“Silas?” I prompted, needing to know why he had done what he had.

“Does it matter?” he asked softly.

I nodded. It mattered to me. While I was relieved I was no longer going to be subjected to Thane I was still trying to figure out why someone who had only treated me with cruelty would do something to help me. It didn’t make sense.

“Whether it’s with me or Thane, your task remains the same.”

I swallowed, when his meaning became more clear. Bearing a child. If it wasn’t with Thane, it would be with him. I felt breathless at the thought.

“Have you done this before?” I found myself asking. Maybe I was wondering whether he had others hidden inside the large apartment or elsewhere.

He shook his head.

His admission did weird things inside of me. I knew it shouldn’t matter but somehow it did.

“Don’t read more into this than there is Avery.”

Could he somehow read my mind or had I not hidden my reaction as well as I had thought?

“You have shown your strength as a Sire. You have fought well and shown admirable courage. Who could blame me for wanting you for myself?”

I was seeing a side to him I had never encountered before and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. There would be time to work out what I was feeling.

“We want the best survival for our offspring. I want my children to have the best chance and I believe that will be with you.”

This was not going the way I had first hoped and I felt more dejected with every passing moment. Had that been the reason he had stepped in and stopped Thane? Had it been purely for his own reasons?

“I didn’t do it for you Avery. I did it for my own selfish reasons.”

It made me look at him entirely differently to what I had moments before.

“What if I won’t do any of this?” I asked, wanting to rile him up. Maybe I wanted to make anger him to detract from the hurt I felt and the confusing emotions it caused.

He moved closer, his eyes dark beneath the shimmer. I held my breath.

“Don’t test me Avery. I’m not Thane but I won’t allow you to be disobedient. It would be a show of weakness.”

Disobedient? Who spoke that way?

“What do you think will happen if I take you back? I can tell them I changed my mind. What do you think will happen?” he asked softly, searching my features.

“I’ll…go back to…training.” That’s what he had told me to females Sires that fail to be bear children.

He shook his head. “Only females who fail to get pregnant are returned to training.”

I frowned, not quite understanding what the difference was.

“You are untouched. Only Sires who are unable to bear children after consummating are returned to training. So if I take you back they will give you to the next Vampire in line for a Sire.”

The horror took my breath away. “Thane?”

He nodded slowly, taking in my reaction.

That was way worse than being forced back into training.

I bit my lip as I considered that I only had one choice. I lifted my eyes to meet his.

“Please don’t take me back.” I pleaded with him, intent on doing anything to ensure I was not given to Thane.

“As long as you do what is required, you will give me no reason to return you.”

Images of him and I flitted through my mind and I felt the heat in my cheeks. Could he tell what I was thinking as he studied me? What was wrong with me? After everything he had subjected me to how could I view him in that way? In a way a woman viewed a man.

I cleared my throat. “How does this work?”

I needed to understand the new rules to ensure I didn’t break any. I would not give him a reason to take me back. Thane was not an option.

“You will stay here with me.”

I swallowed at he stared at me, his eyes made me feel hot. The dress, felt too warm and I wanted to strip myself free of the suffocating garment.

“You can leave the apartment but if you even consider running let me remind you that the safety of your parents are in your hands.”

“I won’t run,” I assured him.

This was my life now and I was resigned to my fate. I would not do anything to endanger my parents.

He nodded. “I will give you some time to get used to the idea.”

I nodded. Thankful for his kindness. In this situation I bet Thane wouldn’t have done the same. I swallowed. That is was what awaited me if I failed. Thane. Remembering his eyes devouring me before Silas had intervened made me shiver with fear.

“You will have your own room. And if you need anything there will be servants who can provide it.”

Looking around the apartment, the wealth of art and ornaments screamed money.

“Tomorrow night, I will come to you. Ensure you are ready.”

My heart fluttered and I caught my breath before giving a brief nod. I had a day to get used to the idea before he would expect me to do what was expected.

He led the way to a door which he opened. It was a bedroom. “I hope it will suffice.”

I was overwhelmed by the size and texture of colors. I had gotten used to the clinical white. The difference made me anxious. Would I ever get used to this? I wasn’t sure I would.

I stood in the middle room feeling like a stranger in a world I didn’t belong in.

“Clothes will be delivered tomorrow,” he informed me, as his eyes swept over me. Making me more aware of my body than I had been before.

All that had mattered before had been survival and fighting. This now entailed a whole different way to survive and I was nervous. But I reminded myself that Silas was a better option than Thane.

I nodded. This was worlds away from what I could have considered normal and I had no idea how to fit in or even if it was possible.

“I’m giving you a chance Avery. Don’t make me regret it.” His eyes locked with mine and I felt my heart race.

Maybe it was part of the stock holm syndrome but I wanted him. From the first time his mouth had touched me. I wasn’t proud of the fact that I did.

“I won’t.” I was confident of that, if nothing else. Doing whatever I had to was my sole goal.

I watched as he turned to leave and I followed his retreating figure. It was only when the door closed that I turned to look at the bed.

Each breath I held was tight and suddenly the dress was suffocating me. I pulled it off and allowed it to drop to the floor.

I stepped out of it and removed the shoes, only dressed in my underwear I crawled into the bed and lay on my side, pulling the comforter up to my chin.

The mixture of emotions I was feeling was too much to be able to sleep.

A little later there was a knock on my door and I sat up. The door opened and an old man with shimmering gold eyes entered dressed in a suit. He looked like a butler. He wheeled in a large glass of blood.

“For you,” he said.

“Thank you,” I murmured softly.

He nodded before retreating out of the room quietly.

I didn’t want the blood but I needed it. It held the same significance as my situation. I didn’t want to need someone but I needed Silas. Without him, I would be with Thane now and who knows what he would be doing to me already. I released a heavy breath, trying not to allow the fear to get to me.

I was safe, for the moment.

But what hung in the balance was far worse than what Thane could ever take. It was how I felt about Silas that scared me the most. I wasn’t sure this was something I could go into without the fear of possibly feeling more than I should, or was safe to feel.