Page 31 of First Offense

Them pleasuring me. Watching me. Touching me.

Ugh, make it stop!

I flipped onto my side and threw one of my wings over my head. How long did Sayir expect me to survive this? A few days? Weeks? Months?

Longer?

Auric’s unsteady breathing drew me out of my tormenting thoughts. He hadn’t slept much either, and even now he was the same as me. Tormented. Awake.

Maybe if I hadn’t been so attuned to him, I wouldn’t have noticed, but years as my guard posted right outside my door meant I’d fallen asleep to the sound of his light breaths. I’d fallen in love with his presence, his everlasting comfort.

I’d fallen in love withhim.

At least until he’d left and broken my teenage heart into a thousand pieces.

Last night only further confirmed that Auric didn’t care for me in the slightest. He saw me as some broken bird with black wings. A helpless female he had no idea how to help or fix. A damsel with no skill other than to cause trouble for herself.

I hated him for that revelation because it broke my heart all over again.

How could he think so poorly of me after everything we’d been through? All those nights where I’d shared my dreams and aspirations with him. I wasn’t a damsel. But I also wasn’t prepared for this place.

Unlike Novak.

The dark knight whom Auric clearly shared a history with. I wondered what it might be, how deep it went. The power struggle between them was palpable and frightening, but also enthralling. It seemed to infuriate Auric, yet entertained Novak.

Which explained how the Noir slept soundly while Auric remained awake.

His sleepless night wasn’t because of me.

But because ofhim.

The overpowering leather scent was the only reason I knew Novak remained in our cell. He hadn’t moved the entire night, but the weight of his overwhelming presence assured me he was there, just waiting for me to make a false move.

Or, more likely, waiting for Auric to try something.

I took another breath. And another. And another. Counting as I went, attuned to every subtle move and sound in the cell. Which was why I nearly fell from my bunk when a metallic clank echoed through the room.

The door, I recognized. I heard it every morning, or afternoon, or whenever the guards unlatched it.

The lights flickered on a moment later.

Novak finally stirred, making my bunk rattle as he sat up. I leaned over the bar and peeked at the males below.

Auric swung his legs over his cot, boots still on. His ocean-blue eyes leveled at me beneath a curtain of white-blond strands. “Breakfast?” he asked.

I shifted onto my elbow and stared. Really? He was going to act like last night didn’t happen?

I grabbed the pathetic excuse for a blanket and rolled onto my side, fighting with it to pull it over my wings.

He snorted. “Suit yourself.”

I stared at the cut stone wall as he stormed out of the cell, the metal door screeching before slamming behind him.

My heart jumped in my throat. He didn’t just leave me alone with a bloodthirsty killer, did he?

A shifting of cloth sounded, causing my eyes to widen.

Is that the sound of a zipper?