Reign of Blood

Chapter Eighteen

Irritable didn't begin to cover it. Side by side, Chronos and Annaliese walked down the hall, his chains clattering away behind him.

She really wasn't going to stop this—because she really didn't care.

No. Chronos refused to believe that. Exceptional actor or not, Annaliese couldn't fake her reactions to him that perfectly. Unless he was so caught up in his own attraction that he failed to understand hers.

It wasn't impossible.

He slanted a glance to his side.

Completely unfazed.

"You should know," She said, as he sensed in her tone they were drawing nearer to his destination. "That Amber doesn't have a normal field of power."

"And blood is a normal field?"

"At least you know where you stand with blood."

"Whenever your magic is involved, things rarely ever finish with me standing." The last thing he needed was this sore reminder right now.

"I can tell you, so you know what you're walking into." She took his silence as his answer for her to go on. "Amber's field of expertise is deception."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that she has the power to deceive you. Unfortunately, werewolf, you have no precautions in place to bring about immunity."

"Meaning?" He asked through clenched teeth.

"Meaning that you'll believe anything she wants you to believe."

Eery fucking witches. He didn't like the sound of this.

"So, if Amber tells you that you're deeply attracted to her, attracted is exactly what you'll be." At this point, he was struggling to believe he could be attracted to anyone but the blood Queen. If Amber could take his mind off what he couldn't have, then he'd let her do it gladly. "That also means, with just a few words on her part, you'll think you're head over heels in love with her. Your wolfish ties to your mate bond won't matter when her magic gets to you. It twists your mind and personality, leaving you completely vulnerable to whatever she has to say. If she says cum, guess what happens to you. Hmm, come to think of it, she could tell you that she's your mate and you'd believe it until she tells you otherwise. Now isn't that an interesting thought?"

She wanted this to bother him. To worry him.

He wouldn't let her know that it did.

"Don't be so stupid as to think you're strong enough to take her magic. Others have thought the same in the past. You're just not, Chronos. Very few people have been able to break past it. If you go in there, you should know that your mind, body and decisions are completely in her hands."

"So be it."

"You're okay with this?"

"Okay as I'll ever be. What?" He gave her a reproachful glance. "Do you still think I'm afraid of all your witchy bullshit?"

"Not afraid. But you'd be wise to have some caution."

Not a moment later, Annaliese stopped walking, encouraging him to do the same. She knocked on a tall, wooden door and took a step back.

Chronos heard some ruckus from the inside before Amber came and tugged it open.

Oh fuck. This witch was really putting her all out there.

She wore a lacy nightgown with nothing underneath. Chronos glanced the Queen's way. As this woman stood practically naked before them, the blood Queen was completely unbothered, meeting Amber's eyes.