~Sienna

People surround Onyx, pulling his attention in all different directions.

I stand back a bit, watching. Him and I have both been invested in getting this hospital established here. Initially the proposal was rejected when his father ruled because this is a small village, but the healthcare here before wasn't sufficient.

"Sir, we would love to show you this new piece of technology that has saved many lives already," one of the doctors' claim, pointing back at the single-story building.

Onyx smiles, nodding. "Of course. I'll be there in a moment."

He turns to look at me, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You do that, and I'll go grab what I need from the store." I gesture down the street. I made an order not so long ago and I've been waiting for an opportunity to pick it up.

"Wait a bit and I'll come with you." He says.

"Or I'll send someone to do it."

"I can do it. I'll meet you back here in like ten minutes." I smile, tapping his arm assuredly.

He frowns a little, looking off down the street, then back at me.

"Alright," he mutters begrudgingly.

I press through the crowd that has gathered, heading off down the street. Despite living close by, we don't often come here. It's why so many people have come around to view the spectacle that is their Alpha.

The store is a small one, nestled amongst many others that are vacant due to the town's visitor. I open the glass door, immediately being hit by a wave of incense and clove.

An older woman sits behind the counter, glancing up from her book, her pale eyes narrowing slightly upon me.

"Hello, I had someone come and place and order for me the other day for some material for a bracelet. Is it ready?" I ask, resting my hands on the countertop.

She leans down, pulling up a large book.

"What's your name dear?"

"Sienna."

Her yellowed fingernail traces down the page until she see's my order.

"Are yes, it's out back. Give me a moment."

She slips through the cascade of strung up beads that act as a door and out back, leaving me teetering from the tips of my toes to my heels as I said.

"Hey there."

I yelp, whirling around.

A man sidles up next to me, leaning his arm on the counter. He appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He must have been perusing the shelves piled with a freakish amount of stuff.

"Oh, hey." I swallow uncomfortably.

"I think I know you." He points at me, looking at me like he's trying to figure me out.

I shift, rubbing the back of my neck. "Impossible. I'm not from here."

"You're that pretty little thing the Alpha totes around." He leans a little closer, his smile laden with crooked teeth.

Something about him is making me uneasy.

"I work for the Alpha's mother, Lucia," I concede, tapping my foot impatiently. I'll admit anything to have him stop speaking to me.

How long does it take to find a few pieces of string?

"Not for him?"

"No."

He rubs the bristly skin of his jaw, never once lifting his languid stare from me. Since I rarely visit the village, I'm not used to uncomfortable interactions like this one.

"So you're just fucking him then?" He asks abruptly.

I whip my attention to him, narrowing my eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry, I'm just curious." He shrugs, his grin playful, like he didn't just say something completely uncalled for. "A lot of people are wondering."

I know people wonder, and I equally don't care. Onyx and I's relationship doesn't exist to be dissected by the masses.

"That's none of your business, first of all," I mutter. "Second, Onyx is my friend."

I can feel myself getting angrier at his line of questioning, but I have to remember I can't snap. I'm Lucia's assistant, and that requires a certain level of decorum when seen in public.

The shopkeeper emerges from the back, holding up the blue and black material that will be weaved into Onyx's birthday present.

"Here we go dear, I found them." She lays them on the counter.

"Excellent." I rush to pull out the cash I need plus a little extra, sliding it across the counter.

"Do you want them wrapped?" She asks sweetly.

"No thank you."

I don't have to glance to my left to know the man is still standing right there, staring at me. It takes all my willpower not to snatch up the material as the shopkeeper grabs some tissue paper out from under the counter and starts to wrap it up anyways.

"Did you know this is the Alpha's mistress?" The man asks the shopkeeper, gesturing to me.

Her brows rise as she looks over me. "Oh wow, so you finally received the title then?"

"No, I am not his mistress," I growl.

I wish I could slap sense into some people. They think it's impossible for a powerful Alpha to have a female friend that isn't sleeping with him. Obviously they think lowly of me, but they must think Onyx incapable of having a normal friendship.

"That's a shame dear. Mistresses get many benefits," the shopkeeper says, slowly folding the tissue paper.

