Page 76

Why did I forget rule number one?

Lucien grabbed me, forcing me to face him. My eyes drifted over his shoulder, refusing to make eye contact. “Look at me! Please, Phoebe, look at me!” he pleaded.

I wanted to scream that I couldn’t. I kept my gaze away from him, wrenching out of his grip. His hands dropped to his sides, and I felt the loss of his touch as if it was a blow. “It’s over, Lucien. It was over the second you took that bounty.”

Stupid tears were welling in my eyes. I opened a rift to my old apartment and disappeared through it before he could see me cry.

New Rule No. 6: Never let a man see he made you cry.

He refused to remain behind, forcing the rift to remain open, using his new power to follow me through. I tried to push the tears back, but they filled my eyes. I gave him my back and said as calmly as I could, “You are not welcome here, vampire.”

“I go where you go,” he whispered.

“No matter what I have to say about it?”

“You’re my mate. My place is with you.”

That had me whirling around in anger. “That makes it so much worse! Don’t you see?Youbetrayed your mate!Yousigned your precious mate’s death warrant!” The tears began falling, and it only escalated my rage. “You told me to trust you! That you would keep me safe! Every time you begged me to tell you everything, you kept this from me! All along, I was in danger. From you!”

I took a deep breath and muttered, “Just leave me alone.”

It was a pain like nothing I’d ever felt before. Still, I wanted to listen to him, to understand why. Yet, with betrayal, there was no explanation, no reason.

“Phoebe—” I refused to buckle at his tortured expression.

“For once, will you listen to me and leave me alone!” Tears streamed down my face. He reached out toward me but stopped midway, pain and regret so clear on his face. “You kidnapped me from here. You gave me no choice but to stay with you, no choice but to accept you. For once, you can do as I ask and leave me alone!”

Just leave! Before I beg you to stay!

Before I beg for an explanation!

Before I forgive you!

He bowed his head, breaking eye contact, and retreated through the still open rift. He sent me a last agonized glance before it closed.

XXXVIII

The Realm of Mortals.

Întuneric Castel, Romania.

PHOEBE WOULDN’T LISTEN TO ME, wouldn’t seeme, and the look she gave me as the rift closed kept me from pushing her. I hadn’t given her a choice, not really. I could give her one now.

For once, will you listen to me and leave me alone!

Her words followed me back to Întuneric, haunting my days and nights. Three days of misery to understand what a complete failure I was and how I irreparably ruined things with my mate.

Her look of betrayal, her eyes bright with unshed tears. I lunged from the remnants of my throne, plowing my fist into one wall, the bite of pain doing nothing to temper my self-hatred. Since my return, I’d spent the restless energy organizing my businesses and sending my COOs into a tizzy of work. But nothing but her had occupied my thoughts.

You betrayed your mate!

I hit the wall again as her voice echoed around me.

You signed your precious mate’s death warrant!

I put another fist through the wall, surprised it still stood with the amount I’d attacked it in the last three days.

The Elders had returned to Întuneric, shocked at the state I was in. My eyes hadn’t stopped glowing red with madness for three days, my lips constantly bleeding from nicking them on my fangs. I didn’t bother wiping them, just letting the blood dry on my face and throat. My clothes were still in tatters from the fight in Salem, but what did any of it matter? She wouldn’t see me. She had left me.