Chapter 13

—Ellie—

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. The minutes seemed to blur together, when Tristan picked me up again and eventually put me down on something soft. My eyes peeled open, heavy-lidded and burning from crying.

The first thing I registered was the bed I was lying on. Soft satin sheets, blood-red. A majestic canopy bed made from black wood, the posts twisting as if two branches had wound around another to form each.

Tristan appeared beside the bed and sank down, causing the mattress to dip under his weight. He was naked except for a knife holster, which was strapped to his chest. Muscles and scars and barely restrained strength.

I averted my eyes, my teeth beginning to chatter again. Tristan reached over me. “Don’t,” I said weakly. Then firmer, “Don’t touch me.”

Tristan’s dark eyes held mine with intent. He bent low until his face filled my vision. “After what you saw me do today, you still defy me? Don’t you think submitting to