Page 26

“Good choice,” the man replies, handing him a ticket.

Silas leans closer. “This new warrior is a beast,” he tells me excitedly. “Wrath doesn’t stand a chance.”

I take a calming breath as the next warrior enters the ring.

He’s huge, bigger than Wrath and angrier-looking.

He almost smirks as the bell rings and his chains are removed.

I look over to Wrath, who’s still looking at me.

I offer another reassuring smile, and he tips his neck from side to side, flexing his fingers before turning his focus back to the ring.

The next bell rings and Wrath runs forward.

Satan sidesteps him, and Wrath misses. My heart sinks, only for it to lift seconds later when Wrath hits him over the head from behind.

Satan hardly flinches, and I clasp my hands together in a silent prayer.

Satan spins, grinning like a madman as he makes a grab for Wrath and body slams him to the floor.

He scrambles to sit over him and begins to rain punches down on him. “No,” I whisper.

“We’re cheering for Satan, remember,” says Silas, laughing. “Come on,” he calls to the fighters. “Keep him down.”

Wrath suddenly roars, half sitting and shoving Satan from him.

He falls back, and Wrath climbs over him, fists balled as he slams them against Satan’s head and face.

“Yes,” I scream, jumping out my seat. A few men look my way, and I gather myself, realising all too late that Silas is also staring at me in shock.

I lower back into my seat and give a small smile.

“Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

He smirks. “I do,” he says, brushing my hair over my shoulder and leaning closer. “Bloodlust,” he adds, pressing his lips to mine. I don’t react at first, shock freezing me, but as his lips work against mine, I close my eyes and lose myself. Just for a second.

But it’s enough, and I feel the storm before I hear it.

I look up just in time as Wrath growls and charges our way.

Silas stands in front of me, keeping his promise to protect me, even against the man I .

. . love. Love. Christ, I love Wrath. What the hell am I doing getting lost to another man, a man like Silas who finds this shit fun.

I go to move around him, but before I get a chance, Wrath falls to the ground, his eyes wide and his body jerking.

There are wires attached to his chest, and the guards stand over him with their stun guns drawn.

I watch helplessly as they chain him, and then the six guards each grab a limb and take him away.

All the while, his eyes are on mine, only he’s back.

It’s the Wrath I know and love, but this time, they’re full of sadness.

Silas flags the man taking bets and hands over his tickets.

The man gives him a payout for the first two fights, and then Silas turns to me, unphased by Wrath’s sudden attempt at an attack.

“Let’s go and have dinner,” he suggests, taking my hand in his.

I’m too lost in my own head to object, and really, how will it help anyway?

We head back to the house. My heart hurts, and my mind is full of the things I need to say to Wrath, even though I have no idea when I’ll get to see him again.

Realising my true love for him changes everything, I can’t sit by and watch another death match like tonight, and I certainly can’t watch him have sex with anyone in a ceremony. Duty or not.

Ava is on the porch, and she stands, kissing Silas on the cheek in greeting. “Did you have a nice evening?”

“Is dinner ready?” he asks, ignoring her question.

“Of course. Out on the terrace, like you asked. Am I to join you?” she asks with hope in her eyes.

“I’d like to spend some alone time with Wynter.” She nods before rushing off into the house.

“I’m happy for her to join us,” I say, following him through the house and out to the terrace, where the table is set for two. Aurelia steps out to light the candles as we seat ourselves. “The table looks lovely, Aurelia,” I remark. “Thank you.” She bows her head and goes back inside.

Silas stares at me from across the table as he pours us each a drink.

“I chose the wine from my oldest collection,” he tells me, nodding for me to try it.

I take a sip, nodding in approval, and he grins, topping my glass up some more.

“You thanked Aurelia for carrying out her duty,” he muses, sitting back in his chair.

“Manners cost nothing.”

“She’s supposed to move around this house unseen and unheard, but I get the feeling if I asked you to respect that, you’d only make her more seen.”

I take a large gulp of wine, hoping it calms my nerves. “She’s still human. She shouldn’t be ignored. No one should.”

“This is what your father was talking about, no?”

“He beat me many times for not adhering to his rules.”

“You didn’t like being ignored?”

“Who does?”

He smiles, taking a drink of wine. “Well, you’re seen now.”

“Shouldn’t we all be equal?” I ask, feeling braver as the wine warms my insides.

Aurelia returns, placing a dish in front of each of us. Salmon sits on a bed of salad, and I smile. “Thank you.”

“Aurelia,” he says, and I look up, hoping I haven’t got her into trouble, “do you think we should all be treated as equals?”

She looks terrified and eventually says, “I think everything is just as it needs to be, sir.”

He smiles, satisfaction dripping from him. “See, she’s happy.”

“That’s not what you asked her,” I point out as she scurries away.

“Do you know why I chose you?” he asks thoughtfully, and I shake my head.

“I was bored.” He laughs to himself. “Bored of this life. Bored of the rules and my family.” He takes another drink before placing the glass down.

“I didn’t realise that until after you came.

I thought I’d chosen you because I craved the control I would have over you.

” He smirks. “I had all kinds of creative ways to punish you, to break you.” His eyes meet mine and the blue shines a little darker.

“Some for my pleasure, others for yours.” I blush, looking down at my plate.

“We should eat,” he announces. “Tuck in.”

I take a small amount and savour the taste.

I’ve never eaten so much luxurious food, and I’m conscious of looking greedy if I eat too fast or eagerly.

We eat in silence. I’ve noticed he likes it this way, and as we finish, he holds out a hand for me to take and leads me onto the decked area.

He presses something on a small remote from his pocket and music begins to play.

It’s not often music is played here, and we don’t have radios or any kind of device to play it on.

But it’s refreshing, and as the soft sounds from a violin fill the air, he pulls me to him and wraps his arms around me, slowly swaying to the music.

When we’re like this, I can almost pretend the bad stuff didn’t happen.

That Wrath didn’t fight for his life tonight.

And that there aren’t people counting on me to get them out of here.

Wrath

My head aches as I roll onto my back and stare up at the ceiling.

She kissed him . I wasn’t prepared for it.

Wynter had given me hope of happiness, and I was even starting to believe that she liked me too.

I was a fool because why would she when she could be with a man like him.

A man who roams freely. I have nothing to offer her down here.

But what hurts more than anything is she talked about a life outside this place.

She almost had me believing we could get out of here.

When I saw her sitting beside the ring tonight, I had something to fight for.

It was a sign to keep going. I won’t live like this anymore.

I give up. Without Wynter, there’s no point.