Chapter 134 I'll be Gentle - Adele's POV

Chapter 134 I'll be Gentle - Adele's POV
Guards surrounded me before I could even process what was happening. Corwin was shouting protests at his mother, but she was already walking away, clearly unimpressed by his objections. 

As I was pulled toward the palace, I caught one last glimpse of the ocean. Of the direction where the Isle lay. Of the place where Craven was trapped, unable to reach me.

And I realized something that made my blood run colder than any fear.

Corwin's mother had just revealed that she knew exactly what he intended to do to me, which meant that the royal council knew. That also meant that by the time Craven managed to escape the Isle and fight his way to the capital, I would already be dead. That was if he even made it past the shore.

I would already be transformed into something completely different. And there would be nothing left of the queen he'd loved.

When we reached the palace, it was exactly as I thought it would be. In some ways, I had thought maybe it would be different, but it was dark, imposing, and built in black stone that didn’t reflect any light. Hallways were filled with marble and other accents that matched the stones outside.

The walls seemed to breathe around me, though they never moved. Torches burned with blue flame that cast everything in an eerie, otherworldly glow.

Corwin’s mother stayed ahead of us as we walked down corridors that twisted and turned in ways that didn’t seem to follow any logical pattern. The guards flanked me on either side, their presence a constant reminder that escape wasn’t an option.

His mother split off down another hallway while Corwin kept me close to his side.

“Where are you taking me?”

He laughed. “My room. Where else?”

We came to a stop. A guard unlocked a pair of towering black doors with a key nearly as long as my forearm.

The hinges groaned as they swung inward.

"Inside," one of them barked.

Before I could ask another question, rough hands shoved me over the threshold. I stumbled, barely catching myself before crashing onto the polished stone floor.

The doors slammed shut behind me with a thunderous boom. I spun around, expecting to hear the lock click into place.

Instead, footsteps echoed behind me. I looked over my shoulder just as Corwin stepped into the room.

The doors closed again. This time, from the inside.

My stomach dropped. "You..." I frowned. "You're staying?"

He leaned back against the doors, folding his arms across his chest as though he had nowhere else to be.

"Yes."

"I thought this was your room."

"It is."

The realization hit me all at once. He didn’t mean his room, one where he would place me and leave me. 

"You expect us to share it?"

One corner of his mouth lifted. "You say that as though I invited you."

"I'd rather sleep in the dungeon."

"I considered it,” he admitted, which made me glare. “But this is so much better. I want to have you where I spend all my time, besides when I’m called away.”

"How unfortunate."

His smile widened just enough to be irritating. "It truly is."

I tore my gaze away from him, forcing myself to take in the room instead. It was enormous and bigger than the entire house that we had lived in back on the Isle.

Black stone walls stretched toward a vaulted ceiling crossed with dark wooden beams. Heavy crimson curtains framed tall windows overlooking jagged cliffs and the restless sea below. Shelves lined one wall, filled with worn books, maps, and strange artifacts I couldn't identify. A fireplace crackled quietly despite the warmth in the room.

And in the center, there was one bed. It was large enough to fit me and all seven of my men.

I looked at it, then back at Corwin. “Absolutely not.”

He blinked. "No?"

"I am not sleeping in the same bed as you."

"I never asked you to,” he said softly.

"There's only one."

"There are couches,” he said, motioning to the far wall.

I followed his gaze to a long velvet sofa near the fireplace. "I'll sleep there."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I don't particularly care what you believe,” I snapped. "You could have given me another room."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because if my mother decides she wishes to kill you before the ceremony, I'd prefer to know about it,” he growled. “Consider this my protection to keep you alive.”

I stared at him. "Excuse me?"

He said it so casually that it took my mind a moment to catch up. “People here would rather see you dead than let you become the new queen.”

“Your mother is queen of the vampires. I’m not that.”

He coughed to cover his laugh. “The type of queen you are is a step above her station.”

I scoffed. “So, what? I'm your prisoner."

"You were already my prisoner."

"And now I'm yours personally?” I asked.

A muscle ticked in his jaw. "No, well. Maybe. It isn’t hidden that I want you to be my queen.”

“Why would you want that when I’m your brother’s?”

He shook his head. “But you’re not his anymore. And I doubt he slept with you, since there are no permanent traces of him on him. If you had, I would have known.”

I gawked. “Maybe we did.”

“Don’t kid yourself,” he laughed. “If you had sex with him, you would have been closer to becoming a vampire, if not turned fully. He wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from ravaging you and taking you like the monster he is.”

“As if you would do any differently?” I countered, then regretted what I had said.

His head tilted to the side. “Oh, Adele. Do you wish to find out what I’d do? Maybe you’d like to lie back on the bed and let me have my fill? I could show you pleasure without turning you right away.”

“You couldn’t.”

He took a step toward me. “I promise I’ll be gentle. I have more control than he does.”