She was extremely pale, her lips pressed tightly together, her eyes blank. Everyone else would assume she was just like one of them, but Noah knew she was probably numb with fear. Her mother had carefully dressed her for the occasion. She stood stiff in an elegant, body forming black dress that made her look mature and adult. In a weird, twisted way, she was lovely.
Her eyes stopped surveying the room and fell upon him.
Noah felt the look like a bullet to his heart, and as her eyes widened with utter horror, he knew she hadn’t known he was to be her victim.
Her skin turned a pallid, sick color as she looked to her brother. “Did you know?” Noah heard her whisper.
The floor seemed to fall away from her and she grasped tighter to Stellan’s hand as she awaited his answer.
This couldn’t be happening.
This couldn’t possibly be happening.
Stellan’s hand flexed in hers and his jaw clenched tightly as he replied, “Yes. He deserves it, Paradise. For what he did to you.”
There was no regret or remorse on his face. He truly believed this vengeance was right. Heart racing, Eden ripped her hand from his, suddenly feeling more alone than she’d ever felt in her life as the eyes of her family and these strangers bore into her.
Waiting.
Waiting for what? She clenched her fists, afraid to look at Noah again. What had they done to him?
He betrayed you, Eden, the hunger whispered in her ear. And his soul is so delicious.
A little hysterical laugh fell from her lips. Noah’s soul had been the one to awaken the hunger. She remembered his fingers brushing hers as he took the manga from her hands and swapped it for In Cold Blood. Her whole body had seemed to unfurl, like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. All this time she’d been one thing only to discover she was meant to be something else. But that something else wasn’t as beautiful as the butterfly wings, nor as freeing. Instead she was stuck inside the cocoon, suffocating under expectations she couldn’t possibly meet because she hadn’t decided yet, she hadn’t decided who she was going to be.
Noah had made her feel better about that.
He’d laughed with her. Talked with her. Teased her.
Sat in perfect, beautiful silence with her.
And it had all been a lie.
“Eden,” Ryan prompted, his voice harsh in her ear, “It’s time.”
She nodded, a brittle nod, and without really looking at him strode towards Noah, chained on the floor.
Silently, fluidly, she lowered to her knees, her eyes refusing to meet his. Determined not to tremble, Eden reached out, her hands taking hold of his head, ignoring the soft familiar feel of his hair. That strong citrusy, woody scent enveloped her and the hunger roared with approval. Her fingers curled tighter into his hair and she jerked his head back, ignoring the little gasp that escaped his mouth.
“Eden,” he whispered, his warm deep voice pushing the hunger back.
No! Traitor! the hunger screamed and Eden leaned forward, her lips falling open in frenzied anticipation. Her whole body shook with it.
“Eden, please. Look at me.”
She shook her head.
“Please. Eden, I never meant to hurt you. I was never going to hurt you. I was trying to save you.”
She made a mistake. Her unfocused eyes blinked into focus. They gazed straight into Noah’s violet depths and saw his concern. Her fingers relaxed a little, and she fought to breathe, to fight back the hunger.
“You betrayed me,” she replied coldly, churning up the hurt again to help her escape the feelings she had for him.
“I didn’t. I lied. But I didn’t betray you.” There was no fear in his eyes. Only desperation and worry.
For her?
“You betrayed me,” she maintained, but her fingers loosened even more.