Page 52

He grabbed her, his grip tight on her upper arms as he pulled her against his body. She gasped and struggled in his hold, but he was stronger than she ever remembered him being.

“For starters, you won’t be going anywhere. You won’t be leaving the house again. No diner. No Charlotte. No academy. Only me. Only us,” he hissed through gritted teeth.

“No…” She struggled to get away.

“Oh yes, my love.”

Lightning split the sky again and thunder cracked immediately after, signaling the storm’s arrival as the sky opened, releasing a torrent of rain, soaking them within seconds.

Caleb lay his head back and cackled maniacally. “It’s time you experienced a real man, Blaire. No more playing with your silly little monsters.”

He wrapped an arm around her in a vice-like grip, running a hand up her thigh beneath the edge of her skirt, making his way higher.

She thrashed in his hold, but he was solid and unmoving. “No! Please!” she begged, as his hand slipped beneath her skirt entirely.

Lightning illuminated his sinister grin as thunder crashed again.

“No!” she screamed. “No, don’t do this!” She couldn’t fight him as she had before. He was too strong.

“Blaire…”

“Please don’t do this!”

“Blaire!”

“Please!”

“BLAIRE!”

“No!”

Blaire bolted upright, screaming, and fighting against the hands that gripped her upper arms. “No! Let me go! Please don’t do this!”

“Stop it, Blaire!”

Suddenly, she was hauled into a hard body, and the scent of spices, apples, and citrus met her nose. She immediately went limp, trembling in Lukas’s hold as her brain caught up to reality.

“For fuck’s sake… what happened?”

Blaire shook her head against his chest rapidly before reaching out and wrapping her arms around his back, clutching onto his body for dear life. “Please don’t leave me,” she whispered.

He stiffened for a moment before he clicked on her bedside lamp. Then he held her tighter, putting a hand on the back of her head as he cradled her in his arms.

“I’m not going anywhere. It’s okay… it’s over. Whatever it was, it’s over.”

Blaire was still trembling when thunder rumbled through their room and she gasped, her nails digging into his back.

He shifted and pulled her with him to lean against the wall, pulling her halfway into his lap. He buried his face in her hair as she clung to him.

She was a mess. Caleb had come for her. Only, he hadn’t. Her dream had felt so real she couldn’t calm down. Another flash and clap of thunder. The storm must have influenced her dream. She yelped and dug her nails into Lukas’s flesh as she squeezed her eyes shut.

The only thing grounding her was Lukas’s scent. Something about his scent comforted her. She turned her head into his chest and took a deep breath in through her nose.

Lukas cleared his throat. “Did you… did you just smell me?”

Gasping, Blaire pulled away, but he locked his arms tighter around her, refusing to release her.

“I-I-I’m sorry… I just…”