Untouchable (Wolf Kings of Twilight Book 1), page 12
I start to laugh, thinking she’s joking but from the reproachful look she gives me I can see she’s serious.
“I’m so sorry,” I say sincerely. “For a moment there, I thought you were making an ironic joke.”
“Ironic?” She tilts her head as she looks at me. “How so?”
“Well, you’re human during daylight hours. That means you have to stay inside while the sun is out. It just struck me as funny, but I can see you’re being serious. I’ve never heard of anyone who was allergic to sunlight. Does that mean you never go outside in your human form?”
“Yes.”
I instantly feel empathy for her plight.
“Are you the only one here who has that condition?” I ask.
“Yes.” A wan smile graces her features. “It makes me less than desirable to men who want to start a family. They’re afraid I’ll pass along my condition to any children I might have.”
I instantly remember Damon’s stance on fatherhood. “I thought Damon didn’t want to have any children.”
Anya flinches as though I’ve hit upon a sore subject. “He doesn’t.”
“Uh, correct me if I’m wrong, but if you’re his lover, isn’t there a chance you could become pregnant?”
“There would be if he spilled his seed inside me, but he never lets it go that far.” She peers at me in the mirror again. “I have no idea why I just told you that. I barely know you.”
“Sometimes it’s easier to tell your darkest secrets to a stranger.”
“Perhaps.” Anya continues to brush my hair out. A sadness overcomes her that’s more telling than any words. Damon’s reluctance to have a child with her may be affecting how she views her own self-worth. I can only imagine the ridicule she faced from others concerning her condition. Perhaps when Damon took an interest in her, she regained some of her pride, but his refusal to have children with her, or even marry her, must be devastating. “I was told you have a crown you can wear on your head. Where is it?”
I pull the Queen’s Circlet out from my pocket and hold it up for her to see. She tries to take it from me, but I resist.
“I’m not going to steal it,” she says, looking amused. “I’m simply going to place it on your head.”
Reluctantly, I let it go and watch her do exactly as she said, being careful not to touch an inch of my skin.
“Why does Damon want me to wear it?”
Anya shrugs. “I have no idea. I suppose he thinks it makes you look important, and he needs you to make a good first impression.”
“First impression? Who does he want me to impress?”
Anya steps back and looks at her handiwork. “There. You look good enough.” She starts to walk to the door of the room leading out into the hallway. She turns her head to look back at me with her hands folded together in front of her in a very puritanical way. “Follow me. They’re waiting.”
She walks out before I can ask her who is waiting for me. Not wanting to be left behind, I race out the door to catch up with her. Anya’s pace is brisk, and I soon feel out of breath as we make our way through the maze of corridors until we reach the grand staircase in the large entryway. Along our swift journey, we passed a few servants, but I didn’t see any of the supposed guests Damon wants me to meet.
Anya’s pace doesn’t slow even when we reach the grand staircase in the entryway. As I try to keep up with her, I almost trip over the hem of my dress, but thankfully, I had my hand on the granite banister as we descended and was able to catch myself before I went tumbling down the stairs. I’m not sure if Anya would have been upset if I had tripped and broken my neck. She seems to consider me beneath her in every way there is and would have most likely kicked me to see if I was still breathing instead of rushing to my aid. It seems I’ve made an enemy in the castle without even trying.
What did Damon tell her about me? Does she know I groped and kissed her man this morning? I never would have done that if I had known he had a girlfriend. Why didn’t he say something sooner? Why kiss me as often and as deeply as he did if he had this willowy beauty waiting for him at home?
I feel like I’m missing an important part of their story but learning the truth from Anya isn’t going to happen. Maybe I can ask Oliver the next time I see him because asking Damon directly is out of the question. I already feel mortified that I’ll have to see him so soon after our recent tryst on the balcony. Adding in the fact that he’s a spoken for man just makes matters worse.
“Where are we going?” I ask as I jog up to Anya’s side and attempt to keep pace with her long strides.
“The ballroom.” She gives me a side-eyed glance. “It was the only room big enough to hold everyone.”
“How many people are we talking about?” If the ballroom here is as big as Simon’s, it could possibly hold up to two-hundred people.
When we reach the double doors of what I presume to be the ballroom, Anya stops.
“Wait here,” she instructs without even bothering to look my way. “I’ll see if Damon is ready for you. If he is, I’ll open the doors.” Finally, she looks at me. “When it’s time for you to enter, try not to trip over my dress. Damon spent a lot of money having it made for me, and I would rather have it returned without any rips in the hem.”
With those parting words, Anya opens the door in front of her and leaves me standing alone. I’m unable to look inside before she pushes the door in my face, but I do hear a lot of voices coming from the room.
What the hell is going on in there and what does it have to do with me? Is Damon marrying me off to someone already? Maybe that’s why he pulled away from me so quickly earlier. He didn’t want the husband he’s choosing for me to inherit damaged goods.
Well, at least I know who let me borrow her clothing. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t voluntary. Anya doesn’t seem like the sharing type, of her men or her dresses.
