Page 21

I slammed the door to our shared bedroom with enough force to make the antique wood frame shudder.

My hands were still trembling from anger, from hurt, from the hundred conflicting emotions crashing through me like waves against a rocky shore.

The elegant guest room that had seemed so romantic just hours ago now felt stifling, a golden cage.

"Take all the space you need," I muttered, mimicking my own words back to myself as I kicked off my heels. "God, I'm such an idiot."

I paced across the plush carpet, my stockinged feet silent as I moved. The gown that had made me feel like a princess now felt constricting, too tight across my chest where something painful was expanding, pressing against my ribs, making it hard to breathe.

"I know what you are, Aldaine," I whispered to the empty room, repeating what I'd said to him in the garden. "I've seen your true form. I'm still here. "

But that wasn't enough. Whatever connection I thought we'd been building these past days with the heated glances, the protective touches, the way his eyes followed me like I was something precious, had clearly meant something different to him than it had to me.

My reflection caught my eye in the ornate full-length mirror beside the wardrobe.

I barely recognized the woman staring back.

Her makeup was smudged at the corners, red hair tumbling from what had been an elegant updo, cheeks flushed with emotion.

She looked lost. Vulnerable. Nothing like the confident woman who had walked into the engagement party on a demon's arm.

"He's dangerous, especially to you," I echoed his warning, watching my reflection's lips move with the words.

What had he meant by that? Why especially to me? The question had hung between us, heavy and significant, before he'd shut down completely, his beautiful face closing like a door being slammed in my face.

With shaking fingers, I reached behind to unzip my dress, needing to be free of the constriction. I struggled with the zipper, my frustration mounting until tears pricked at my eyes.

"Damn it!" I hissed, arms contorted awkwardly behind my back.

A soft knock at the door made me freeze.

"Rosie?" Rita's voice called through the wood. "You in there?"

Relief washed through me. "Come in," I called, quickly wiping at my eyes.

Rita slipped in, already changed into yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, her face scrubbed clean of makeup. One look at me and her expression shifted from casual to concerned.

"Whoa," she crossed the room in quick strides. "Turn around, I'll get that for you."

I obeyed silently, turning to present my back to her. I felt the gentle tug as she worked the zipper down, her fingers efficient but careful.

"There," her voice kind. "Now, you want to tell me why you're up here crying instead of downstairs wrapped around that walking sex god of yours?"

A laugh escaped me, but it sounded hollow even to my own ears. "I'm not crying."

"Uh-huh. And I'm not nosy." Rita flopped onto the bed, patting the space beside her. "Spill it, girl. What happened?"

I sank down beside her, holding my dress up with one hand across my chest. "Nothing happened. We just needed some space."

"Space," She repeated, eyebrow arched skeptically. "It's complicated," I murmured, staring down at the intricate pattern in the carpet.

"Complicated how? Like he's your boss complicated?"

Despite everything, a smile tugged at my lips. "Something like that."

Rita watched me for a long moment, her usually animated face serious. "You've fallen for him, haven't you? Like, for real."

The question hit with the precision of an arrow finding its mark. I couldn't lie to her, not when she was looking at me like that, not when the truth was probably written all over my face.

"Maybe," I whispered. "But it doesn't matter. Whatever this is between us, it's not what I thought."

Rita reached over and took my hand, squeezing gently. "Did he say that?"

"Not in so many words. He just," The memory of Aldaine's face, cold and distant, flashed before me. "He pulled away. Said he was dangerous to me. That I don't know what he's capable of."

"So what's the problem?"

I stood up abruptly, needing to move. "The problem is that I don't actually know him. Not really. And he won't let me in. Every time I think we're getting closer, he pulls away."

"And that hurts," It wasn't a question.

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

"Oh, honey." Rita stood and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. "I'm sorry. For what it's worth, I've seen the way he looks at you when you're not watching."

I pulled back slightly, studying her face. "What do you mean?"

