Page 133 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

Smiling, Kaden’s fangs glint in the shadows. “Clever blood summoner.” He nods. “It’s the only way to keep my people safe while you…adjust.”

He says it like I’m rearranging furniture in a new home.

This is mylifehe’s changed. He’s taken away my freedom. My choice. I willnotadjust.

He holds the water to me. “Drink.”

The bars are just wide enough for the cool glass to touch my lips. Gently, he presses it to my dry lips and I let him tip the glass into my mouth.

The water is cool, sweet, but even now, I can taste the herbs in it.

The BlackwoodsCoven was good for something. It taught me to detect subtle changes in taste, to pick out herbs and flowers that could be poisoned by chewing on them. It was a small gift from Nessa even after all her betrayals.

Not now.I can’t let that grief consume me when I have to escape.

Spitting the water into his face, I make sure not to swallow a single drop. Let him see that although I am chained, I amnotweak.

He smiles, water dripping from his chin, but his eyes strike a note of fear in my gut.

Kaden is reaching his breaking point with me.Good.

Quick as a viper, his hand grabs my throat, and hauls me close to the iron. It touches his bare skin, burning him, but he doesn’t recoil, doesn’t drop me. In fact, he squeezes painfully hard. Head squashed between the bars, pain radiates from my temples and he smiles, a fang dropping into my sight.

Taking a long sip from the glass, he tilts my head back, his thumb prying my mouth open. It digs into my lip, pulling it wide as I hiss against the pain. My nails claw into his wrist but he doesn’t stop.

Spitting the water directly into my mouth, he tosses whatever is left to the side as glass shatters, and he holds my mouth, my nose, closed.

Thrashing, I scratch at his arms to get away but he doesn’t release me.

I can’t swallow this drug—Ineedmy magic. I have to fight it.

The overwhelming urge to breathe causes black dots to swim into my vision. My throat tries to swallow, but I just choke, air trapped there, held by his hand.

“Do you feel that, kitten?” he purrs, leaning until his nose brushes mine. His flesh melts against the iron, but he doesn’t flinch. “The way your heart rate increases when it’s near me. How your thighs clench with anticipation. I’ll bet you’re fucking wet, even right now, as you fight to stay conscious.

“That’s the bond. You might notwant it or me, but you’ll have it. Because you fucking need to be safe, and only I can keep you that way in this palace. Now, you’ll drink your water like a good little girl and behave,” he growls, pulling away to stare into my eyes. Now they’re black and I know my insolence has pushed him. “You will be married to me, and you will befullymine. I’ve laid a claim onto your soul. That means we’re tied together.Where one goes, the other follows.”

I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. Desperately, I swallow the water, spurting and coughing when he shoves me away, as though I disgust him. Falling to my knees, the cold ground smacks against my inflamed flesh and I wince.

I hate how my body instinctively responds to him. How even now, it wants to reach for him and beg him to touch me.

What is happening to me?

“You’ll be mine by the end of the week, Max. And you’ll even beg me for it. You’ll crave it.Again.”

“Fuck you,” I wheeze, rubbing my throat. I won’t beg—I won’t be his. I’ll never be his.

Kaden kneels down to the ground, smirking like a demon in the red light.

“Soon enough,wife, you will. And you’ll enjoy every moment of it.”

THE END