Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 127933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
"Tomorrow," he repeated, softer, as if the word could soothe the ache.
It only made the emptiness grow, the sense of abandonment cutting deeper. Before I could speak, before I could beg him to stay, he leaned in, his lips pressing against mine in a kiss that was slow, deliberate, and devastatingly cold.
There was no warmth in it, only a finality that broke something inside me. When he pulled away, the air seemed colder still, the emptiness around me echoing louder. Without another word, he turned, disappearing from my sight. I watched, helpless, the frigid air rushing in to fill the space he left behind.
And I was alone again.
I stood there, my hands trembling, the tears now flowing freely, feeling like the most pathetic version of myself. How had I come to this? How had I let him do this to me—make me need him so deeply, so violently. I didn’t even recognize the girl I had become, the girl who was so desperate for his approval, for his touch. The girl who would let him walk away, even as she shattered under the weight of his absence.
If this was how I felt after only two days without him, how had I ever imagined a life where he wasn’t there?
Tomorrow, I would show him that I was his, that I could never leave. But tonight... tonight, I was left to crumble, to fall apart in the hollow space he’d left behind.
I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, my mind raced, thoughts of Alexander swirling like a storm I couldn’t escape. The house was too quiet, too still. I needed him. Needed to feel his presence. I tossed and turned, trying to will sleep to come, but the emptiness in the bed beside me was impossible to ignore.
Then Verity appeared, her soft voice breaking the silence as she brought me a drink.
She set it down on the nightstand, her eyes full of understanding, as if she knew exactly what I was feeling. "From Alexander," she whispered. I took the drink without hesitation.
Whatever it was, I trusted that he wouldn’t give me anything to harm the baby—the baby I hadn’t even told him about yet.
He had to know, didn’t he? There was no way he couldn’t. I drank it slowly, feeling the warmth of the liquid spread through my body. It didn’t take long before I began to drift, the exhaustion finally pulling me under.
But the dreams that followed were anything but restful.
The chapel loomed around me, its gothic arches casting long shadows over the stone floor. At the far end of the room stood the massive statue of the Devil, dark and imposing, watching over everything with his cold, unfeeling eyes.
At his feet knelt the weeping woman, her face hidden in her hands, her sobs echoing through the stillness. Then, as if the dream were alive, the scene shifted. It wasn’t the statue anymore—it was Alexander, his figure dark and powerful as he stood before me.
I wasn’t just standing in the chapel. I was laid out on an altar, my body draped in dark, flowing fabric, vulnerable and exposed beneath the flickering light of candles that surrounded us. I could feel him watching me, his gaze searing into my skin like fire. He moved closer, the intensity in his eyes leaving no doubt about his intentions. He was going to claim me, here, in front of the entire Isle. There was no shame, no hesitation—just the overwhelming certainty that I was his, and he was mine. His touch was possessive, worshipful, like I was some dark offering laid at his feet.
The weeping woman had morphed into me, and I knew, without a doubt, that I would never escape him. Not that I wanted to. This was my place. This was where I belonged.
I woke with a start, my heart racing, the remnants of the dream still clinging to me like a dark cloud. There was an ache between my legs, a soreness so real it made me wince.
It was as though Alexander had been there, his presence lingering in the air, his scent still on my skin. I could almost feel the weight of him, his hands on me, his breath against my neck, but when I looked around, the room was empty. The absence was too much to bear. I felt the tears prickling at the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. I swallowed them back, refusing to break down. Not today.
Today, I had to be strong.
The sun was shining now, spilling through the curtains, and casting a golden glow across the room. The lake shimmered in the distance, its calm surface a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me. Somehow, it brought me peace, as if the Isle itself was blessing what was to come. I pulled myself from the silken sheets and rose from the bed. Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room, but there was an undeniable weight in the air.