Chapter 33

Viviane’s POV

Heavy footsteps pound up the stairs, and I jolt into a sitting position. Despite my mother’s advice, I hadn’t been able to call Caspian and tell him I disobeyed his orders. I couldn’t bring myself to face him yet. Instead I curled up on the couch and buried my face in my pillow, disappearing beneath my blankets and pretending I didn’t exist.

In the grand scheme of things it wasn’t the best strategy, but it did give me a few hours of peace.

A heavy knock lands on the door, and my heart races in my chest. The fact that Caspian hasn’t already greeted me through our bond is a bad sign. He must be even angrier than I anticipated.

Mom swiftly opens the door, anxious for news. “Hello Caspian.” She says softly. It’s very odd to see them on good terms, and even stranger to think they’re allied against me. I know that isn’t a fair assessment, but I can’t help but feel ganged up on with the two of them standing side by side in the doorway, staring me down.

“Marina.” He returns her greeting with a gentle smile, “How are you holding up?”

“As well as possible.” She breathes shakily. “Is there any news?”

“Not yet,” He grimaces, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m doing everything I can, but it looks like he may have had some help.”

“Do you think he’s still in the city?” Mom questions fretfully.

“It wouldn’t be smart of him, but then again, intelligence hasn’t ever seemed to be his strong suit.” Caspian reasons.

“But you’ll keep looking, right?” She presses.

“Of course.” Caspian promises, grasping Mom by the shoulders, “you have my word. We will not rest until he’s caught.”

“Thank you.” Mom praises stiffly, clearly still uneasy trusting a shifter, but left without any better options. “I’ll give you two a minute.” To my shock and mild horror, she steps out into the hallway, leaving us alone in the apartment together, “I needed to run to the store anyway.”

“Mom!” I exclaim, disbelieving that she is actually going to leave me alone with an angry wolf.

She simply turns and arches one graceful brow, as if to say ‘you’ve made your own bed, Viviane.’

The door shuts behind her, and suddenly there’s nothing to distract me from the massive wolf bearing down on me with a knowing glint in his eye. I squirm under the weight of his stern gaze, wishing I could crawl back under my blankets without looking like a complete child. “Hello little mate.” Caspian purrs. “Aren’t you going to come say hello?”

I shake my head, warily watching him approach but not resisting when he pulls me up and into his arms. “Come here little mermaid.” Despite my fear and reluctance, I can’t help but melt into Caspian when he kisses me, the skilled stroke of his tongue swiftly erasing all thoughts and doubts from my mind. His warm arms envelop me, and I disappear into his familiar heat, quivering when his lips move against my ear. “You are in big trouble.”

His low growl sets me squirming, trying to wriggle away from my grumpy mate, even as his strong hands tighten on me. “Uh-uh.” He tsks, lowering our bodies to the sofa. “You aren’t going anywhere until we have a talk.”

Giving up my struggles with a beleaguered sigh, I cross my arms over my chest, stubbornly avoiding Caspian’s gaze until he catches my chin between his thumb and forefinger and turns my face up to his. “Did you, or did you not promise to obey me in dangerous situations?”

“I did.” I respond cagily, bracing myself for his anger.

“And did you, or did you not promise to trust me?” He continues calmly, his powerful hands tracing dizzying patterns on my skin.

“I did, but –”

A deep, wordless growl cuts off my protest, and Caspian’s rugged features harden to stone. “Let’s say you and I switched places.” He suggests, “And I broke a promise I made to you. An important promise. How would you feel?”

“Forgiving?” I suggest hopefully.

The muscle in Caspian’s jaw twitches ominously, and I realize how much control he must be exerting to hold his temper in check. “Do you have any idea how dangerous what you did was?” He demands. “Mordred is out there roaming around somewhere and you went running off alone into the night, without telling anyone what you were doing or where you were going!”

My hackles raise defensively, “Believe it or not, I don’t need you to tell me what might have happened if he found me.” Emotion thickens in my throat, weighing down my voice, “He’s already raped me once, I don’t need to be reminded by someone who has no idea what that’s like!”

