Lucian

CHAPTER TEN

Despite the prince's blunt request and all the warnings I'd heard from both Luc and Princess Leandre, I couldn't compose myself enough to calm down. I tried to tell myself I'd spent hours alone with him in the confined space of that carriage, and this was no different, but that did nothing to diminish my anxiety. For some reason, this situation was so much more terrifying than anything I'd experienced during our journey to Cassovia. With everything in me, I sensed I wouldn't be leaving this room alive and the feeling made the panic even more unbearable.

"Your eyes are red and swollen." His surprisingly light voice snapped me from my gloomy thoughts. "Have you been crying?"

I peered up at him like a wounded timid animal and instantly shook my head, worried the truth would only provoke his temper, just like that time when I'd burst into tears during our trip.

"N-No, Your Highness " I mumbled and my eyes instantly bulged at the realization of my mistake. "I...I mean...M-Master."

The prince's gaze turned distant for a split second and then he sneered as though he could see right through my lie; as though he knew just how difficult it was for me to call him Master.

"If you say so, little human," he said in a feather-soft tone.

To my surprise, he didn't probe any further, and for a short while, we merely gazed at each other in silence. His grey eyes sparkled with suppressed amusement, but there was also something else hidden in the depths of his bottomless irises. It was some raw, undecipherable emotion that made me so self-conscious I attempted to make myself as small as possible while his eyes shamelessly roamed my length in what appeared to be a thorough inspection of his newly acquired possession.

"They took so much time to get you all dolled up only to end up creating such a mess," he muttered under his breath, fixating his gaze on my face. "But at least now I know I prefer you just the way you were...natural and stripped of all the pompous glamour."

Taking me by surprise, he made a swift movement and undid the clasp Luc had placed at the back of my head. A cascade of black hair slid down my back like a wild avalanche. As I gaped at him with palpable mistrust, he reached for one of the long strands and brushed it between his fingers. Then, his hand glided over my collarbone and a small strangled sound left my throat, uncovering the true extent of my terror.

He shook his head, gazing at me with refined laziness. "Such a frightened little creature. Relax. I don't intend to slaughter you just yet. Now, where would be the fun in that?"

"P-Please—" I let the word slip, acting on sheer instinct.

His index finger leaned against my lips. "Shh...don't beg. It's too soon for that. We haven't even reached the bed..."

Heat flamed my cheeks at the hidden connotation of his words, and consequently, my eyes darted toward the large king-sized bed at the center of the room. Swallowing hard, I shuddered at the thought he was about to violate me and then drink my blood, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop him. Suddenly, his hand traveled even lower and I panicked, crossing my arms over my chest in an attempt to recoil from his unnerving touch.

"Little slave...this is no way to behave," he reprimanded in a gentle whisper, grasping my wrists and pulling my arms apart so I was yet again exposed to his merciless scrutiny. "Your ignorance is written all over your face, but let's get one thing straight. Here, in this place, you have absolutely no free will. I'm your Master and you can't say no to me. Is that clear?"

I gasped and gave him the only possible answer. "Yes, Master."

"Good. Then it must be easy to comprehend that when I reach out to touch your body, you have no other choice but to stay perfectly still and let it happen," he instructed softly, his fingers caressing my cheek in an instant demonstration of absolute, unapologetic power. "And the same rule applies to everything else. No matter how painful or demeaning my actions may seem from your vulnerable human perspective, the only option you have is to bite your tongue and handle the pain unless you want to make it even more difficult for yourself. Because believe me, we vampires are very cruel, vindictive creatures."