Torn (A Wicked Saga, #2)(64)

Behind me, the door opened without any warning. I dropped the chain and turned, breathing heavy. There he was. The prince. Drake. And it looked like him—dark, shoulder-length hair and olive skin. It was a small relief that he no longer looked like Ren.

“I’m going to kill you,” I promised.

He arched a brow. “Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Drake chuckled as he walked toward the bed, stopping just out of arm’s reach. “You haven’t touched your dinner.” He gestured to the nightstand. A covered plate sat untouched. “You should eat.”

I reached for the plate, and Drake seemed to sense that I had no intention of eating. He was wicked fast, snatching the tray away before I could beat him upside the head with it. My hands closed around empty air. “Unchain me,” I commanded.

“I don’t think so.” He placed the tray on the table where the pitcher had been. “You’re awake for all of five minutes and you abused one of mine.”

“One of yours bit me.” I lifted my left arm.

“And she has been dealt with.” Drake faced me, crossing his arms over his chest. “I do not want you injured.”

“Really?” I laughed harshly. “You have no problem injuring me.”

“That was before I knew what you were.”

“Oh, so beating the crap out of other females is okay? Feeding on them against their will?” I said when he looked like he was going to speak. “And I’m pretty sure you injured me earlier—”

“You were fighting me,” he replied coolly. “Am I supposed to stand there and not defend myself?”

“You have me chained to a f*cking bed!” I shrieked like a banshee.

The dry smirk remained fixed on his face. “That is to protect others. Obviously, you cannot be trusted to behave like a civil creature.”

“Behave like a civil creature? Are you insane? You fed on me and brought me here against my will, and I’m supposed to behave?” I lurched for him out of anger and was immediately snapped back by the chain. A curse of frustration tore out of me. I couldn’t believe I was actually having this conversation. “I am going to kill you.”

“How? You can’t even reach me.”

My head was going to explode. “But you’re going to get close enough to me eventually.”

“True,” he said. “And when I do, you’ll be willing.”

“Not likely.”

Drake’s smile grew.

My anger matched it. “You can’t pretend to be Ren anymore. I know.”

“I don’t need to pretend to be him.”

I started to pace as far as the chain would allow, which was from the nightstand to the halfway point of the bed. “I thought for a child to be conceived, it couldn’t be done with any trick or coercion,” I said.

“You would be correct.”

I eyed him as he moved closer. “But you pretending to be Ren would be trickery.”

“Would it? There isn’t exactly a handbook on these things. If you said yes, you would’ve given me consent.”

The bitter taste of shame clogged my throat even though I knew what had happened between Drake and me wasn’t my fault. I knew that, but the mortification was still there. “I would’ve given Ren consent. Not you.”

“Semantics.” He sat on the edge of the bed. I could probably have reached him, but only to grab his hair, and that wouldn’t have helped. “It was worth trying.”

Backing into the nightstand, I put as much space as the chain would allow between us. “You sicken me.”

He smirked. “And I love seeing you with this.” He reached over, running his finger along the taut chain, and I tensed. “It’s like having a rabid cat on a leash.”

“Fuck—”

Drake yanked on the chain, and I toppled to my knees. “I also love seeing you down there, little bird.”

Tears of humiliation stung my eyes as I stared at his boots. “Do you think that I would ever, in a million years, be with you after all of this?”

“I think so.” Drake rose, forcing me to stand with him.

“I hate you,” I seethed, watching him.

One shoulder rose as he reached into his pocket, withdrawing a key. “I’m not particularly fond of you either.”

“You’re not even attracted to me.” I recalled the moments on the couch when he was pretending to be Ren. “How’s that going to work out?”

“Oh, there are times when I find you deliciously attractive.” He unhooked the chain from the bed, but before I could do anything, he wrapped it around his fist. He yanked me forward, against his chest. “This is one of those moments. So don’t worry about my ability to perform.” Lowering his mouth to my ear, he said, “I’ve had worse.”

I strained away, leaning as far back as I could. “Well, I haven’t.”

“You’ll change your tune soon enough.” He shortened the length of the chain and started walking. I had no choice but to follow.

The hallway was wide with several closed doors. At the end, two ancients stood as sentries. Their lips curled in disgust as we passed. I wanted to drag my feet, but his pace made it impossible. I struggled to keep up with him as we went down the wide stairs.