his feet. That was the obedient servant part of my mind that had been trained over countless years to always submit.
Never look a superior in the eye.
Bow.
Beg.
Please.
I shivered at the latter, my experience with pleasing lycans not one I wanted to revisit anytime soon. Thankfully, the breeding camp still resembled a haze in my mind. Perhaps because of the drugs. Or maybe it was just his blood. In which case, I’d likely wake up screaming later when the night terrors came.
“I don’t suggest running,” Ryder said quietly. “Because if the wolves don’t catch you, I will. Neither outcome will end well for you.” He brushed his knuckles down my cheek, pausing at my neck. “I put some clothes on your bed. Feel free to do whatever you want with them.”
With that, he turned away from me and disappeared through a set of glass doors that I suspected led to his own room. He didn’t slide them closed, leaving me to wonder if they had been open this entire time. Or had he come out here through my room?
My room, I repeated to myself, frowning. What a strange concept. Rae and I had shared a room once, or what the university called a room, anyway. It was more like a space with wall dividers within one giant hall. Our beds were pushed together. We had two little chests for our uniforms. And nothing else. The bathroom was shared and open, as were the showers. They were gender-neutral as well, something that started to cause discomfort around puberty, but I quickly learned not to care about nudity.
Yet Ryder had gifted me clothes.
Curiosity caused my feet to move into my room, my hands immediately seeking out the outfit he’d left for me on the bed.
A white T-shirt that smelled like him.
And a pair of too-big gym shorts.
They were probably the thickest materials I’d ever been allowed to own. Not worn or translucent, but actual clothes.
Who are you? I wondered at him, disturbed by his behavior. Why are you doing this? I’d never met a royal before, but I knew their reputations well. They enjoyed playing with their food, their games notoriously cruel.
Was he doing this to placate me? To give me a false sense of hope?
If that were the case, he’d have to try a heck of a lot harder.
I didn’t buy the whole chivalrous act.
All vampires had ulterior motives. He claimed he wanted me to teach him about society, but as a royal, he already knew the rules. Except he wasn’t acting the part of a royal. Starting with his home. Where are all the Vigils? His harem? His mortal staff?
The only being I’d seen so far was Damien, who had acted more on par with my expectations than Ryder. Yet their easy candor had been unique, too.
Oh, but when they touched me together, I thought I’d just become dinner. And rather than feel terrified, I’d felt… hungry. Interested. Intrigued, as Ryder would say.
Which was so damn wrong.
Yet, also expected.
Vampires were alluring creatures of the night, their flawless looks and hypnotic appeal two lethal traits that aided in their ability to captivate their prey.
And I’d fallen victim to their allure.
I’d almost leaned into Ryder, to entice him to bite me.
Only, he said I wasn’t ready, thus implying he intended to make a meal of me in the future. While also using me for information.
I shook my head, the entire experience morphing into a cataclysm of confusion.
What I needed to do was rest, take advantage of the amenities while I had access to them, and plot my next steps. Becoming Ryder’s dinner wasn’t going to work for me. But I couldn’t escape until I had a better idea of where we were, as well as a notion of where to go.
I pulled on his shirt and shorts, then slid into the sheets on the too-soft bed. Sitting up, I frowned down at the plump mattress. Why was it so cushiony? Where were the lumps? The hard cement slab beneath? How could anyone sleep like this?
Rather than try, I pulled the blankets off the mattress and made myself a proper bed on the floor. No pillow.
It was much better. More solid. Reminding me of my previous home.
A life I no longer lived.
A world I left behind.
For a future I didn’t understand.
6
Willow
Three days later and I still didn’t understand Ryder.
“You want me to attack you,” I said slowly, eyeing his position on the mat.
We were in his training room, surrounded by a variety of weapons.