Anger had her stalking to him, coming chest to chest with him. “Some vampires also fuck their frimars while taking blood from them. Is that something you do, Tyrian?”

He stiffened, muscles coiling hard. “That is none of your business.” She saw red. Her hand pulled into a fist and she clocked him in the mouth. His head didn’t even move an inch but she hopped back, wincing and cradling her throbbing knuckles. Hot, stinging pain pulsated like a heartbeat from her hand.

“God dammit.” She had to get out of here. She was on the verge of cracking, and no one should be around when that happened. She tried to leave but he blocked the doorway. “Let me go.”

He grabbed her wrist and she let him only because she didn’t want to yank it away and hurt herself worse. He inspected her hand with seemingly little interest.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

Chloe pulled her hand back and cradled it over her heart, hurt to hurt. She was close to tears, close to embarrassing the hell out of herself. In front of the most dangerous man in the world. He wasn’t the leader of the free world; he was the leader of the protectors of humanity.

Talk about embarrassment on the highest scale.

Chloe gasped in surprise when suddenly he was pressed against her. A strong arm banded around her waist, a hand cupped her face, pulling her chin up so he could sweep down and kiss her. She was so stunned by the action that she just stood there.

He kissed her hungrily, lips meshing, tongue tasting her lips, inside her mouth. But then hunger fed into the anger and she kissed him back, thrusting her tongue in his mouth. The kiss turned hard and fierce.

He licked her lips, sweeping against her with delicious, hungry licks. Her hands found his shoulders and dug into the hard muscles. His big hand cupped the back of her head and held her as he tasted her. And that’s what he was doing. Learning her mouth, tongue, lips just as she learned his.

He pulled back all too soon, his breathing uneven and deeply satisfying to her hurt ego. “I do not have sex with Lucinda. She has been my frimar and nothing else.” The words eased some of the pain but not all of it. Though she was shocked to her core that he’d confessed that much.

“I don’t want you taking her blood.”

He pulled back sharply, muscles tightening again, and then he swept past her and stalked to the window to look out it. She was starting to see a pattern here, and it pissed her off.

“Impossible. She is my frimar. Who else can I take from? Do not say yourself, Chloe.”

His voice was frosty cold with control.

“You’ll take from me. Consider it compensation for my situation with the new moon. I do not want you using her while I’m here.” While you’re using me, she added silently. Lucinda appeared nice and all but the thought of him doing something so...intimate with her made her want to stab someone—a lot.

“No. You will go back to your room and never come to this part of the castle again. Do you understand me?”

Chloe flared with anger. Good thing he didn’t have books or he’d be ducking flying ones about now.

“You can take your orders and shove them out that window you seem so fond of. You

know what, Tyrian? Here’s my concession. Either you stop taking from her while you’re with me or I’m leaving.”

He cut her a hard look that was completely unreadable. “I am your Protector. You won’t go anywhere unless I order it. I give the orders around here, not you.” Hurt bloomed and exploded inside her chest. She took a wobbly step backward. You don’t love him. So why does this hurt so much? Is this what good sex did to a person? She needed her sisters. She needed advice.

She raised her chin one last time. “Then I’ll be finding someone else to help me through the new moon.”

“Good.”

If she was expecting him to fly in rage and protest the idea then she was very, very wrong. Nodding, her vision blurring, she turned and ran.

Chloe didn’t run to her room. She flew blindly through the castle to a back door in the kitchen. The morning sun was just rising, painting the snowy landscape in orange and pink.

Chloe hadn’t realized just how big Castle Death was until now. A massive stone wall ran around the perimeter of the castle and was at least twenty feet tall. It was also a good quarter of a mile away and would take her several minutes to run there. And she was so ready to get out of here.

She took off running. Anywhere that was away from the castle and away from the man

that confused the hell out of her. She heard voices and looked up at the castle parapets.

“Damn,” she muttered under her breath.

Atal Warriors lined the parapet above, some watching her with clear eyes. Bows were strapped to their backs and swords hung at their hips.

She didn’t have much time before they tattled. She glared at them before turning around and sprinting to that wall.

She realized her one fatal flaw as she neared the wall. It was at least twenty feet tall.

Mother fuck. She had no magic powers to help her climb that wall. Glancing left and right, she spotted the main gate, a massive metal structure of coiling metal and spikes. Also, it was surrounded by warriors wearing heavy axes and swords across their back.

She looked back at the castle with growing disdain. She’d rather face them then go back there. The guards saw her coming long before her short legs got her there.

“Hi guys,” she said brightly. She tossed them her sweetest coy smile that she hoped melted hearts. One of the warriors stepped forward, his brow furrowing.

“What are you doing out here? You’re not supposed to be here. It’s dangerous.”

“Pfft, what’s so dangerous out here? A little snow and cold. I live for the cold, really.”

Honestly though she was happy she chose to wear the turtleneck this morning. That’s not to say she couldn’t use some earmuffs, gloves, and a heavy winter coat right about now. Her breaths were coming out like puffs of cotton ball clouds.

“Why don’t I escort you back to the castle, Ms. Bellum.” It wasn’t a question. Chloe slapped his hand as he tried to grab her arm.

“Don’t you touch me. Do you know that your commander is my Protector? I am his now.

No man touches me but him.”

The guard paused, unease flitting over his face. Good, Chloe thought. Suffer. Another guard came up to them. This one had short blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

“She’s right. I can smell his scent on her. Don’t touch her. Ms. Bellum, please allow me to escort you back to the castle. It is too cold and dangerous to be out here.” He bowed his head to her.

She lifted her chin and said, “Your commander has given me permission to leave at my will. I promise to be back. I just need a break from this place. I’m sure you understand.” She smiled again and the guards looked back and forth at each other. When they leaned close and started whispering in some language she didn’t recognize, she crossed her arms and glared.

One guard nodded and in her mind she started chanting vic-tor-y. The blonde guard stepped forward and looked apologetically at her.

“Ms. Bellum, I’ll have to send word to Commander Tyrian to verify this before I can allow it.” Chloe glared at him and crossed her arms in disgust. The gate wasn’t that tall, maybe she could climb it. Though those metal spikes on the outside of it looked incredibly sharp and big. What were they for anyways? Impaling giants or T-rexes?

“I’ll just radio this in.” Yeah, whatever.

Chloe walked to the gate and gripped the cold metal in her hands. Never in her life had she felt so enclosed in such an open space. She ignored the voices calling on their radio to her enemy, Tyrian. He was so not her fake boyfriend anymore. But why’d he kiss her? He always seemed so afraid to kiss her but then he did back there, and it’d stolen her breath away.