212

Maya was seated on the sofa in the sitting room adjacent to our chambers. She looked past me and smiled when she saw that I was alone. I sat down on the sofa opposite her and leaned back into the cushions. It had been a long day and I wasn’t exactly done with work yet.

“You wanted to talk.”

“What did the Elders want?”

“Nothing much, it was a good meeting.” For some reason I didn’t trust her smile and the fact that she was Florin’s daughter only made me more wary of her intentions.

“I’m sure your personal secretary mentioned that I would be staying in my own chambers for the duration of the pregnancy.”

“He did.”

“About last night …” Her voice trailed off and I looked intently at her.

“What about last night?”

“I didn’t like it and it will never happen again.” She looked up at me with determination in her eyes.

“You didn’t seem to mind last night, in fact, I could tell that you really enjoyed it.”

“I felt humiliated that you would let your brother touch me. I nodded my head because it was what you wanted and my obligation on our wedding night is to see to your needs, whatever they might be. That stops now, in fact, I won’t have you touch me for the duration of your brother’s stay.”

“What is your problem with Milo?”

“He whispers in your ear all day long and he can’t be controlled!” I had never before seen Maya angry but I heard it in her voice now. She looked down quickly and took a deep breath to maintain her composure but it was too late. She’d already said it.

“You’ll soon find out that I can’t be controlled either. I don’t care if you spend the rest of your life in a separate room. Milo stays, enjoy your solitude.”

I stood up from the sofa and headed towards the door. “Wynter! You’re supposed to love me!”

“I’m not even sure I like you right now but we both know we don’t love each other.”

I left the sitting room and headed to Milo’s room. He stood on the balcony and looked over at the thick trees surrounding the castle. It was a beautiful view but I sensed that he had something on his mind.

“I could go back home, Wynter.”

“You’re staying.”

“Your little princess makes it no secret that she doesn’t want me here.”

“Milo, you’re not leaving. It’s not like I love her, she’s here only because I have no other choice and the fact that she’s pregnant.”

“I could always go back to Sinaia, be with Abby and watch over her.”

“As much as I like that idea I need you here with me. This town doesn’t trust easily and we need to show them that we’re nothing like the de Haviland family.”

“Fine, your warriors are waiting in the training area behind the castle.”

The meeting with the castle warriors went better than I expected it would. Most of them were related to the Elders in one way or another and word had already spread of what I’d done and said in that meeting with them.

I was exhausted and I felt dizzy because I’d partaken in thirty blood oaths and we’d skipped dinner as the warriors were linked with me and we discussed training regimes, their needs and their housing. It was a good night but I sorely missed my bed.

I stripped off my clothes in the bathroom and took a hot shower. I felt grimy and a shower was just what I needed. I didn’t bother to dry myself and just wrapped the towel around my waist and walked into my bedroom and froze in my steps.

“Good evening, Sire. You’re brother made a special request. He said you needed to relieve some stress.”

She stood in front of my bed wearing a sheer nightgown that hid nothing but was tempting me as well. She had long red hair, faint freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks. She was beautiful, gorgeous actually and when she dropped the nightgown from her shoulders I could feel my dick responding.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s Camelia, Sire.” She looked down briefly and her gaze settled where the towel was stretching across my growing erection.

She walked towards me slowly and took my hand, leading me to the bed. She tugged the towel off and ran her hand up and down my now fully erect penis. She pushed me down onto the bed and straddled me and I could feel she was ready.

I turned us over and her legs wrapped around me as I closed my eyes and thrusted inside her. It was rough and hard and the sounds she made encouraged me to go harder. She wasn’t someone I cared about but it was a good way to get rid of all the pent up stress and frustrations I felt.

I lay on my back and I could hear her ragged breathing next to me. I rubbed a hand over my face as her hand trailed over my chest. I caught her hand and turned my head. “You can go now.”

She stood up quietly and pulled the nightgown around her body. She left my room quietly and I turned on my side and closed my eyes. Sleep came swiftly and I was haunted by dreams of Alexis. I woke up at five am to someone running their hand through my hair.

“Damnit Milo.”

He chuckled low in his throat and removed his hand from my head. “Good morning to you too sunshine.”

“Did you at least bring coffee with you?”

“What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t?”

I sat up in the bed and grabbed the discarded towel and wrapped it around myself. I gulped down the lukewarm coffee standing near the sofa and headed for the bathroom. “Don’t join me!” Milo laughed heartily and mumbled something I couldn’t hear.

I didn’t see Maya at breakfast and thankfully I was glad for that fact. I was still slightly mad at her for wanting me to choose between her and Milo. I tried to think back to before we got married when I thought we could actually make a go of this.

