home wa

steepled in front of his mouth. His gaze remained fixed on the window, though E

s plo

lway

ed at the club still lodged in her chest, a searing humiliation she hadn't managed to so

ing with me for

ugh her head like

ching from holding back every s

aged to say at last, her

her direction. "That,"

d. "Of the fact that I belong to you now? That I'm just som

and inscrutable. "Yes," he said flatly.

em or

the shadow of his smi

ike he knew things she didn't, like he held all the strings a

ered, though both of them

d an eyebrow

t. That is not the sa

, Elena. I do not need your soul. I w

wanting to ask, but h

your sur

-

of the mansion a few m

ned her to follow. She trailed him along the cold marble halls,

o the bedroom where she had woken that morning,

e, indicating she should pass thr

, the floor a glossy black stone. One large window overlooked the back gardens, where shadowed hedges d

mate. More person

from now on," Lucien said,

yes narro

se I'm tired of playing pretend like

eful step. "What ar

pace in a bed, Elena. You're here because I want to know how far

tiff. "I

. "That night, you ruined everything. My name.

girls had teased her, the way Lucien had appeared so small, so out of place at that party... the way they'

ith the repercussions in front of h

" she breathed.

" he amended. "A

ide. "So this i

ould feel the warmth of him. "No, Elena. This

gh fear was wrapping around the base

not move much.

-

e next morn

bers. A breakfast tray sat on the coffee table-fruit, eggs, toast

e gardens were spread out under a thin mist, ghostly and beautiful. She could i

er

d accept-that there was anywhere she might go that h

away as the

toned at the collar, sleeves rolled to his elbows.

g at first. Ju

look-the one th

n't eat,

not h

ed breakfast. "That's unfortuna

" she aske

ed inside. "

tated, but

ore. Below the top floors. The hall was dark, lit by only golden sconces e

front of a la

pushed

enter, and two chairs. There were bookshelves against the walls, leather-bound books stacked in macabre perfection. Against one wall, a sh

er file a

e?" she aske

r directly. "This is

ed for he

ained s

lder, sliding it across the table. He opened it g

the first page

d softly, "is

pped t

photo. "Is what I be

curled h

teen. Blood on his face. Gaping c

this version of him.

know," she

voice like a knife.

ile in front of

don

ad

ents from his stay in juvenile detention. He had been committed. Assessed. Sued as a ri

ly emotionally. Legally. Soc

was unabl

ever been. "You don't get to apologize. Not ever. Not now. Y

yes filling with tears. "Th

ant you to suffer with what you've done. I want you to w

et, her hands formed into fists.

turned. "I a

na was certain-the real