Caspian’s arms tighten around me and I try to push him away, but he doesn’t let me. “You know that isn’t what I meant!” He rumbles gravely, “But baby, if you wanted to leave, why didn’t you just tell one of my men. They would have taken you home.”

“No they wouldn’t!” I disagree hotly, “I wanted to go home in the first place and you wouldn’t let me!” My breathing grows increasingly shallow as the events of the evening filter back through my memory. “You left me alone and afraid. You put me in a situation where I couldn’t afford to have nightmares, but I had them anyway and instead of waking up safe at home or with you, I woke up crying in Kiera’s bed and now she knows!”

The words burst out of me in an uncontrollable flurry. “Kiera knows I’m a mermaid, she knows I’ve been lying to her for years and she hates me for it.” I can’t believe I’m crying again. I spent so many years crying that I thought I didn’t have any more tears to spare after leaving the farms, but since meeting Caspian it seems like I’m crying all the time. “It’s all your fault. I didn’t want to go there tonight and you made me anyway! I begged you not to leave me alone!” I hiccup, trying to break out of his hold.

Caspian swears under his breath, clamping his arms tight around my rebelling limbs and rocking me slowly back and forth. “I’m sorry.” He murmurs against my hair, caressing the long soft strands and trailing kisses over my salt-stained skin. “I’m so sorry, Viviane. You have to know that isn’t what I wanted. I was trying to protect you.”

“Well you didn’t!” I accuse. “You made it worse – everything feels like it’s falling apart.” Caspian stiffens, but he doesn’t release me. My small hands are still clinging to him desperately, digging into his beautiful dark skin with bruising force. “My life has only gotten worse since I met you – why couldn’t you just leave me alone?!”

My huge mate cradles me every bit as fiercely as I claw at him. “I can’t change what has already happened, Viviane.” Caspian’s deep voice sounds oddly hollow, “It kills me to know I’ve caused you pain, but Kiera loves you – she’’ll forgive you.”

“She hates me.” I snap, “My best friend hates me because you forced me into a situation I couldn’t cope with.” I carry on, entirely unhinged and unable to look him in the face as the words pour from my mouth. “I didn’t blame you for Mordred. I didn’t even blame you for James or the girls at school, but I do blame you for this!”

“So what? You ran out of there to frighten me? To punish me?” Caspian inquires.

“No!” I insist, “I wouldn’t do that. I just had to get out of there.”

“I had three men stationed at Kiera’s.” The future Alpha reminds me. “You only had to ask and one of them would have driven you to the pack house.”

“The last time I went to the pack house without you I got kidnapped.” I shiver at the memory. “Besides, I wanted to come home and I knew you wouldn’t let them bring me here. You don’t think I’m safe here, you convinced my mother she can’t protect me!”

“Viviane,” Caspian says my name like an oath, the sound I normally love hearing on his lips now seeming more like a threat. “Let’s get a few things straight. You can hate me if you need to – for Kiera, for James, for whatever you like, but blame and hurt feelings don’t change reality.” He states coldly. “The reality is that you aren’t safe here – I didn’t create that situation, it’s simply the truth, as is the fact that your mother isn’t well.”

“I didn’t set Mordred on you, I tried to make him pay for what he did to you and when I find him, I’ll finish the job.” He continues, “But he’s still out there somewhere waiting for his next opportunity to hurt you.”

I whimper weakly, absolutely beside myself, caught between the desire to rant and rave at Caspian, and longing to take comfort from him.

“No matter what all we have to sort out between us, we can’t work on anything else until you’re safe.” Caspian proclaims solemnly, “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time now, and I think we’ve finally reached a point where it simply can’t be put off any longer.” I have a sinking sensation in the pit of my stomach, one that makes me feel certain I know where this conversation is headed, though I pray I’m wrong.

In the end though, I’m not wrong.

Caspian’s striking blue eyes pierce straight through me as his low voice vibrates over my skin, and electricity sparks in my blood. “I think it’s time you move in with me.”