Dymon’s POVI returned from my mission immensely successful and looking forward to seeing the look on Feyre’s face when I presented her with facts about her mother that had long eluded her. I even had a gift for her, one I’d personally pried from her father’s terrified fingers. I did my best to enact little harm on the man, not wanting to cause any undue drama, but I was very sure he would remember my impact for the rest of his miserable little life.A small smile curved one corner of my lip at the memory of his fear as I ascended the stairs of the Lycan palace up to my assigned chambers, my gift for Feyre tucked underneath my arm. Pete was an interesting fellow and his head had been quite entertaining to sift through. I had seen his resentment and shame that shrouded any memories of his daughter and I was quite sure I understood his position now but I had very little respect for it. It was early enough in the day that I could send for her without interrupting her sleep. I would pro
Dymon’s POVI was quiet for a few moments, not entirely sure how to respond to that. I neither knew nor cared about this roommate of hers, but I was displeased to see her so distraught.“I see.” I started “The pain of loss is a difficult thing to deal with. A pain nothing but time can attempt to heal. I am very sorry you experienced that Feyre. Do accept my condolences.”I found condolences useless in the grand scheme of things and did not take kindly to them myself. However, there was very little I could provide by means of comfort to her.“Thank you.” She said and she seemed to mean it “And thank you for sending Mr. Grent to me. He’s the one who found out since the Madame didn’t want to say anything about it.” Her gaze had returned to the floor, her shoulders sagging as she disappeared into her mind. I made a mental note to reproach Grent for not leaving a message for me first. Had he thought I only meant to take note of any physical distress she might’ve had? Whatever his misconcep
Xaden’s POVI looked up in insulted anger, then surprised at the person who dared walk through my doors without my express permission. My anger died when Dymon’s face came into view, but a trickle of annoyance still lingered deep within me. I was not used to having equals so his blatant disregard for the usual respects my people paid me, not to mention his lack of weariness or reservation in entering my presence confused as much as intrigued me.Truth be told, I had never known a man like the Vampire Lord. I had never respected one as I did him. And I had never feared any, with the same cautiousness I regarded him.I turned the new ring I’d gotten to repel his particular powers over on my finger. Its effect on me was a bit uncomfortable seeing as it dulled my bond with my Lycan and made me far less sensitive to it, but I could not deny its help in keeping the Vampire Lord out of my head. The last time I’d seen him, I’d been helpless to do anything aside a conscious effort to keep my m
Xaden’s POVA muscle ticked in his jaw as he considered me and I nearly grinned. I held back my smile, however, waiting for his next move.“May I ask why that is?”“You may,” I said and then just like he had done to me several days ago, I offered nothing else but a smile. There was another tick in his jaw and I relished his annoyance. Now if nothing else, he had a taste of his own medicine.“I see.” He said before his features evened out suddenly, all signs of annoyance gone. He let out a light chuckle “I suppose I deserve that. Forgive me, I am not used to… explaining myself.” He said with far more humor than I’d anticipated. I suddenly doubted my earlier assertions that he was bothered about whatever my response would be.I was at a loss for what to say now, but I needn’t have bothered. He spoke again.“I should have been more forthcoming I suppose but…” He shrugged “I did not feel the need. I am sure you understand.” I nodded. “Certainly, I do.” I hesitated a moment “It is not that
Feyre’s POVI left Lord Dymon’s suite feeling utterly dejected. I had been so certain he would help me, after everything he had done so far, this seemed like such a small thing that his refusal not only stunned but hurt.So that was it then, I would be condemned to whatever fate Madame Esmelda concocted for me after he left? I would have to suffer General Oben’s wrath as well and who knew if Mordric would make a return to finish what he had started. That is if I survived a night with Oben.I walked back to the harem escorted by a guard, my legs shaking the entire time. My last hope was Garrick. Even if he didn’t kill me himself, I had to find a way to get some sort of poison or weapon. If he would so much as slip me a knife sometime when he visited next. I had to find a way to convince him. Or perhaps I could slip out the knives of one of these guards and slide my own throat before they could stop me.I only had two problems; I was not sure I could be fast enough to pull off something
Feyre’s POVGarrick paused outside Xaden’s room, and gestured for me to go inside. I looked from his face to the door and back again, unable to move. Why was this happening? Why now? Xaden was supposed to be done with me for heaven’s sake. Why was I being brought to him again?“Go inside,” Garrick said his eyes and voice devoid of any emotion. My lips trembled, hands shaking but I swallowed and reached for the door, turning the knob before entering.There was no one in the adjoining sitting room I entered, still, my anxiousness did not ease. I went only a few steps in before I paused, uncertain of where to go or what to do.“Come here, girl.” I heard from the room beyond and startled, dread knotting the pit of my stomach. I swallowed and forced my shaking legs forward, doing my best to tread one foot in front of the other lest I fell in my heels.I paused for only half a second but it was enough to make him lose his patience.“I said come!” He thundered and I jumped, quickly opening t
