Chapter 23: twenty-three

Olivia

I glanced down at my untouched meal, acutely aware of the weight of everyone’s gaze. A sudden realization washed over me. Had I spoken my thoughts aloud?

~No. No, no, no~…

The sight of that vampire again was something I hadn’t anticipated. I’d always believed Cole wouldn’t harm me, or at least, I’d convinced myself of that. His anger was palpable, radiating off him in waves that I could feel through his skin.

His hands, once firmly on my hips, began a slow ascent up my body. I turned my gaze to Raven and Kaden. Kaden’s face was a mask of confusion, while Raven seemed to be wrestling with some internal dilemma.

As she turned to me, her mouth opened, likely to ask a question or offer reassurance. But she never got the chance.

Once Cole’s hands reached under my arms, he hoisted me up and used his supernatural speed to whisk me back to the room, depositing me onto a chair.

I doubted I’d ever grow accustomed to that. The leash, still attached to my collar, hung down my neck, its handle resting in my lap.

In a swift, fluid motion, he removed my collar and tossed it onto the floor. His eyes were nearly black, but still, I didn’t fear him. I was scared, yes, but not of him. I was scared of the situation I’d found myself in.

I should have kept quiet.

I looked up to find him mere inches from my face, his hands on each side of the chair’s armrest, effectively caging me in. Not that I’d attempt to escape.

My chest heaved, the air around me thick and heavy. His eyes were now completely black. Kaden burst through the door, carrying Raven as if she were a sack of flour. She was clearly not pleased.

“If YOU ever do that again, bloodsucker, I will cut your ugly cunt head off and feed it to the fucking dogs!”

Their argument continued, but I couldn’t focus on them. Cole’s eyes were black, his hot breath fanning my face. He was staring at me, but it felt more like he was staring through me.

I knew I had to do something, something bold and brave, something I’d never done before. I reached out to him, my palms sweaty as I wiped them on my clothing.

I placed one hand on each side of his face, took a deep breath, and pulled myself up to his level. Closing my eyes, I pressed my lips to his.

His hands found their way back to my hips, holding me firmly in place. I felt his tongue pushing against my teeth, seeking entrance. I parted my lips, allowing his tongue to explore my mouth.

After what felt like an eternity, we both pulled away. His eyes were back to their normal color. He looked at me intently. He stood up, and we both turned to Kaden and Raven, who were still engaged in their heated argument.

I seized this opportunity to slip off the chair and away from the impending chaos.

“ENOUGH!” Cole roared, silencing Kaden and Raven instantly.

I was halfway across the room, making my escape, when a hand latched onto my forearm, pulling me back to my original spot.

“And you, little dove, will sit there and explain your outburst. Actually, no, no explaining. We all know what you meant. However, you WILL confirm it.”

I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

I looked around. Everyone was staring at me. I could lie, say it was an accident, that I didn’t recognize him. But I knew I couldn’t. And a part of me didn’t want to.

I fiddled with my fingers and let out a barely audible “yes.”

I’d expected chaos, expected Cole to fly into a murderous rage. But he was eerily calm.

He paced back and forth in front of me, one hand in his pocket, the other on his face. He didn’t seem worried or angry. He showed no emotion at all.

“Let’s go collect his fucking head then!” Raven finally shouted.

“Let’s think this through. You can’t just go off Martha Sinclair’s kid because he made a snack out of your hum—” Kaden was cut off.

“She is MINE. I marked her, she was wearing a collar, walking into MY room. He knew who she was, yet he harmed her anyways. No, he will pay. I need to think this through, I need proof.”

“The missing collar!” Raven squealed. “Yeah, can’t you go to where he is and get it? And then, we can drag him down below and torture him and gut him like a prized pig.”

“For fuck’s sake, you are one demented little human,” Kaden muttered.

“She’s right. The collar would provide proof. Unless, of course, he disposed of it,” Cole stated dryly.

I couldn’t take it anymore. My heart pounded in my chest, my palms were sweaty. I jumped out of my chair and rushed to him.

