Leaving the bathroom, he walked back to his bed and sat down. Glancing at the knife, he reached for it, pulled it from his chest, and tossed it onto the floor. He had hoped to give her the chance to come to him willingly, but it seemed she wasn't going to and he needed to get things done quickly. Elijah would no doubt try to use her against him because of the uncanny resemblance she bore, but he couldn't allow that to happen.
He should have gone for a Lycan virgin, but the damned elders wouldn't stop pestering him about some ancient prophecy. Having to deal with a human again made his blood boil, and he loathed it. He hated humans so deeply that he might end up killing her if things didn't end soon. Yet the more he tried to hate her, the more difficult it became. How could she share so much in common with her? Was it really a coincidence… or was something off?
If he was going to mate with her anytime soon, he would need help from Madam Agnes.
Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, it had been an hour since the shower had been turned on, and Lilith was starting to lose consciousness. Just as she was about to surrender to the darkness, she heard the door click open and managed a faint smile, relieved that the torment might finally be over.
"Have you finally remembered the right words?" He asked, stepping into the bathroom now dressed in a new white shirt and black pants.
"Yes," she replied quickly, desperate to escape the cold shower.
"What are they?" He pressed.
"I… I will give my body to you. I will bear the heir you so desperately want," she said. He could tell she was only saying it to save herself, but he was still glad she hadn't stayed defiant to the very end.
"Good," he replied.
"But I get to choose the date. If I am going to lose my virginity to a man I don't love, at least let me have a say in it," she said. He stared at her, silently weighing her words, before finally responding, "Fine."
He moved toward the shower, switched it off, and untied her hands. As soon as the ropes fell away, Lilith's legs gave out beneath her. She collapsed but he caught her before she could hit the floor.
"Don't leave…" he heard her murmur before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Scooping her into his arms, he carried her out of the bathroom and laid her down on the couch, then proceeded to change her clothes.
Some hours later…
Humming softly, Lilith stirred on the bed, her eyes fluttering open as they adjusted to the light. Slowly, the memories began to return and she abruptly sat up, eyes scanning the room for Zayd. She exhaled a sigh of relief upon realizing she was still in his room, lying on his bed, though he was nowhere to be found. Looking out the window, she noticed it was already getting dark and wondered just how long she had been asleep.
The injury on her back had drained her strength far more than she cared to admit. Otherwise, she wouldn't have blacked out from nothing but a cold shower. But whatever concoction Elijah had used on her had dulled the pain by morning, though it didn't erase the humiliation.
She shifted slightly and froze. Her eyes widened as she looked down. A new shirt. Not hers. Her stomach twisted violently. Who had changed her? It couldn't be… him. That depraved monster. Her skin crawled at the thought. Worse, there was nothing underneath. No bra. No panties. Just the shirt.
What kind of man stripped an unconscious woman and dressed her half-naked in his own clothes?
She brought the collar to her nose, hesitating. The scent was unmistakable…clean, masculine, with the sharp undertone of pine and smoke. She hated that it comforted her. She hated that her body reacted at all. But how was she supposed to walk out of here like this?
She swung her legs off the bed, only to yelp as something jerked her ankle back. She fell onto the mattress, then tore the duvet aside and glared. Her foot was bound. Tied to the bed like an animal. Of course. Of course, he wouldn't set her free. What had made her think, even for a second, that he might show compassion?
The door creaked open.
Speak of the devil.
Zayd entered with a tray, his presence sucking the air from the room. She didn't look at him. Not yet. Her gaze flicked to where she had stabbed him, expecting a scar, maybe something to remind her he could bleed.
"It's healed," he said coldly, as if he had plucked the thought straight from her head. Her eyes darted away, jaw tightening.
"I didn't ask," she muttered.
The ghost of a smile curved his lips. But it didn't last.
He approached and sat beside her, placing the tray on the bed.
"Eat," he ordered, pushing the food toward her.
She scoffed and turned away, her silence defiant.
"Would you prefer to eat… or be eaten?" His voice dropped, coiled in threat and lust.
She froze. She wasn't stupid. She knew exactly what he meant. Her fingers clenched the tray as she dragged it toward her.
"Have you chosen a date yet?" He asked casually, like he was asking about the weather.
She choked on her food, caught off guard by the calm cruelty behind the question. To anyone else, he might have sounded like a lover. But she knew better, knew the only thing he wanted was to reduce her to a womb and walk away.
"If you despise humans so much, why breed with one? You know your people will never accept the child."
His eyes darkened. "The elders chose a human. I didn't. Whether the child is accepted or not is no concern of mine. I am giving them what they asked for."
Her stomach twisted again. He didn't want to be a father. He wanted an heir, a product.
"And if the child needs you? Need a father?"
"Leaders don't love. They command. I was raised by strength, not affection. You humans cling to love like it's your salvation and it's made you weak. You are a stain."
"And that stain," she hissed, "will carry your legacy."
Silence dropped between them like a blade.
She swallowed and asked, "What if I birth a girl instead of a boy?"
"You won't," he said flatly. "But if you do… we will keep trying. Again and again. Until you give me what I want."