Chapter 251
~ ARIA
I sank to the ground, twiddling with my hands as I sat on her knees, unable—or rather, unwilling—to look at Rowan.
“The memories are fuzzy,” I said softly. “But I remember just feeling like a stranger, like I’d been pushed out of my own family because Nyssa was here p>
He snorted. “That’s ridiculous p>
“I know it was, but it’s how I felt. I went on a walk to clear my head but also to help out at the border, you know? I wanted to stay busy because I hoped that if I was busy then I wouldn’t think about it p>
I exhaled deeply, my voice shaky as she spoke.
“While I was there, I heard a guard speaking. They didn’t know what was going on but they knew it was something. I was just so frustrated that so many people were in danger because of Nyssa and that’s when the thought of just giving her to the vampires came but I swear I wasn’t going to act on it p>
I still remember how I felt that day—the frustration and the rage, and that was when I felt the air shift. I had never felt so cold in my life. It was as if someone had sucked out all of the warmth in the air.
I didn’t know it then, but someone had been trailing me—watching me.
FLASHBACK:
I felt the air shift a second too late. Hot air blew past me as a knife embedded in the tree next to me.
I turned and found the vampire standing in the middle of the trees, a knife twirling in his hands. The handle was all leather but the blade… that was silver.
I snarled, teeth bared as I tried to snap at the intruder when I heard a soft voice that sent shivers down my spine.
“I don’t want to kill you,” he said coldly. “If I wanted you dead, you would be dead p>
I had no intentions of listening to a vampire, not when I knew what they were after. I prepared to attack when he said something that stopped me right in my tracks.
“I feel your anger,” he continued. “I heard what you were mumbling ton yourself. What if I tell you there is a way we can all have what we want p>
I didn’t know it then, but his words were like neat threads, warping around my mind. It was like a song I could not help but listen to.
There was something charming about his voice, something that urged me to keep listening despite knowing that I should have shut my ears and gone running towards the opposite side.
“She is the real problem,” he said, voice sultry. “She is the reason that your entire pack will perish. You are all risking your lives for her p>
“We are,” I agreed dumbly.
“If you can convince her of that, perhaps she will come on her own. She will leave and your pack will be safe again. You will get what you want, and so will we. That sounds like a good deal, don’t you think p>
I nodded in agreement. “Even if she agrees, Rowan will never let it happen. He loves her too much p>
The vampire chuckled and made his way over to me.
Each step felt like the ground was shaking. The weight of his aura made me shiver, and I found myself doing everything to avoid looking him in the eyes but he placed a finger under my chin and tilted my head upwards slowly.
His eyes were a deep red that they almost appeared black and he was arguably the most beautiful man I had ever seen. His cheekbones were firm and defined, and his jaw was sharp enough to cut glass. He looked like a marble statue come to life.
“You will help me, will you not p>
I nodded eagerly.
I could not explain it, but there was a deep, primal urge inside of me to do whatever he asked. If he had asked for my left hand right there, I would have chewed it off for him.
He smiled softly and leaned forward, cold lips brushing mine in a soft kiss that I felt all the way to my toes. “You are such a good girl, aren’t you p>
“Yes, I am p>
He stepped back from me and my body protested the loss of contact. “You cannot tell anyone about this p>
“I won’t, I swear it p>
“Good. I’ll keep in touch.” He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and slipped it into my hands. “You will make an excellent spy, Aria p>
Just like that, I’d signed my entire life away.
Everything that I did from then on, I did to ensure that he got what he wanted. I tried to convince Nyssa that she had to leave and when I failed, the sweetness wore off.
He became harsher and crueler, but I was too far under his spell
A part of me knew I shouldn’t be doing it, but it was buried underneath the parts that desperately wanted to please him.
It was like watching a car crash in slow motion, unable to do anything to stop it.
When I finished my recant, Rowan just stood there, his lips pressed into a thin line, arms crossed over his chest and eyes flashing with disappointment and anger.
“I’m sorry,” I began slowly. “I didn’t know what I was doing, I swear. After they took her, I was compelled to crash the car into a tree. It was like I woke up from a dream right after and I tried to go out and get help but I must have passed out at some point p>
I rose to my feet, making my way over to my brother. I barely made it close before he took a step back, holding out a hand to stop me.
That single move damn near broke my heart. “You have to believe me, I would never want to hurt Nyssa p>
“All I know,” he said slowly, speaking for the first time. “Is that my mate is missing, and it is your fault. If I don’t get her back, you better go as far as possible from here p>