The Darkest Temptation ✔️

TWENTY ONE

Word Count: 1933

~Tove

My feet touch the ground, my eyes blinking open.

I expected the Territory Two manor, but I quickly realise Keo has taken me elsewhere. We are in some kind of large cabin that looks like it has just been built recently.

The scent of treated wood fills my nose as I turn in circles. "We are somewhere new."

"Correct."

I should have known. Keo moves around often, and we were overdue for a change.

Approaching the window, I note that we are on the edge of a forest. The leaves are all shades of brown and gold, many seated in piles on the forest floor. Toward the front of the house, there is a small stream nearly overgrown with long, thick grass.

"I'm assuming Territory Eight?" From what I know, it's perpetual autumn here.

"It will work for now," Keo muses, staring out at what the moonlight illuminates. There is something seated deep in his eyes - maybe a memory from long ago that occurred here.

"Thank you...for coming to get me," I murmur softly.

He casts his gaze over to me, my heart fluttering as a result. "I promised I would, didn't I?"

I nod mutely. He did, but I had my doubts. Considering he has been kind to me so far, I don't want to accuse him of having changing intentions.

"He said he was planning on keeping me there for a couple weeks. I think I probably would have died in there." I don't meant that literally, but I probably should.

He shakes his head slowly, dark shadows tracing the lines of his beautiful face. "Chances are, you would have. Especially..."

He breaks off, eyebrows drawing together.

"What?" I ask warily.

"If they learnt you are my mate, they would use you in terrible ways, Tove," he breathes. Anger, pain and fear mingle together in a dangerous cocktail within him. I can see it in the way he looks at me.

My mind goes to all the possibilities. It's a dark thought, but it's a real one.

I'm lucky I got out.

I hold my arm out to him. "They put this on me."

He frowns, stalking closer. "Let me see."

I brace myself for his proximity, watching him grab my arm, holding it up so he can view the bracelet. Not impressed, he snaps it off in one swift movement, bending it in his hand.

Immediately my magic rears up within me, surging back through my veins. Whatever the technology is that the Noble's have access to, I never want to see it again.

"No one will be nullifying your magic," he growls, tossing the remnants of the bracelet onto the table.

"You're angry," I note.

"I've see many Demon's wear something like this. Angel-bloods are so scared of their magic that if they don't kill the Demon's, they try to reduce it to nothingness," he mutters distastefully.

My stomach turns over. I can only imagine the horror of what those Demon's went through. So many were slaughtered and used by Angel-blood's, and that bracelet was a way for them to do it.

And Dax so brazenly used it on me...

"Did it happen to you?" I ask tentatively. Maybe now is not the time to dig for information, but if it means avoiding talking about the mate bond, I'll take it.