“Allison, there are things you don’t understand.”
“Oh, I understand all too well. I know what you want. I won’t ever let anyone control me ever again.” My mother has done that my whole life.
“With them you’ll die. With me you’ll live. Make your choice.”
I blink, wondering if everything he’s saying is true. Will I die if this Bog-person finds me and discovers my power? I think about my hands, how they’ve been tingling for a while. How I can think of something that might happen, and then it does. How little things just never seem to add up correctly. Am I really magical? A small part of me trusts Draven. I can’t put my finger on why I trust him, but there’s something familiar. Something more. “Fine, I’ll marry you.”
Draven holds out his hand for me to take, but it’s my turn to stuff my hands in my pockets. He shakes his head at my antics, and I follow him through the shadowy trees.
Leaves whisper for me to run, but I stay with Draven. It’s scary out here, but I’m not afraid out here with him.
I should be.
As we emerge from the towering pines, I try to think about this man as my husband and what that entails. I won’t be expected to have sex with the man, will I?
“Will we do everything a married couple does?” My voice sounds timid, and I clear my throat when he doesn’t speak, only trudges forward. “Will we have to consummate?”
He chuckles softly.
“It’s a legit question.”
“No, I won’t be fucking you.” He turns around suddenly, taking all the air with him. His eyes are intense like twin flames as they burn into me. “Even if you beg me for it. I won’t ever touch you like that.” His voice in my mind vibrates.
I gasp, not sure why his answer has affected me. I should be happy we won’t be having sex.
But the tone of his voice, the way his eyes sear into mine makes my heart beat out of my chest. “It’s you,” I say. “You’re the voice in my head.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
He sucks in a deep breath, sniffing the surrounding air. “You’re aroused.”
“Am not.” How dare he? I march past him and across the grounds. Whatever spell he had me under is long gone now. “I’ll never beg you for anything. And stay out of my mind.”
“That won’t be happening,” he calls out from behind me, but I keep walking, until I stomp straight through the garden. Simon stands at the edge of the wide patio, illuminated by the castle lights. “Allison, can we talk?”
Draven ambles past me and stands next to Simon. I compare them. Light and dark. Sincere and sensual. Nice and asshole.
“Yes, let’s talk.” I grab Simon’s arm, pulling him past Draven.
We walk away and sit on a concrete bench near the side entrance of the house. Away from everyone except the stars in the sky, beaming down over us like they want in on the conversation too.
“Allison, I want to apologize,” Simon says. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”
“It’s ok. I don’t blame you.” I don’t. I blame his uncle.
He scrubs the back of his neck. “Well, once you hear this, you might.”
My heartbeat amps up, my hands tingling as I twist them in my lap. “What do you mean?”
“I knew about you before I went to Oregon.”
“Knew about me how?”
“My uncle has been hunting for someone with the power you have for a very long time.” Simon relaxes back on the bench, placing his ankle on his other knee.
“How did he even know about me?”