Feyre’s POVHe didn’t stop the entire night. My screams filled the room at first until my voice grew hoarse and my body was tired of the effort it took to react to the pain and humiliation I felt.He took me in every barbaric way I could imagine, relishing my tears and deliberately goading my screams whenever I managed to dissociate.He climbed off me only once to drink some water and thirstily gulped an entire bottle down but did not offer me any. After all, all I did was lie there and take it, he was the one tasked with the harder role of abusing me. I didn’t think I could keep anything down anyway, not with the awful taste in my mouth from when he stuck his organ in there. Not with the way my stomach churned, constantly threatening to upend its contents onto the bed.I tried to crawl away from him, aching all over but he was on me again in another second.“You still haven’t learned yet have you?” He growled, smacking my breasts so hard that I screamed. And then he sodomized me agai
Garrick’s POVI took the hidden tunnels, moving behind the palace walls as I made my most recent trip to the Harem. It was longer but it was far more private than using the halls and I was more protected from the eyes of the King’s constantly present spies. Only a handful of his officials knew about these passageways so I could be reasonably sure none of my recent trips there had been noticed. I held no torch to guide my path, letting enough of my beast to the surface so that I could see more clearly in the dark.I couldn’t get over the image of how the girl had looked when I’d gone to retrieve her from Xaden’s room three days ago; bloodied, beaten─ broken almost beyond what seemed repairable. A dark grimace marred my face even as I thought about it again.She was too young and too innocent for this, but then, weren’t all the others? Wasn’t her little omega wolf friend whose life Mordric had casually ended out of nothing but petulant spite? No matter how many times I asked myself th
Feyre’s POVMy eyes closed, pain and shock emanating from my heart. Something was digging into my chest and closing around my already constricted heart. It was going to kill me—“Dymon stop! He’s tied himself with her! She’ll die if you kill him!” I heard someone— Possibly Garrick— scream.There was a moment of hesitation before the pain regressed as suddenly as it came and I started to heal, a dull ache left in its place.I heard a gleeful, maniacal laugh that could only be Xaden’s but it was far away. Dymon was near instead, cradling me into his arms with all the gentleness in the world, a look of worry on his face.“Are you okay?” He said anxiously. Xaden’s growled, cutting off any answer I might have had.“Keep your hands off my mate you filthy blood-sucker!”Dymon gaze flicked to him for a moment, dismissive as ever. One moment we were on the floor of Xaden’s odd shrine, the next he rose with me in his arms, moving with insane speed to another part of the castle.I didn't recogni
Feyre’s POVRetribution came hard and fast, a slap cracking across my cheek. I stumbled backward, clutching one side of my face, saved from tumbling to the floor by the wall that backed me. Xaden looked enraged as he glared down at me.“What right have you to refuse me whore?” He growled, his entire demeanor changing within the twinkle of an eye.“I don't—” A loud, rapid knock interrupted whatever it was I’d been going to say. A good thing too because I certainly would have gotten myself killed if I leaned into this anger. All the spite I felt kept bubbling up to my lips and spilling forth from them. A dangerous thing considering who I was talking to. For the first time since I’d felt it, I tried to control some of that boldness and anger that surged through me. It immediately quietened.Xaden noticed my sudden quiescence enough that his golden eye flicked over to me, a curious glint in them, before turning back to the person who had burst in on us without his permission.It was Garri
Feyre’s POVMy father barely had me for a full hour before I was bundled into a black bulletproof van and whipped away from my childhood home. I hadn’t seen any of my step-siblings and I hadn’t wanted to. Hell, I hadn’t even wanted to see my father. I’d spent the entire time in his custody with my eyes firmly shut, praying to wake up from the horrible dream I was in. He hadn’t said much to me, my father. He’d gruffly asked me if I’d had my first shift now that the curse was lifted. I’d given him a look but hadn’t deigned to respond and after several uneventful tries, he’d left it, and me, well alone.I hadn’t been told but I knew where I was being taken and I dreaded it. I didn’t need to overhear my captors or try to map the direction we were going in. I knew who had made my father kidnap me and give me away immediately without even trying to exploit my newfound powers himself first. I knew whose power and wealth extended through all wolven territories, enough that even the remote isl