I should have known Damon would already have someone special in his life. He’s not only the king but he’s at that age where men start thinking about marriage. Anya would make the perfect queen of Midnight. She’s beautiful, seems strong-willed, and would probably win any game of wits against men who think they’re smarter than women. Under different circumstances, maybe we could have been friends.
Before I can make myself even more nervous with self-doubt, the silver doorknobs turn with a loud click and the doors to the room are slowly opened by Anya. I take in a deep breath and hold it.
As the doors part, I come face to face with a room full of well-dressed men. I search the crowd for any signs of women present, but it appears Anya is the only representative of the fairer sex. As she steps aside for me to enter, the sea of men parts until I have a straight path to the other side of the room where Damon sits on a gold throne with two molded wolf heads at the end of each armrest. He’s wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with a black and blue double-breasted vest, black pants, and the leather boots I saw him wear yesterday.
When I step into the room, the only sound I hear is the clicking of my heels against the gray and white marble under my feet. Keeping my eyes on Damon, I begin to walk toward him, praying I don’t trip myself up and go sprawling across the floor. As I make my way to the other side of the room, I slowly let out the pent-up breath I was holding.
Damon’s stony expression gives nothing away of his true feelings while he watches my approach. As I make my way to him, I notice that the men in the room are all different ages. Some look like they’ve barely entered puberty while others appear to have one foot in the grave. Why are they here? Am I supposed to choose a husband out of this sampling of men? The thought makes me nervous and a little nauseous as well.
When I’m within five feet of the throne, I stop and wait for Damon’s instructions.
He looks me up and down, but his expression remains blank, emotionless. In one lithe movement, he leaves the throne and holds out his hand to me, earning a collective gasp from all present. I readily accept his hand, and he pulls me closer to stand by his side to face the gathered crowd.
“Gentleman,” Damon says, continuing to hold onto my hand, “as promised, this is the woman who will help save our people. By providing children with her purity, Ivy will ensure that the generations to follow will not lose their humanity.” Damon looks at me as if purposefully delaying his next words. I see regret in his eyes, but regret for what exactly?
He looks back to the crowd before continuing. “As I mentioned in the letters I sent out yesterday, one of you will win the chance to marry Ivy and ensure the longevity of our kingdom forever. If you feel up to the challenges you’ll face in the events I have planned, take one step forward as your pledge.”
All the men in the room, even the very old and the very young, take a step forward.
My fate has been revealed to me and I don’t like it.
“Are you serious?” I ask, turning to face Damon and pulling my hand out of his. “Is that how you’re choosing a husband for me? Winner takes all?”
“Literally,” he says. “Whoever wins you will also be able to take the throne when I die.”
“Are you insane?” I hiss. “That’s just an invitation for the winner to challenge you to make sure they get the throne sooner rather than later.”
“Hush,” Damon says in a low voice. “We’ll discuss this in private.”
I press my lips together as rage and embarrassment course through my veins. How can Damon be so stupid? He’s basically declared open season on his own life. He’s being reckless, but I don’t understand why.
“Gentleman,” Damon says, “please get ready for the first challenge. We’ll all meet out front in fifteen minutes. If you don’t show up, you forfeit your right to participate in any more of the challenges.”
As I watch the men exit the room, quite a few of them leer at me with only lust in their eyes. I’m not sure if the lust is for me or the power they’ll inherit after winning me.
Damon grabs my arm and pulls me behind him off to the side of the room. He opens the door there and leads me through to a small sitting room decorated with furnishings with beige and blue tones. After he closes the door, he pulls me to him and kisses me. I almost let him have his way, but then I remember Anya and his plan to give me away to one of the men inside this castle.
I roughly push Damon back.
“Don’t use your mouth, tongue, and that thing between your legs to distract me from what you just did.”
Damon grins. “Considering what my mouth,” he takes a step forward and I take a step backward, “tongue,” he takes another step forward, forcing me to back away again, “and thing between my legs, caused you to do on the balcony earlier, I would say they’re the perfect tools of distraction.”
I cross my arms in front of me as Damon stands so close I can feel the warmth of his breath on my face.
“And what would Lady Anya say about that?” With the cold reminder of his girlfriend, Damon’s smile fades.
“She has nothing to do with you and me.” His coldness toward her takes me aback.
“That’s cruel to say about your girlfriend. Or is she your fiancé?”
“Neither,” he states. “Our affair ended ages ago, but for some reason she can’t seem to let go of what we had when we were younger. What exactly did she tell you to make you believe we’re still together?”
“She basically said she was your lover.”
“Oh, well,” he says with an indifferent shrug, “that part is sometimes true.”
“Sometimes true?” This man is so confusing. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“Haven’t you ever heard of friends with benefits?” He runs his fingers through is dark, wavey hair agitatedly. “I thought she understood our little trysts didn’t mean anything, but from what you’re telling me, she seems to believe I still have romantic feelings for her.”