“Her true colours are emerging.” Echo shifted slightly and I had to agree with him. Everything else had been a ruse but I still didn’t know why. I was more certain of the fact that she had somehow duped me into sleeping with her and I was determined to find out the reason.

Milo and I spent the morning training with the warriors, drawing up schedules and finally just before lunch we inspected their barracks. All the warriors we had were young and they were all single but I wasn’t stupid enough to think it would stay that way.

“I suggest we build a small village at the back of the castle. Houses for the warriors to live in, those that want to remain in the barracks can do so, but when they bond, they’ll want privacy with their bonded halves.”

“I agree, Milo. If you look after your warriors, they’ll look after you.”

Ivan called in an architect and we started talking about our plans. He was excited to get started on the job and the warriors liked the idea of a warrior village near the castle. Things were looking up and we set up new patrolling routes for them.

It was after eleven pm and I stood in front of the large windows in my room. Milo had taken to wandering the estate at night, checking up on patrols and looking for easy ways to attack us. I had my phone in my hand and I finally pressed the dial button.

It rang about seven times before it was answered. “Hello.”

“I miss you.”

“Wynter, you can’t keep doing this.”

“Why can’t you come here?”

She sighed audibly and I knew my request wasn’t fair, but nothing in life was fair. “You left me, Wynter. You went to Romania and then you got married.”

“I don’t love her, Ally.”

“It doesn’t matter if you love her or not, you chose her over me and I need to forget you.”

“It was out of my control.”

“We were never even together and what happened between us shouldn’t have happened. There was never a future for us. Let me live my life and you live yours. Be my brother or don’t be in my life. Don’t call me again, Wynter, unless it’s to be my brother.”

The line went dead and I had to restrain myself from crushing my phone. I had a suspicion that we had started the bonding process that first night and the second time we were together it had taken hold of us. Why else would she need to forget me and why couldn’t I forget her?

“Break the bond, Wynter. It’s the only way we’ll survive.” Echo’s voice sounded loud in my head and full of regret.

“You’re right.” I opened my text messages and started typing.

Wynter – If you really want to forget what you feel for me then you need to reject me. I won’t do it unless it’s what you want. You know we started the bond and if you reject me I’ll respect your decision because I do love you. I’ll accept it if it’s what you really want.

She read my message but she didn’t reply. I hadn’t expected her to reply either. It wasn’t fair to her to be bonded to someone like me. She deserved happiness and I loved her enough to want that for her.

Over the next two weeks we fell into a routine and every day it felt like I had left something undone. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it and it irritated the hell out of me. I saw Maya at dinner every evening but she didn’t talk to me or acknowledge my existence in the slightest.

Eight days after I sent that text to Alexis I was halfway down the stairs when the searing pain cut through me. It knocked the breath from me and I had to sit down or risk falling down the last flight of stairs.

My vision went dark and the pain increased as I breathed out. She was rejecting me and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt. “I accept your rejection, Alexis Grey.” Milo appeared in my peripheral vision and he caught me just as I slumped forward.

We didn’t talk about it but Milo knew exactly what had happened to me. He showed me no pity and when I woke up from that rejection knock out he slapped me behind the head and told me to stop faking to get out of training.

It was our third week in Mintia and Milo and I were in the office with Ivan when Maya burst through the door without knocking. Milo shook his head and remained standing next to me. Ivan frowned at her intrusion and he opened his mouth to say something.

“I assume this is important for you to forget your manners and knock.”

“I have never been so humiliated in all my life! The gall of these people. You need to do something, Wynter!”

“What are you talking about?”

“Melinda and I were roaming about in town and I stopped at this little shop to buy some refreshments for us and the girl refused to let me leave with what I’d chosen. She had the nerve to ask for payment and told me that the Duke himself had written a new decree and shoved it in my face! I had to leave empty handed because I didn’t have any money on me!”

Milo started laughing and Maya turned on him instantly. “Don’t laugh at me you vile vampire!” She was faster than any of us expected and by the time I’d rounded my desk she was hitting Milo on his chest with her fists.

“What the hell is wrong with you!” My voice was louder than I wanted it to be and I grabbed her as Milo just stood there and took her punches. He’d never hurt a woman unless it was an assignment given to him.

“These people have no respect for me!” Her hair was wild and she was furious.

“Respect is earned. The decree stands, if you want something, buy it. I’m not discussing this any further and stop assaulting my brother. Your behaviour is childish.”

She looked at me with wide eyes, turned on her heel and slammed the office door behind her. Ivan was hiding his smile and Milo started laughing again. It took me all of two seconds to join in his laughter and soon Ivan was laughing too.

I finally realized what it was that was eluding me all this time. Luciana had never shown up to the castle for the meeting I’d requested and it piqued my interest that she was bold enough to ignore me.