Dymon's POVI should never have listened to Golran. In the weeks that followed my return to Drusden, that one regret was at the forefront of my mind.I had previously thought myself above such petty inclinations, but as day after without Feyre’s presence passed, I couldn't help but think how much I missed her. I fell into a petulant gloom, spending most of my days brooding in my office, thinking about her all the time in between a few productive hours when I got things done.Centuries of a life lived made it easy to put things out of mind especially once they were out of sight. Yet, I found myself indulging in memories, not to mention fantasies, all revolving around this one person.She was a slip of a girl. Barely twenty-one and yet had a wariness to her that belied pain lasting a century. Of course, she hadn’t been so wary the last night we’d spent together. No— then she had been confident and bold, brimming with passion and oozing a desire she’d eventually drowned me with.By the g
Feyre’s POVIt had been two weeks since Dymon left the island and it wasn't any easier to accept. I tried, for the most part, to act as normally as possible. I went to meals with my family and got to know them. I went for walks through the garden with my grandfather and heard more tales— not just of my mother— but of the island and dire wolves even.I spoke to Dymon, but only sometimes, on the phone he got me. He sent text messages and I would stare at them for hours, days even, before I replied.I was angry, I think, although I did not dare say it. I didn’t think it my place or right to ask why, to tell him not to go. So I remained silent and occasionally told him I was fine whenever he checked in.That he would run so suddenly, without any explanation after the night we shared threw me off entirely. For a moment, I’d thought there was something between us.Something past the desire that was keeping us going.He hadn't even let us entertain the thought, or really talk about it all be
Dymon’s POVI wasn’t surprised when barely an hour after breakfast, a maid came to request my presence at Golran’s office. The exchange between Feyre and I couldn’t have lasted more than seconds, but it was enough for his sharp eyes to notice and now I suspected I was going to be cross-examined on my intentions or any actions I’d taken on his granddaughter so far. I wasn’t at all ready for it, I had yet to examine my feelings on the drastic way my relationship with Feyre had suddenly… evolved. Still, while I was here, I preferred to sow seeds of goodwill and keep the peace by doing as requested. It would make things easier, not just for me, but for Feyre.With that in mind, I swallowed my longsuffering sigh and followed the maid, allowing her to lead me once again to Golran’s office.He was waiting for me to arrive, his eyes snapping to the door the moment I knocked and opened it. The maid didn’t enter with me and I closed the door behind me before taking one of the seats he silently
Feyre POVI was in a much clearer head space when I woke up the next morning. I sat up feeling better than I could remember feeling in years and blinked at the half-naked vampire standing a few meters beside the bed, murmuring into a phone. A rush of memories from the night before came tumbling into my mind, resulting a rose tinge on my cheeks. There was a dull ache in my limbs, a pleased tingle between my thighs which hinted that a repeat performance would not be out of place.He turned then, crimson eyes catching my gaze and he paused for a moment as we stared at each other.It took a few more moments, but he rounded up his call, staring at me the entire time until he finally hung up. Even then he didn’t look away. He stalked towards me, an appreciative glint in his eyes that made me shiver. It wasn’t until that heated gaze swept down my body and back, the desire in them thickening, that I realized I was naked. Arousal quickened my pulse and puckered my nipples and I shivered again
Feyre’s POVThere was a need in me that I couldn’t put my finger on. I didn’t understand it at first, but it had consumed my every thought since I set my eyes on Dymon again, after returning to consciousness. I didn’t know if it was a side-effect of the spell or if it was something else entirely, but I had been inordinately pleased by him and now, I itched with a desire to make him mine.His lips moved over my own, gentle yet firm and I drank greedily, the flames of need fanning ever so higher. Such exquisite pleasure was foreign to me, yet I embraced it with eagerness and glee that I could hardly believe. Dymon himself was very careful, but then, he always was. His hands rested lightly on my shoulders as if he was doing his best to keep me at bay even as we kissed. Discontent licked at my insides, along with that fiercely burning need again and I did the first thing I was sure would assuage it. I pressed closer against him and the action seemed to please him as much as it did me beca
Dymon’s POVOnce Feyre clung to me, she didn’t want to let go. I couldn’t claim to dislike it, so being the hedonistic creature I was, I eagerly indulged her, slipping my arm around her waist so I could draw her even closer— as close as I could get away with in polite company like this.I ignored the dirty looks the half-breed Elvin witch sent my way, glancing down at Feyre instead. Her purple eyes, brighter and richer somehow, neigh pulsed back at me.“It worked?” She asked, disbelief clear in her voice and a smile tugged at my lips, relief washing through me as the realization hit.She pulled away from me to stare down at her own body and left me mourning the loss of her closeness. Her warmth. Her face held a mixture of wonder and disbelief, even as the realization slowly dawned.“Something feels a little different, but not too much to be honest. I feel… normal.” She said inclining her head as she regarded me. My breath caught in my throat seeing the way her eyes glittered, the unde