Xavier

Unlike

King Rosario was odd.

Moving about the suite, he’d only had two things not yet packed away into his suitcase and they were work-related items—a laptop and headphones.

The rest of the suite was spotless, as if he hadn’t stayed there at all.

“Is there anything you want to take with you?” he asked, walking the suitcase out of the room, handing it off to a man in a dark suit along with a crisp hundred-dollar bill.

I stared at the transaction, trying to comprehend why a Pureblood would tip the staff.

“Well?” he wondered.

I just shook my head no.

“Really?”

I hesitated, recalling the paper in the boardinghouse bathroom, the one with Aurelia’s phone number scrawled across it. There was no way I could retrieve it now. “No, maids don’t have personal property,” I mumbled, moving to bow my head only to force my back to straighten, lifting my chin. He didn’t like it when I bowed for some reason. Complained about bad posture.

Why would a Pureblood care about posture?

“Of course they don’t.” He rolled his eyes, reaching out and I found myself staring at the outstretched hand, trying to understand what this meant for me. “Come,” he said with an amused smile. “I don’t bite.”

I tried not to frown at him.

He was a vampire. Of course they bite.

Stepping over to his side, I felt his hand rest between my shoulders, guiding me out of the room and down the hallway. His legs were long, steps quick, and even with his hand pushing me forward, forcing his pace, I found myself struggling to keep up.

The courtyard was dimly lit with a few strung up lights and, though the walls surrounding it broke up the wind, I could still feel a breeze.

I wanted to know where we were going.

What we were doing.

Nobody would be in the courtyard during the event.

At least, they weren’t supposed to be.

Peeking around the charred tree, I saw that my assumption was wrong—with blonde hair and telling emerald eyes, the elf took one look at me and looked displeased. “I can’t be here long.”

“Your sister asked me to confirm that you hold your resolve,” King Rosario said.

The elf seemed hesitant but gave a slight nod.

“You look very happy.” The Pureblood’s tone leaked with dry sarcasm.

The elf seemed unphased. “How is she doing?” the elf pressed.

“Eos is well. She misses you.”

Pain flashed across the elf’s expression. It was the first emotion I’d seen on her face in a very long time. Usually, she just looked dead inside. Still, the flicker of emotion didn’t stay and, the elf just shook her head. “Tell her I love her.”

King Rosario gave a slight nod.

“Thank you.” Just a whisper, her eyes darted nervously around the courtyard. “I must go.”

“If you change your mind, the offer still stands.”

I could see it in her expression, this moment where I thought she might wait, stay. I wasn’t sure what he was offering her but I could tell that she wanted to accept it. Still, she merely gave a low bow. “Please take care of her.” Then she dashed away in the direction of the suites which I thought was odd. Why go that way?

“Sprecare,” he grumbled. I wasn’t sure what that word meant and he must’ve noticed that I’d glanced up at him with curiosity. I felt his hand rub my back, something that was incredibly unfamiliar to me, and he muttered, “A waste. It’s a waste of perfectly good life.”

A waste of a perfectly good life?

Averting my gaze, I found myself thinking about how odd this King was.

Spending a million dollars for a human slave, rendezvousing with an elf. I could still taste the chocolate he’d given me, was still clutching his ruined handkerchief.

All of his behaviors had been so odd.

Unlike his kind.

“Come, I need to get you home.” He was already leading me toward the main exit of the estate, I realized. We were leaving already? “No offense,” he mumbled, tugging at a stray curl at the back of my neck, “but you need a bath.”

I ducked my head, remembering that I had just been bought.

For a million dollars, no less.

He would have expectations for me.

Rubbing my back, pulling at my curls—they weren’t painful gestures but I couldn’t help the trickle of fear that pulled at me as I thought about what they meant.

After that bath, would he take me to bed?

I felt his side close to mine and tried to ignore the urge to peek up at him.

To take in his handsome features once more.

Would it . . . hurt?

Struggling to keep up, mind racing with every terrible possibility, I felt my palms sweat as the black car with tinted windows pulled up to the curb.

It was happening.

After all of these years, I was finally leaving the Oscillius Estate.

But I wasn’t free.

Carefully sliding onto the black leather seat, feeling the car jostle a bit as he took his seat beside me, I gnawed on my cheek, feeling the anxiety weigh heavily down on my shoulders.

His dark eyes were on me.

As the car pulled away, I felt his finger twirl one of my loose curls.

When his fingers slipped to the back of my neck, I thought he might grab me. Maybe this was when he’d choke me down, take me, show me his true colors.

Instead, his fingers began kneading the skin of my neck, rubbing sore muscles.

A tremor ran through me and, stunned, I realized it felt good.

Pleasure.

I had to stop myself from flinching away from that feel good sensation because it was so foreign to me.

“Bellisima bambina.”

He was speaking Italian, I realized, surprised by how my lips had parted slightly, eyes glazing at his touch. When I felt him pull at the band in my hair, I squeezed my eyes shut, stiffening at the sensation of my hair falling in what could only be a muddled mess of dark curls around my face.

“Pobra cosita.”

Did he want something from me?

“I . . . I’m sorry,” I mumbled as his hands raked up through the back of my hair. “I don’t know what you’re, uh”—he was massaging my scalp and my lashes fluttered a bit—“saying.”

He chuckled.

It was a deep sound, and I wondered why he was touching me like this.

What was he gaining from it?

Should I pay attention to his movements? Maybe this was a teaching moment. Was his turn next?

“Relax, Pequeno.”

Pequ-what?

It was hard to stop my eyes from rolling.

Hard to think straight.

“Rest.”

It was a command that my body immediately obeyed.

My eyes fluttered and I felt myself falling sideways, eyes rolling back.

Everything went black.