowed my eyes and threw open the door. While it had felt nice to be able to shower, it pissed me off to no end that the only soap available was Kite's. His woodsy scent always remained on me for hours after I visited his castle, and now my damn body was washed with it.

Noah's eyebrows raised when I stepped out.

I finished braiding my hair, tying the bottom quickly with the conveniently placed hair tie that was left on the bathroom sink. To know that they had things already set out for me bothered me.

They let me feel a sense of freedom in the week I spent in the forest. And just as I started to feel relaxed, they showed up just to bring me back to the shit show.

"Feel better?" Kite walked over to the bed and sat down.

With all the fuss, I didn't even realize we walked into a bedroom. It had to have been Kite's, if the soap in the bathroom was any indication. Why he brought me to his room, I wasn't sure. He usually brought me to a private feeding room, drank from me, and sent me on my way. The fact that we weren't leaving his room to go elsewhere made a trickle of discomfort slither down my spine.

"Feel like you want to let me go," I shot back.

"I'll give you a choice," he said, ignoring me completely.

Typical.

"Yes," I nodded, "I'd love to leave, thank you."

"No." He nodded towards Noah and Luca. "You get to choose who bites you. Me, or those two."

I blinked at him. Did he really think giving me a choice would make me any less disgusted by the idea of any of them touching me? Or was that his idea of being kind? Because if so, it was a shit way of doing it.

"I don't want any of you touching me," I said. "What the hell? Was that an attempt at being courteous? Because you fucking suck at it. Stick to being a dick, because you don't do nice well."

Kite looked pointedly at Noah and Luca before his eyes came back to rest on me.

I stood by the bathroom door, glaring at him.

"While you're deciding," Kite smiled, but it wasn't kind, "I guess we can chat. I've gotten permission from my father to allow you to stay in the castle. You'll have to be accompanied by either me, or those two, at all times until we believe you're capable of being trusted to be on your own."

So, play the obedient dog until I'm free of them, and once again free of the city. Because that's the only way this little game would go. I'd put up a fight for a while, then become more and more docile until I'm allowed to wander by myself. It would take time, of course, because Kite wasn't stupid. He wouldn't trust that change so easily. But the moment he did...

I didn't say anything. Didn't thank him like he probably wanted me to. I had to make a plan. Vampires didn't die easily, so I couldn't just kill him. Plus, even if I did, his father would one hundred percent put a bounty on my head. In that instance, it truly did not matter how far and hard I ran. I'd have many, many people after me.

And if Kite could find me so easily, who was to say someone else with better tracking skills couldn't find me?

"So," he broke the silence again and I wondered, not for the first time, whether he spoke just to hear himself talk, "who would you like?"

"None of you," I answered.

I knew it wouldn't fly. I had to try anyway.

Kite raised an eyebrow. "Me, or those two. There are no other options here."

He liked to make it seem like I had a choice, when in reality I was damned both ways. And the only reason I chose the way I did, was because I knew what to expect with Kite. With Noah being so new, and the fact that I hadn't come to terms with what he was yet, I couldn't choose him. And Luca? I didn't know Luca anymore. I didn't know whether he'd bite me and make it hurt for his amusement, or if he'd be kind.

I walked over to Kite and stared down at him. I didn't bother asking if Noah and Luca could leave. It would just show how embarrassed I would feel with them watching, and Kite would make sure they'd stay just for that fact alone. He'd send them away if he wanted. My wants and needs didn't matter to him.

He pulled me down so that I was straddling him on the bed, his hand weaving in my braid to pull my head to the side.

"Come here and watch her face," Kite said.

I stiffened despite myself. I wanted to act like none of this bothered me, and I'd been happy knowing that if they were staying in the room, at least they'd be at my back. But of course, I was sure Kite knew I'd hate it if they watched.

When Noah and Luca were seated behind Kite, facing me, I clenched my eyes shut.

Kite licked along the pulse point in my throat, and against my will, goosebumps prickled on my skin in anticipation. No matter how much I tried to tell myself I didn't want this, my body betrayed itself.

When his fangs pierced my skin, I held my breath to keep from making any noise. Because fucking hell. The small prick of pain was nothing compared to the overflow of pleasure that raced through me the moment his fangs were perfectly seated in my throat. He hummed in contentment, and I clenched my jaw as he drank from me.

I let out a slow breath, and opened my eyes, forgetting momentarily that Noah and Luca were watching. My eyes caught Luca's first, and I was surprised to see the need showing in his. He looked at me like he wished I chose him instead, even if that meant he had to share me with Noah. His mouth parted ever so slightly, as if his nose alone couldn't breathe in enough air.

Noah shifted on the bed, and I realized he was readjusting himself to hide his obvious arousal. His cheeks were slightly flushed and his eyes flicked away from mine.

A part of me wanted to be pissed off, but the sensation in my lower abdomen kept building. I raised my hand and pushed at Kite's shoulder gently. If I pushed too hard and caught him off guard, there was a chance he'd accidentally rip my throat out.

Either he didn't notice, or he didn't care as his hands slid up my thighs to my hips.

"Kite," I whispered, my voice throaty and not at all my own. "Please...don't."

It didn't matter to me if him moving away would leave me wanting more. I had no problems taking care of myself afterwards. I didn't want to orgasm in front of Luca and Noah. Not with Kite's fangs in my throat. Not when I'd been so adamant about how much I fucking hated vampires for so long.

I didn't admire vampires, but I did admire Kite's ability to know when no meant no, even when I was aching for him to finish me and let me come.

He pulled his fangs out of my throat and licked the wound, the healing properties in his saliva closing the punctures and leaving my skin smooth.

I lowered my head and rested it against his shoulder, and as always, he held me. He didn't speak. Didn't move. He just kept his hands on my hips and held me against him, allowing me the time I needed to calm down.

Once the need for him was all but gone, all I could think was I should have brought a knife out with me and stabbed the prick in his eye.