Chapter 15

Evelyn s POV Waking up, I am pressed against Thaddeus, his hand in the centre of my back. I felt wide awake, like I had the best sleep and felt completely rested. Sitting up, I find Thaddeus is the only person left in the room. Thaddeus is watching me and he looked like he had been awake for a while. Going to get off him, his arm tightens around me. "I didn t want to wake you," he says, and I notice a book beside him. Proving, he had been trapped under me for a while. "What time is it?" I ask. "Little after lunch time," Thaddeus answers. "I should let you get up," I tell him, trying to shift off him. "I would rather you stay," he says, my eyes darting back to his. He taps his chest with his other hand, wanting me to lay back down. Looking around the room, I notice Ryland and Orion definitely weren t in the room. Being around Thaddeus usually made me nervous. He could be so intense sometimes. His aura makes you feel uncomfortable, yet right now he looked pretty relaxed, so I laid back down. Thaddeus absentmindedly played with my hair while I listened to the sound of his heartbeat thumping softly in his chest. A few minutes pass, and for once I didn t mind his company. "Can I ask you something?" Thaddeus speaks softly, and I turn my head to look at him before propping my head on my hand on his chest facing him. I felt a fog slip over me, and I instantly relaxed, my breathing evening out. "What did you do?" I ask, knowing he was doing something that was calming, his eyes glowing hypnotically. My mind becoming foggy. "It s a form of mind compulsion or glamour. I can control your emotions with it, control what I want you to do or say with it." "Are you going to make me answer your questions?" I ask. I knew I should be worried, but I felt so light and foggy. "Not if you don t want to. Do you want me to stop?" he asks, watching me. Thaddeus is always watching, and yet I had trouble reading him. He was so cold and calm besides his anger. That was the only emotion I could ever feel coming off him, mainly because the entire atmosphere shifted. Now he seemed calm, but the monster lurking behind his eyes didn t go unnoticed by me. "Who is Lana?" My mind reels, I was sure I had never mentioned her name. Sitting up, I feel the fog get stronger as it slips over me. "You said you wouldn t." I panic when he brushes my hair from my face. "I m not, just stop running. You don t need to run from us, you don t need to hide," he says, pulling me back down. I relax against him, giving in. I didn t want to answer his questions, but I didn t want to risk him forcing me to answer. "So, who is Lana?" he asks again, making my heart race just at the mention of her name. "Where did you hear it?" I ask trying to wrack my brain wondering if I mentioned her. "You said her name in your sleep." "She was one of the foster children I lived with," I answer, turning away from him so I didn t have to see his face. Just hearing her name, I felt sick to my stomach reminding me of what I did. What he did. "Did she do something to you?" Thaddeus asked, and I could hear the curiosity behind his words. "No, Lana was ten we lived with the same family for a year." I feel Thaddeus nod before I feel his hand in my hair again. I shiver when his skin comes in contact with the back of my neck. "Was she there when you got that burn on your back?" "No," I tell him before hopping up. I didn t like where this conversation was going. Walking into the bathroom, I shut the door, hearing him sigh loudly in frustration. I turn the shower on before stripping off. The door opening just as I open the shower screen. Thaddeus walking in, I roll my eyes before stepping in the shower. "Well, I was fine talking to you in the bedroom but if you want to chat in here, I am all for that too," he says. I feel the shower screen open and he steps in. I turn my back to him so he could only see my ass and back. Hearing him move before I feel his chest against my back making my heart beat erratically. The fog slips over me again, but this time I try to shake it off. "You re safe with me, Evelyn. Well, not safe from me, but I won t let anyone do anything to you," he says right behind me. "If that was supposed to make me feel better, it doesn t," I tell him grabbing the soap trying to ignore his presence behind me, which only lasted a second before I felt his hand run down my shoulder to my side. I freeze, wondering what he is doing, and he seems to freeze as well before removing his hand. "Sorry, your scent is a little overwhelming in here, and I haven t fed since we left the city," he says, and I feel him move away from me. Looking over my shoulder, I see he has moved closer to the shower