“I’m surprised you don’t know. If the wound is made with silver, it doesn’t always heal properly.” He touches the one over his heart. “The scarring is mostly surface-level though.”
Ihadn’tknown that. Why didn’t I know that?
I study him. “Are you here to collect your daily feeding?”
“You don’t seem particularly opposed to the idea.”
No, opposed isn’t the word I’d use. Damn it, but even the sight of him has desire coursing through me. There’s no point in denying it, either, because his senses are acute enough to pick up on all the signs. “Might as well get it over with.”
Malachi’s lips curve. “Such a noble sacrifice.”
“You’re stronger than me. Faster than me. And your bite ensures I become a willing victim the second you get your fangs into my skin. Fighting you is pointless, and I try to save my strength for battles I can win.” It sounds logical enough, even if I feel anything but.
The bastard laughs. It’s just as rusty as the last time. “No, Mina. I’m not here to take mydaily feeding.”
I draw my knees to my chest and refuse to categorizing the sinking feeling inside me. “Then whyareyou here?”
“I suppose I owe you an apology.” He studies me for a long moment. “All the others who’ve come through that door felt differently about the role than you do. If I hadn’t been half-starved, I would have realized it.”
Half-starved.I knew it.“Why wait for your meal to come to you? You’re more than capable of taking care of it yourself.”
He ignores the question and taps his fingers against his forearm. “I suppose if you want your freedom, you’re more than welcome to leave.”
Ah, so this is just another game. I glare. “You should really work on your sense of humor. You know as well as I do I can’t leave.”
“Do I?” He doesn’t move. “Walk out the door. I won’t stop you.”
“And the guards my father has posted around the property?”
His mouth tightens. “I’ll handle it. I’m more than capable of keeping them distracted long enough for you to slip away.”
For a moment, I almost believe him. Freedom is what I crave more than anything else in the world. If there’s a chance…
But then reality raises its ugly head.
I have nowhere to go. No money. No way to pass among the humans without raising some eyebrows and doing something that puts me on the government’s radar. From there, it’s a short trip to a padded cell, at best. At worst, to some scientist’s lab to be experimented on for the rest of my life. With enough preparation, I might be able to slip into the world without a ripple, but I don’t have that knowledge or resources required.
Not to mention the fact my father will not let me leave in peace. If he realizes I’ve run, he’ll send his hunters after me. There’s nowhere I can hide they won’t find me, and when they drag me right back I’ll be worse off than I started.
No. No matter how much I dream of running, it’s not really an option. It never was.
I close my eyes and fight against the burning behind my lids. I don’t know if he’s doing this on purpose, but it feels particularly cruel to offer me what I’ve always wanted and force me to reject it. “I’m staying.”
“The offer stands.”
I press my lips together, hating the way the bottom one quivers. My anger feels so far away right now.Everythingfeels far away right now. “You are such a bastard.”
“I’ve been accused of worse.”
I finally look at him again. Desperate to focus on something else, I go back over what he said. How he apologized. How he dodged my one question. Why he’d be so starved even though he seems more than capable enough of hunting. I frown. “You’re stuck here, too, aren’t you?”
Malachi lifts a single shoulder. “It’s complicated.”
Complicated. Smells like vampire politics to me.
I push it away. It’s a mystery for another day, and I’m suddenly too exhausted to poke at him any longer. “I suppose we might as well fuck since you’ve rubbed my nose in the fact I’m stuck here.”
He barks out a laugh. “Enjoy the rest of your bath, little dhampir.” A blur of movement and he’s gone, the door closing softly behind him.