“So you have meaningless sex with her?” I scoff. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“As you’ve stated, you don’t have any friends besides Boris, and I doubt he would describe such an arrangement between a man and a woman to you. Anya knows I don’t care for her as anything but a friend. She shouldn’t have mentioned that we occasionally satisfy each other’s need for companionship.”
“And what exactly do you see happening between us? The same sort of arrangement?”
“I would be more than willing to give it a go if you’re up for it.”
His eyes tell me that he’s not joking, but all I can do is laugh in his face.
“You’re out of your damn mind if you think I’ll become your next plaything. I don’t care how big your penis is.”
Despite himself, Damon starts to laugh. “My penis greatly appreciates the compliment, but it would rather have you hold him again and truly show your appreciation of his size.”
My cheeks instantly feel like they’ve been set on fire. I try to turn away from Damon before he notices, but I’m not quick enough. He reaches out and cups the side of my face to stop me.
“Don’t look away from me, Ivy,” he murmurs.
When our eyes meet, my breath catches in my throat. He isn’t even trying to hide his desire for me. His emotions are as naked as his body was on the balcony. He wants me, but for what exactly? Sex only or something else?
If the answer is something else, how could he put me up as a prize for all those other men to fight for? Does he care for me or simply desire me? And the most important question of all, what do I want from him?
“The woman who held me so firmly in her grip just a little while ago is the woman you truly are. You’re not shy when it comes to showing a man what you want. Don’t change that about yourself because polite society dictates it. Be proud that you’re not afraid to reach for what you want. It takes some people years to find that kind of strength inside themselves. Let your strength shine for all to see and people will beg you to lead them so they can follow your light.”
“I don’t want to lead people. I just want to live a simple life. Not one where I’m always watched and followed.”
Damon shakes his head slowly. “That isn’t the life you were born to have. You’ve always been special. You’ve simply been put down by others for so long you’ve never been able to flourish and become who you’re meant to be. It wasn’t by chance that you were chosen to be the last pure-blooded human born or that your curse protected you from those who would do you harm because you’re different. I believe you were chosen by whatever higher power is out there to show us a different way to live. A different way to earn the same kind of strength that comes so naturally to you.”
I have no idea what to say to that. I didn’t realize Damon saw me that way. No one else ever has. Not even Boris.
“If you think so highly of me, why are you giving me away to another man?”
Damon doesn’t look surprised by my question. He had to have known I would ask it.
He drops his hand away from my face. “I’m not giving you away. I’m making sure you have the best man Midnight has to offer to help you in the future.”
“And that doesn’t include you?” This time it’s my turn to cup his face with my hand. “Why do you think so little of yourself?”
“I don’t.” He tilts his head down to break the contact of our eyes, but he doesn’t pull away from my touch. “I simply know that if Midnight is going to prosper, it needs a strong family to lead it. You will be its queen, and I’ll make sure you have a man who can do the heavy lifting for you.”
“Why do you have so much faith in me? You’ve only known me for a little while, yet you talk like you’ve known me for years.”
I drop my hand away from Damon’s face, waiting for his answer.
“I know you better than you think. I, uh.” He turns his head away like he doesn’t want to admit something to me, but then he looks me in the eyes with newfound determination. “I’ve had a spy in Dawn for the past month. He’s been following your movements there and reporting back to me.”
“You’ve been spying on me?” I take a step back in surprise. “Why?”
“When Sophia first approached me about bringing you and Tripp here, I wanted to know what kind of person you were. I needed to know if you were worthy to be Midnight’s next queen.”
I swallow hard. “And which of my attributes made you decide that I was?”
“Mostly the way you handled the ridicule the people of Dawn heaped on you every day. Not many people could take that kind of harsh treatment and still remain a good person.”
“How do you know I’m a good person?” I know I am, but I want to know what he saw in me to lead to that conclusion.
“The way you are with Boris. My spy told me how close the two of you are and that you would do anything for him. Since we’ve been together, I’ve seen that for myself. I’m not even sure I have someone in my life who would do that for me.”
“Both Oliver and Edmond seem devoted to you,” I point out. “Your mother is a bit harsh with her affections, but I think she truly loves you.”
“Neither my father nor my mother was around a lot while I was growing up. Edmond basically raised me, so Oliver is like my brother. I know they care about my welfare, but the love and respect you and Boris have for one another is rare, even in traditional families.”
“And what if I say I don’t want to be queen of Midnight? What if I run away?”
Damon grabs the front of my skirt and yanks me until our bodies are pressed together.
He leans his head forward and whispers in my ear. “Then I would hunt you down and drag you back here kicking and screaming if I had to.”
His lips brush against the tip of my ear as his breath travels inside it sending a pleasurable chill throughout my body.
“And after you hunted me down,” I say, closing my eyes and allowing myself a human moment to enjoy what I’m feeling for the very first time in my life, “what would you do to me?”
“I would do a lot of things with you,” he murmurs, causing a whole new set of goose bumps to break out along my skin. “Things that would make you scream out my name and forget every other man in the world.”