I wrapped my arms around him, squeezing as tightly as my small frame would allow. Tears welled up in my eyes, my face felt hot, as if it were on fire.

I tilted my head back and looked up at him. My vision was blurry, tears clinging to my eyelashes.

“Pl-llease Cole, please do not dd-do this. It’s okay. I’m okay,” I sobbed into him.

***

Cole

I looked down at my little love. Her face was flushed, eyes puffy, tears clinging to her eyelashes. Each blink transferred them to my shirt.

Not that I minded, of course. My plan was never to subject her to such cruelties. She was far too pure for this world.

A single glance at Kaden was all it took for him to understand my need for privacy. He promptly seized Raven by the arm.

“Don’t even fuckin—” she began, but was abruptly cut off.

“Oh, shut up, blood bag,” he smirked, looking down at her before whisking her out of my sight.

My gaze fell on the petite figure still clinging to my waist. I gently scooped her up, one hand supporting her legs, the other cradling her neck.

Carrying her to the chair, I sat down. She hiccuped a few times, her breathing gradually steadying as she began to calm down.

I carefully repositioned her so that she was straddling my lap. Her small hands found their way to my chest, palms down, her gaze fixed blankly on my chest. I used my thumb to wipe away her tears.

“Look at me, my little dove,” I said, my voice gentle yet firm. I needed her to understand that I would set the world ablaze for her.

I had waited lifetimes for her, searched and waited, and I wasn’t about to let some lowlife take her from me now.

She slowly tilted her head up, peeking at me through her eyelashes.

“You have such a pure heart. You think you’re to blame for this, but I assure you, you’re not. There are consequences in this world.”

“But Co—” she began, but I immediately placed a finger on her soft lips.

“Shhh, just let me finish. You are my world, my light. I’ve waited for you long enough and I’m not going to lose you now. I promised to protect you and keep you safe.” I tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

“I’m just a pet, I shouldn’t mean this much to you. I shouldn’t be the cause of you harming your own kind,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

I sighed heavily, one hand firmly on her hips, the other raking through my hair.

I still couldn’t tell her the truth, not the whole truth. She was clearly in danger here and after the gala, we would leave.

“You’re not just a pet. You’re everything. There’s more to your story, to our story, and I wish more than anything to tell it, but I can’t. Not yet at least. Do you understand?”

She looked puzzled, but I could see her mind working to piece together the puzzle. Humans are naturally curious, and she was somewhat human.

She nodded in agreement and quietly said, “Yes, Cole. I think I do.”

Satisfied with her answer, since I could no longer hear her thoughts, I pulled her close to me. I stroked her hair and decided that tomorrow, I would have to drink from my little dove.

“Let’s get you to bed, hmm?” I murmured in her ear. She pulled back and looked up at me with her big, beautiful eyes.

“Do you suppose I could stay with you tonight? I just don’t want to be alone,” her voice barely audible.

I couldn’t suppress the smile that spread across my face. I simply nodded as I picked her up, her legs and arms wrapping around me. I carefully walked into my room, a simple space with basic furniture.

I gently placed her on the king-size bed, her heavy-lidded eyes looking up at me. I turned on my heel and headed for my closet to grab a shirt for her and change myself.

I felt foolish for not grabbing her own clothes, but I relished the thought of her wearing my shirt.

I quickly changed and grabbed a plain t-shirt from my wardrobe. She was petite enough that it would serve as a nightgown for her.

I emerged wearing nothing but shorts, her shirt in my hand. As I approached her, I noticed she had already drifted off. Poor little thing.

I sat on the bed and pulled her between my legs. She stirred and hummed but kept her eyes closed. I grabbed the hem of her dress and slowly pulled it up and over her head.

I took a sharp intake of breath as I gazed upon her beautiful body. I gently gathered the t-shirt and pulled it over her head, taking care as I guided her arms through the holes.

I took one last look at my little dove, before scooting her up to the pillows and pulling back the blankets to tuck her in.

I wasted no time in sliding beside her, pulling her small frame close to mine. I listened to her breathing, feeling her heartbeat as I began to plot out my plan. Adam Sinclair, I’m coming for you.

Be ready.