"Like you're water and he's been wandering the desert for a thousand years. Whatever's going on in that head of his, I don't think it's lack of interest."

I wanted to believe her. Desperately wanted to believe that the connection I felt with Aldaine wasn't one-sided. That his protective instincts, the heat in his eyes when we touched, meant something more than just the terms of our contract.

"It doesn't matter," I pulled away. "He made his feelings clear tonight."

"Did he, though?" Rita persisted. "Or did he just freak out after almost murdering Roger into pulp?"

I remembered the look in Aldaine's eyes when he'd found Roger cornering me. The way the air had crackled with energy, the sudden drop in temperature. How quickly he'd moved, faster than humanly possible, his hands around Roger's throat before I could even process what was happening.

"Maybe," I conceded. "But that doesn't change anything. He still pushed me away."

Charlie studied me for a moment, then sighed. "Look, I can see you're not ready to talk about this. And that's okay. Just know that I'm here when you are, alright? Whatever happens with Tall, Dark, and Lickable, I've got your back."

Gratitude washed through me. "Thanks, Rita."

She squeezed my shoulder. "That's what friends are for. Even if we just reunited. Now, do you want me to stay? We could raid the fridge, talk shit about Stephany's bridesmaids' dresses?"

A genuine smile pulled at my lips. "Tempting, but I'm exhausted. I think I just need to sleep."

"Okay," She nodded. "But my room's just down the hall if you change your mind. Or if you need help hiding any bodies."

"I'll keep that in mind," I laughed weakly.

After Rita left, the room felt even emptier than before.

I changed mechanically, hanging up my gown and slipping into my oversized sleep shirt.

The bed seemed too large without Aldaine's solid presence beside me.

It was ridiculous how quickly I'd gotten used to sharing a bed with him, even though it had only been a few nights.

I went through my nighttime routine on autopilot, washing away my makeup, brushing out my hair until it fell in waves down my back. In the bathroom mirror, I looked more like myself again. Just Rosie, without the glamour of the evening.

Just Rosie. The woman who'd been desperate enough to summon a demon. The woman who'd somehow, against all odds and common fucking sense, fallen for that demon.

"It doesn't hurt that much," I told my reflection firmly. "It's not like this was ever going to be real."

My reflection didn't look convinced.

Back in the bedroom, I crawled under the covers, pulling them tight around me despite the warmth of the summer night. Without Aldaine, the bed felt too soft, too empty. I found myself listening for his return, straining to hear footsteps in the hallway, the sound of the door opening.

But the minutes stretched into an hour, and still I was alone.

What was he doing out there? Was he still in the woods, trying to regain the control he said he'd lost? Or had he gone somewhere else entirely? The thought that he might not come back at all opened a yawning pit in my stomach.

I rolled onto my side, staring at the empty space where he should be.

The pillow still held the faint imprint of his head from our nap earlier in the day.

On impulse, I reached out and pulled it closer, burying my face in it.

His scent lingered there, something dark and spicy that I couldn't name, distinctly Aldaine.

"Why won't you let me in?" I whispered to the empty pillow. "What are you so afraid of?"

There was more to Aldaine than the powerful demon who'd appeared in my apartment that first night.

More than the charming, mysterious man he presented to the world.

I'd seen glimpses of it, the tenderness when he thought I wasn't looking, vulnerability quickly masked, a loneliness that matched my own.

I wanted to know him. All of him. The demon and the man, the darkness and the light. I wanted to understand what made him pull away when we got too close, what haunted him through his centuries of existence.

But how could I when he kept shutting me out?

My eyes grew heavy as exhaustion finally won out over my racing thoughts. As I drifted toward sleep, I imagined I could feel the ghost of Aldaine's presence beside me, the phantom warmth of his body next to mine.

"Come back," I murmured, the words slurring as sleep pulled me under. "Whatever it is, we can figure it out together."

But there was no answer, only the soft sound of my breathing in the empty room as I fell into dreams filled with magenta eyes and the memory of a touch that felt like coming home.