door. "It s fine," I tell him, until I see his face and notice the veins spreading across his face and his fangs piercing out through his top and bottom lip. I step back, frightened, but there was nowhere to go. Thaddeus notices my movement, and something flipped inside him and I was pinned against the wall with his arms on either side of my head and his body impossibly close, his fangs mere centimetres from my face. Fight or flight kicked in, but I had nowhere to go and no way to fight him off. His fingertips trail down my neck and inhuman eyes watching my face. Ryland comes busting through the door, and Thaddeus growls in warning to him. "Thaddeus" Ryland says, and I could hear the alarm in his voice only making me more scared. "Get out," he growls, his head whipping in Ryland s direction. Orion walks in behind him. "Let him try," Orion says grabbing his arm. My heart racing as they just walk out, leaving me with him. "You have no idea how intoxicating your scent is when you re scared, Evelyn," Thaddeus whispers. My heart is thumping loudly in my chest at his words before he leans in closer inhaling my scent, and I feel his fangs brush against my skin, making me shiver. "Thaddeus, please stop," I stutter out fear. Thaddeus moves closer, pressing his entire body against me, and I feel him lick my neck, his fangs grazing my skin. I put my hand on his chest, trying to push him back. "Just give me a minute, don t shove me away," he whispers, and I can hear the desperation in his voice, the hunger making me feel guilty knowing he has been trapped in the house because of me. Wanting to help him, and I don t know if that made me just stupid or suicidal, I moved my head to the side offering him my neck. He stops stepping away from me, his eyes not leaving my neck. 'You don t understand what your offering, little one. I bite you, I mark you," he says as I watch his entire body shake as he fights for control. "Will it hurt?" I ask, wondering if it would feel like Ryland s bite. Thaddeus eyes snap to mine, his fangs stopping him from being able to close his mouth. His eyes flicker dangerously, and I feel the air thicken. "Only if I make it hurt," he says. The door is suddenly opening, and Orion and Ryland walk in. Thaddeus actually looked relieved. "Thaddeus has trouble stopping. He just wanted to see if he could control himself," Orion says, and I could just make them out through the frosted glass. "Thaddeus, do you need help or not," Orion asks. Thaddeus looks toward the door. "He s fine, he just wants to feed on me, right?" I ask looking at Thaddeus. I see his eyes dart to my neck, a growl ripping from him loudly sounding louder from the tiled walls and the confined shower. "I am going to open the door, Thaddeus," Ryland says but I move closer, all fear gone when I could tell he didn t want to hurt me. His eyes not leaving mine as I step closer to him, blocking the door. "Do it. They will rip me away if you go overboard, right?" I asked as the door opened behind me and I see Orion before he nods at me, reassuring me. "Evelyn, you don t have to do this. I can take him in town," Orion says behind me. "Does he kill them?" I ask, stuttering over the words. They don t say anything, and I feel my heartbeat pick up knowing I am right. Ryland grips my arm, and Thaddeus growls, making goosebumps rise on my skin. This side of him was animalistic, and at the moment I was prey. Thaddeus hand goes to my hip, tugging me to him and away from Ryland. I feel Ryland step in the shower behind me. Thaddeus eyes not leaving me. "Don t make it hurt," I tell him, and Thaddeus cocks his head to the side observing me. "You know once I bite you, I mark you like Ryland did?" he asks. "So you plan on letting me go?" I ask. "Never," Thaddeus growls and I shrug, stepping closer. "Well, it will happen eventually then," I tell him his eyes darken and he growls, ripping me to him. I whimper when I feel his teeth sink into my neck, before a different feeling wraps around me. I don t know if it is Thaddeus or Orion using that weird fog as I relax against him, feel his tongue lapping at my neck. Arousal washes over me as I feel the bond snap in place stronger, feel Ryland stronger, and feel Orion but not as much. A moan escaping my lips and my core pulsates, the feeling foreign, but I don t push it away. Thaddeus grip on me becoming tighter before he pushes me away at arm s length, holding me there, his grip tight as he fought with himself. Reaching up, I place my hand on his face and he leans into it. His grip loosens and I watch as his fangs go away. And his face goes back to normal, the black veins leaving, and he no longer looks like the devil incarnate.