King of the Asheville Coven (Winterset Coven #1)(7)

“I’m not here for that,” she gritted out. “I came to give you something.”

Aric ran his hand through his chestnut brown hair, mussing it as he looked around with a tinge of panic flaring in his eyes. It was then that she really saw his bedroom. It was massive, but okay, that made sense. He was king of this coven after all.

It was dark, with just a few sconces lit on the walls. Rich wood floors and chocolate-colored walls made the room seem even darker.

“It’s like a classy dungeon in here,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Where’s the shackles?”

He gave her a disapproving look, so she muttered, “Joke,” and moved to the writing desk scattered with charcoal sketches. Some were of animals, some of planes or scenery. Each was dark and smudged quickly, but belied real skill. Under a picture of a row of familiar flowers, there was an eye done in such detail she gasped. Gently, she moved the image of landscaping over and exposed a picture of a girl lying in a man’s arms, her lips parted slightly, her eyes wide and wild, a tear streaking through the dark smudges on her face. If this was done in color, those eyes would be gold.

“This is me,” she uttered, shocked.

“You shouldn’t be here, Sadey.”

“How do you know my name?” she asked, rounding on him.

“It’s not safe. If my coven finds out what you are—”

“How do you know my name, Aric?”

His chin was dipped to his chest, but Aric lifted his dark gaze to hers. “It was an accident. I saw the name. You were loud.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I told you my name in the hospital, you said yours back. In your head.”

“You said you weren’t in my head.” She retreated a couple of steps until her back hit the sketching table. She felt violated. “You lied.”

“I didn’t lie. I didn’t. I don’t want to be in your mind. It feels…” He shook his head hard. “It makes me feel sick. It’s not something I had control over, though. You were reaching for me. You’re reaching for me now. Begging me to…”

“Begging you to what?”

“Apologize.”

“Fuck,” she gritted out. “This was a mistake. I’ve done this before. I’ve been with someone who wanted every piece of me, and I’m not doing this again.”

“Why are you here?”

“I can’t.” Sadey strode for the door, but Aric pulled her arm, and now his eyes were roiling like black flames.

“Why?” he gritted out. “I want to know because I’ve been doing my part. I’ve been staying away from you, but now you’re in my bedroom, and I can hear you in my head. I can feel you.”

Sadey couldn’t catch her breath. Not here where he was leveling her insides with that impassioned look. Not when he was touching her. Not as his grip lessened, not when his thumb brushed the inside of her arm so softly it made her body react.

“Do you drink girls like the ones outside?” she asked. The answer mattered so much.

“Yes.”

Her heart fell, and she sighed out her disappointment.

“It isn’t sexual for me,” he said.

“How can I believe that after what I saw in the hall? That woman was enjoying it—”

“Listen to my voice, Sadey.” Aric gently pulled her closer, and now both of his hands were on her arms. “You can hear a lie. It’s not sexual for me. I have to eat, that’s all.”

Truth. But… “How can I trust what you say when you can manipulate my mind?”

“I wouldn’t with you.” He cupped her neck with those cold, strong hands of his and raised his dark brows, leveled her with the honestly in his eyes, and repeated in a whisper, “I wouldn’t.”

And she believed him. She had to. Her animal did.

“I won’t hurt you, but you can’t leave right now. Not this soon after coming in. My coven will think something is wrong. Please, just stay for a little while.”

Her gaze flicked to the unmade four poster bed across the room before she could stop herself. Aric frowned and looked behind him, following her gaze.

“Why did you draw me?” she asked on a breath. “Why did you draw my landscaping? Why were you standing outside of my house that night?”

“Because,” he murmured.

“Tell me why or I’m leaving, and screw the consequences.”

“Dammit, Sadey, I’m trying to protect you.”

“Why?”

“Because I feel compelled to! Because it feels like this world would be uglier without you here. Because you make me feel things I haven’t felt in a really long time. Things I thought I wasn’t capable of anymore.”

Before she could stop herself, Sadey lifted up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. It was reckless and wrong, but his words stirred something wild within her. She knew exactly what he meant. She made him feel. She understood. She thought she’d hate men until the day she died after the hell Brock had put her through, but here she was, feeling alive again. And it had been so damn long. Aric couldn’t be more wrong for her. He had a life leading a dangerous coven of vampires. He bled people, fed on them. He was a creature of the night and completely incapable of giving her a relationship she needed. But he could give her something she wanted—an escape. An hour where she didn’t feel jaded and unlovable. He was dangerous, powerful, and sexy, and she wanted him to touch her body, her soul, and yes, maybe her mind was reaching for him because she wanted someone to touch her there, too.