Page 51 of Entangled Vows

A faint rustle caught his attention, and he turned to look at her. She had changed out of the formal attire she’d worn earlier and was now dressed in white pants and a simple, green cotton kurti that skimmed her frame with effortless ease. Her hair, usually pinned or tied back, now fell in soft waves over her shoulders. She looked… comfortable. Soft. Approachable.

Vikram almost let himself believe it, until he noticed what she was holding.

His hand froze on the door handle as his gaze locked onto the plastic cage in her hand. A big, fluffy ball of fur sat inside, its beady eyes glaring at him. It took him exactly two seconds to realise what it was.

His entire body stiffened.

It was a cage. And inside it was… the vampire rabbit.

His jaw clenched, and his voice dropped dangerously low. “What the hell isthatthing doing here?”

Mahika blinked up at him, her expression the picture of wide-eyed innocence. Then, with exaggerated calm, she lifted the cage and held it up like a prized treasure.

“Oh, this?” she asked, flashing him a blindingly sweet smile. “This is my Bungee. You’ve already met him, Grizzly, haven’t you?”

Vikram stiffened, a muscle ticking in his jaw. “I thought it belonged to Ishika.”

“Nope. He’s mine.” She popped the ‘p’ with smug satisfaction.

Before he could fire back, Mahika turned to the rabbit and, God help him, started cooing.

“Oh, my darling Bungee! Remember, Grizzly? Yourdaddy?”

“I amnothis daddy,” Vikram growled.

“He thinks you are.”

“The hell he does.” He glared at the rabbit, who was now twitching its nose at him. “That thing is NOT staying in my house.”

Mahika gasped, clutching the cage to her chest like he’d just suggested barbecuing the damn thing. “That ismybabyyou’re talking about.” Her eyes narrowed. “And he is staying with me. In my room.”

“Absolutely not.” He pointed his finger at the rabbit, who sat there looking suspiciously smug. “That thing bites.”

“He nibbles. Affectionately.”

“He tried to murder me that day.”

“Wow, such a meltdown over a scratch. If he’s not welcome, I’ll take him and go. We come as a package deal.”

Vikram exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re blackmailing me with a rabbit, Momo?”

“No,” she shot back, her eyes sparkling. “I’m just setting boundaries.”

Vikram stared at her, shocked at her audacity. He let out a slow, exasperated breath and gestured towards the sprawling estate. “This house is tentimes bigger than the house you were staying in. Why does the damn thing have to stay inyourroom?”

“Because Bungee gets lonely,” she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “He needs me.”

“I need my space,” he muttered.

“Tough luck. It’s your choice. Either Bungee stays with me, or I go back. Or you let me sleep in a separate room, just like I wanted. Chop chop, Grizzly.”

Vikram narrowed his eyes as realisation dawned on him. Clever girl. She was clearly trying to use the rabbit to get what she wanted. If she thought she could outwit him into lettingher sleep in a separate room with the excuse of her four-legged fluffball, she obviously didn’t know a thing about him. A slow, amused smirk tugged at his lips as he quietly turned the tables on her.

“Fine,” Vikram said coolly, arms folded across his chest. “It stays. In our room. With both of us.”

Mahika blinked, clearly thrown off. He could see the gears turning behind her eyes as she realised she’d backed herself into a corner. She hadn’t expected him to actually agree.

Her voice held a flicker of disbelief as she asked, “You’re okay with him staying in your bedroom?”