thebath 11
923 Words
Chapter 11
Dean POV
When we arrived at the house, Penny froze.
From the outside, it looked like nothing more than a large estate home. Elegant, yes…but normal.
Inside? It was a castle. My parents were already waiting in the grand foyer. My father’s face lit up the moment he saw me. He crossed the room in seconds and pulled me into a tight embrace.
“My son,” he murmured, relief heavy in his voice.
My mother was different…Her eyes went straight to the scar on my face.
Yes, I had a scar…but I was alive. The poison had burned through my flesh, nearly killed me. Penny’s blood saved me. I would carry that mark forever if it meant I was still breathing.
Mother, however, looked furious.
“Who did this to you?” she demanded.
“I don’t want to talk about it right now,” I answered calmly. I could feel Penny beside me, tense but quiet. “Later.”
Right now, I wanted to be alone with my mate.
Once we were finally dismissed, I guided Penny inside fully. I watched her reaction carefully as she took in the towering ceilings, the chandeliers, the sweeping staircases..Her eyes widened.
“Were you expecting coffins and moats?” I teased. She laughed softly.
“Not moats… but maybe a few coffins. I’ve read too many vampire books.”
I chuckled as we stepped into the private elevator. I could have easily carried her and flown up to the eighth floor, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her on her first night here.
When we reached my door, I placed my palm against the scanner. It glowed softly before sliding open.
“I’ll add your handprint in the morning,” I told her quietly. “For now… I just want a long, hot bath.”
I took her hand and led her inside..Her eyes went even wider.
The bed alone could have filled half a toolshed…no, half a yard. Massive dressers lined one wall…Mother’s doing. I barely owned more than boxers, t-shirts, and socks. Large windows opened inward onto a balcony with descending steps. To the right was a private kitchen. Yes, we cooked….though I preferred my steak rare. Still mooing, if possible..To the left, my own living room.
It wasn’t just a bedroom. It was my own private home within the castle..But none of that mattered tonight.
I led her into the bathroom…She gasped.
Gold marble gleamed beneath soft lighting. The shower overhead had rainfall jets built into the ceiling. The sinks were polished gold-veined stone. The mirror was framed in white gold.
And the bathtub… It was more like a small pool. Steam curled upward, red rose petals floating across the surface.
Before Penny, I had shared this space with others. Blood. Pleasure. Distractions…But none of them meant anything.
I pulled her gently into my arms.
I unbuttoned her shirt slowly, letting it fall to the floor. She slipped out of her jeans herself. I removed my own clothes, and for a moment we simply stood there….bare, vulnerable, studying each other.
She looked at me like a predator stalking prey. Her gaze traced over my body before lifting to meet my eyes….They were dark green now….They only turned red when I was hungry.
Thanks to her blood, I wouldn’t need to feed for days.
We stepped into the bath together. The warm water surrounded us, steam wrapping around our bodies…I held her close, inhaling her scent. It drove me wild. Her breasts pressed against my chest, and desire surged through me…It was time.
Time to mark her.
“I must mark you first,” I told her softly. “Then you can mark me.”
She nodded.
My fangs extended slightly as I leaned down and bit gently into her marking spot. I was careful…precise. I would never risk harming her with my blood. We could not turn someone unless they were willing… or dying….When I finished, she marked me in return.
A silvery glow wrapped around our bodies as our powers merged.
We were bound…One.
I lifted her, and we moved together in the warmth of the water, sealing our bond again and again until the bath grew cold.
Afterward, we washed quickly, dried off, and I handed her one of my shirts. It swallowed her frame, falling to her knees.
We climbed into bed, and I wrapped my arms around her.
She fit perfectly against me…But my mind was not at peace.
I knew who had poisoned me…Her former mate.
The male who should have died years ago.
When I bit into her earlier, I saw everything.
The day she found him in the woods…half dead. How she nursed him back to health. How she marked him so he could regain his wolf. Thirteen years together…Thirteen years of neglect.
Of cruelty...Of him taking what he wanted and giving her nothing in return….I saw the way he spoke to her in his office. The coldness. The disrespect.
I saw her pack her things. Walk away. Reject him.
And then…The moment she found me.
The shock in her eyes. The disbelief. The fragile hope that I might be her second chance….She’s afraid I’ll become like him.
She’s wrong…I would burn the world before I ever treated her that way…Tomorrow, we will talk about marriage.
And once she is my wife… we will deal with him…Together.
He will answer for everything…For what he did to her.
And for what he did thirteen years ago…Tomorrow is another day.
But vengeance is coming.
- Writer
