“Her mind’s waking,” Grace whispered, a smile tucked in her voice. “She’s coming to.”
Annalise licked over her lips, and he spotted the protruding tip of a fang. His relief left him staggering, as heartache dropped him to his knees.
Her head tipped back as she drew in a slow breath through her nose. Her skin pinkened to a vital shade of peach, and her lashes sprung apart, revealing twin diamond eyes.
“Ainsicht...”
His brother’s stare hit him like an anvil.
Annalise’s stare found him then jerked to Cain. She sprung to her feet, her motions quick and agile, her hands grabbing for the falling sheet before it touched the ground.
“Where am I?”
Adam and Cain stood. She stepped back, her gaze darting to the Bishop then Grace.
“She’s confused,” his sister explained then clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “And she just figured out how to block me from entering her mind.”
“Anna,” Adam whispered, approaching her slowly. “You’re safe.”
She cocked her head, lifted her wrist, and sniffed. Her gaze narrowed on Cain.
She dragged a thumb over her lower lip and sucked it into her mouth. “This is your blood.”
Cain nodded, his eyes unblinking as he studied her. “There were some ... complications.”
She jerked her head toward Eleazar. “Who’s he?”
“I’m your Bishop.”
Her eyes narrowed. She gripped her stomach through the quilt, her gaze snapping to his sister. “Grace?”
His sister stepped into the cell and approached slowly, pressing a hand over Annalise’s flat stomach. She smiled. “Your immortal blood supports him.”
Her mouth twitched into a smile, her eyes finding him. Her emotions washed over him. Relief. Contentment. Joy.
He dropped his gaze to the floor.
Joy shifted to concern. “Adam, what’s wrong?”
His head lowered under the weight of his shame. “I was wrong, Annalise. My blood, my actions... All of it wrong.”
Her voice hardened as it often did when she argued. “What does that mean?” Her words pushed through clenched teeth.
He couldn’t meet her gaze.
“What does that mean, Adam?” When he couldn’t answer, she snapped, “Cain?”
His brother’s tone stayed gentle as if he were calming a wild animal. “It means your body wouldn’t respond to Adam’s blood. The wedding took, but the bonding did not.”
“We’re married?” she snapped. “I was unconscious!”
“Think of it as marriage by proxy,” the Bishop suggested.
Annalise scoffed. “Who are you, again?”
“Your Bishop.”
She huffed out a laugh. “No.” Her eyes narrowed on Adam. “Marrying me when I’m unconscious doesn’t count.”
“I’m afraid it does,” Eleazar said, his tone and expression forbidding further argument.
She glared at the Elder and Adam stepped forward. “Nothing’s been consummated.”
Her eyes flashed to him, her anger spiking through the air. “Excuse me?”
His chest restricted as crushing pain cinched around his heart. “You bonded with Cain.”
“Your child’s inside of me!” When no one responded, she looked to Grace. “What’s going on?”
His sister wrung her hands, deep regret seeping from her pores. “Cain’s your true mate.”
“No, he’s not.” She turned to Cain and shook her head. “I love Adam.”
His brother’s lips compressed into a straight line. “I’m aware. But it’s my blood that brought you back to life. You’re only Adam’s wife.”
“Only his wife?” Her voice ricocheted off the walls. “Adam, say something!”
His eyes squeezed shut. He’d said it to her before, but he never thought saying it to her again would bring so much pain. “A bond is always stronger than marriage.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
Annalise’s mind tried to follow, her memories distorted and her eyes distracting her thoughts. Though the room—wherever they were—was dark, she could see every nick in the wall, make out every feature on his face.
Adam wouldn’t look at her.
Her ears twitched as she tracked the slow slither of a worm working through the plaster stockades, the tiny ticks of a centipede’s feet marching along the rafters. They were underground, but she could hear the soft prattle of drizzle on every slender blade of grass several feet above.
Her senses pulled, distinguishing the climb of the sun, and the heat of its approaching rays. Her body dialed into its energy, like a clock winding for the day.
An incredible calmness twisted through her, coiling with expectation and vitality. Her legs shifted, muscles bunching with an urge to run.
But Adam wouldn’t look at her.
She breathed, scenting the earth’s mantle and the pheromones intruded on her sensory exploration. Her eyes narrowed on Cain. That scent came from him.
Where were her clothes?
Her gaze shifted to Adam. “How did I get here?”
His head hung low, his gaze on the opposite wall. “You were injured. I lost control. I injured you with my carelessness. I had no choice but to start the bonding—”
“And marry me while I was unconscious.” She could just imagine the male dominant horseshit they consented to on her behalf.
“Without consummation, we can see about having the marriage annulled.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why is Cain’s blood on my lips?”
“You were hurt. You lost a lot of blood and when the resting started, your pulse stopped. Your body would have died if not for...”