He’s taming me.

DELANCEY

I couldn’t remember anything from last night—not even a single thing.

The bed was fluffy. Warm. Recognition hit, and so did the hatred.

Kaius.

I snapped immediately, rushing to pull the hefty duvet over my body. Wait, I was on his bed, and I didn’t trust him enough to think he hadn’t done something to me.

Not after all his blabbing.

I tried to move, but my head stopped me. A sharp migraine—it threatened to split my head in half, and I recalled bits of what had happened.

Alcohol. Men. Kaius.

The party… and how I’d silently crashed out after seeing him kiss someone. It didn’t hurt, and I wasn’t supposed to even feel anything, but… something sharp stung me.

And I’d done something stupid—kissed a stranger.

The cold air seeped through my skin, and my eyes darted towards its source. The air conditioner was on—a full icy blast that threatened to freeze more than just my body.

The room wasn’t bright enough because the curtains and window blinds were closed. I could barely see a thing through the dim lights, but I could feel.

And when my hand reached for the spot next to me, it was empty.

Kaius wasn’t there—well, not in that bed. I exhaled sharply, reaching for the duvet while squinting my eyes.

I wanted to confirm if I was still in my clothes—that pervert could have done anything to me while I was unconscious.

My eyes peeked into the duvet like I was about to reveal a pregnancy test. I couldn’t control the hammering of my chest against my ribs.

I was still covered in clothes, but they weren’t mine—an oversized brown sweater that was like a midi dress on my body.

What had happened to my clothes? And why… why was I dressed in his? It had to be his. No arguments about that.

Grinding my teeth, I pushed off the duvet and jumped out of the bed. I needed to find Kaius, and he was going to explain what he’d done to me.

I’d reached for the doorknob when it turned open, almost making me stagger backward.

I hadn’t expected someone to open it the same time I did, and I didn’t expect it to be…

“M-Mum?”

She raked her eyes over my body like I’d pooped in my pants. Her mouth parted into a silent gasp, and I could already imagine what was running through her mind.

“Delancey,” Her voice cracked. “What are you doing in Kaius’s room?”

I had no idea, but I couldn’t tell her that. She might suspect something and I needed to confirm what had occurred last night.

For the first time since I could recall, the fear I had for my mother returned, coursing through my veins like an electrification.

I began to stutter, testing my lying skills to see which one was better to use on her.

“I… I—‘

“—We had a really rough night, Madeline,” his husky voice broke in behind me. “I came back and found her sitting alone by the pool. She didn’t look okay, so I figured it was safer to keep her company. We just talked. Played a few games.”

It flew so easily—his lies, and I knew I had to start taking lessons from him.

I didn’t turn around to acknowledge him. I kept my face calm, plastering on a fake seriousness meant just for Mum.

And I guess it worked.

“Games night?” Maybe she didn’t buy it from the reluctance in her voice. “You’re actually telling me that Delancey didn’t go to that party?”

“Take my word, Madeline.”

We held gazes, but beneath that smile of hers, something deeper lurked around it.

Mum sighed heavily and shrugged her shoulders.

“Okay. I came here to call you for breakfast because you’ve never joined us since we moved in. And now that Delancey is here, why don’t we all have breakfast as a family?”

Family. I wasn’t sure we’d ever become one.

I swallowed hard, averting my gaze as I turned around to face him. My jaw dropped—Kaius only had a towel wrapped low over his waist.

His full lips curled into a smile, and my eyes betrayed me, tracking every inch of him.

“We’ll be down in a minute.”

I didn’t ask him to speak on my behalf, but my mother was more than delighted to hear that.

“Great!” She chimed, jumping like a little school girl. “The table will be ready in five.” She reached for the knob to leave, but halted like she’d forgotten something—me.

“And please be on your best behavior today, D.”

When that door closed, I returned all my attention to Kaius, who seemed to take my presence like a failed joke.

“What the fuck?” I snapped at him, voice slightly raised in case Mum wasn’t that far. “What was that for?”

He didn’t spare me a glance. “It’s morning now. You can take your troubles elsewhere.”

I grabbed his right arm, ignoring the heat that rushed through my veins at the contact.

“What did you do to me?” I forced him to face me. “And why am I wearing your sweater?”

His jaw flexed. “Nothing you didn’t start.”

My eyes widened. What did he mean by that?

“If you don’t start talking, then I’m going to—‘

“—Bark somewhere else, Lacey.”

“Bark?” I scoffed, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. “So you’re calling me a dog?”

“A bitch,”

He turned back to his wardrobe and pulled out another sweater.

“You’re crazy.” I pushed him away roughly after spitting the words in his face. “If I find out you laid as little as a finger without my permission on my body, I’m going to kill you—and that’s a promise.”

“And if it’s the other way around?”

I hated how calm he was, like nothing bothered him, not even the fury I was displaying.

My brows furrowed. “What?”

He took a step forward, grabbing my right arm forcefully. I noticed how his eyes darkened, and the anger beneath them was scarier than mine.

“You came on to me,” he growled.

“No,” I shook my head. “I’d never—‘

“—Will you just shut the hell up and listen for once?”

I sealed my lips the moment he asserted that dominance, his grasp on my arm burned more than anything I’d ever felt against my skin.

“You said you wanted to kiss me,” he continued, lowering his face to mine. “And you did.”

I didn’t know if it was the right time to speak, but my lips refused to remain closed.

“I—I was probably drunk.”

“Right,” he laughed, but it wasn’t a pleasant one. “You had a couple of drinks and suddenly decided you want something you pretend to hate.”

My throat burned. “Kaius—‘

“—You should have seen yourself last night,” he retrieved his index finger, trailing it over my neck as I looked over his shoulder. “All you wanted was for me to take you and have you in my bed.”

I tried to wriggle myself free, but he held on tighter, pinning me in place against him.

“Kaius, you’re lying.”

“Lying? Or,” he said quietly, “you don’t want to believe you begged for something you swear you never wanted.”

My stomach dropped.

Did I really do… that? Or was he trying to make me mad?