I clear my throat. I've never even considered being Onyx's mistress. I doubt he will ever have one. He's far too romantic and committed to his loved ones for that.

"Oh yes they do." The creepy guy winks and I grimace.

"Please take my money," I insist, pushing it closer to her.

She sighs wistfully, placing the money in the register before continuing with her painfully slow wrap of the tissue paper.

"You're much more beautiful in person. I see why he is so enamoured by you." She means it as a compliment, but I'm so irritated I just want it to stop.

By now Onyx will be asking around for me, wondering where I disappeared to.

"Please hurry. I have somewhere to be." I glance back at the door, then at the way she places tape to secure the wrapping.

The man inches closer. "With him?"

"I would love for him to visit my store," the shopkeeper gushes. "I would have the whole town in here tomorrow if they knew he brought even just one of my items."

I shift from foot to foot.

"He has no plans to come here. I'm sorry."

She sighs. "Oh well..."

At this point she's finished wrapping the string up, but she holds it close, like she's waiting for something. Perhaps she is hoping Onyx will stop by looking for me, but she doesn't know how detrimental that will be to her business rather than beneficial.

"Can I please have my purchase," I beg.

"No need to rush," the man drawls, his cloudy eyes focusing strictly on my chest. "I like having you around to look at. You're stunning."

"Look, I've been here far longer than intended. He's....people are going to start wondering where I am." I rub the back of my neck. I feel like I'm being held hostage over a few pieces of string.

If Onyx's birthday wasn't so important to me, I would have left with nothing by now.

Finally the shop keeper hands me the package. "Here you are then. Enjoy."

"Thank you."

I take it, stuffing it under my coat. Whirling around I head for the book, but a strong hand grabs my wrist, pulling me me close.

"Can we talk some more," the man asks, his breath gusting across my face. I takes everything in me not to gag.

"You need to leave me alone." I tug at my arm but his grip is like a vice.

"Really? You can't tell me the Pack's favourite whore only has room for one man in her pussy," he hisses.

I yank back as hard as I can. My palm burns, itching to feel his face against it.

Where I to lay one hand on him, the news would spread like wildfire. The repercussions would be endless, and my reputation would be stained forever.

Onyx would praise me, but Lucia, but boss, would be beyond disappointed.

"Fuck you," I growl, although my voice wavers.

The man's grin is lopsided. "Apparently you won't. What a shock!"

I press out the door, tears burning in my eyes as much as the shame is in the pit of my stomach.

Stumbling out onto the street, I charge off in what could be the wrong direction, but my vision is too blurry to determine anything.

I hear my name being distantly called. Moments later, warm hands seize my shoulders.

"There you are, I was....you're crying." Onyx tilts my chin up with his fingers, examining my face.

I hate crying around him. He gets all in his head, like it's his fault. It never is, but he drowns in unnecessary empathy. It's fascinating, because he's hurt people before, badly. Killed, even.

Yet when I'm hurt, in any capacity, it's like the world is burning.

"Come, we need to get back." I wipe the tears off my cheeks, hating that I let that creep get to me.

"What happened?" He looks over my shoulder, concern bleeding into his features.

I held up the tissue paper. "I got what I wanted. Let's go."

He doesn't move, as hard a rock as I tug on him. "Sienna..."

His jaw his hardened, and the concern has melted away, replaced by a dark storm of quiet anger. He senses my avoidance. He knows something happened.

"Seriously. Let's go." I gesture for him to follow me back down the street.

The wind ruffles his black hair as he considers his next move, ruminating in violent tension.

The door suddenly opens behind Onyx, the creepy man stepping out.

He catches on look at Onyx, a haunting presence in this quiet street. "Oh shit."

He vanishes back inside the store, slamming the door behind him.

Death follows his gaze as he looks between me and the door, something murderous flickering in his eyes.

"Onyx...don't."

It's too late. He's already at the door, stepping inside. I follow behind quickly, ready to clean up whatever mess is going to be left behind.

"Am I going to have to waste my breath, or are you going to tell me what you've done?" Onyx seats his hands in his pants calmly, looking at the man who now cowers back against one of the shelves.

"Nothing...I meant nothing by it." His eyes dart to me then back at the Alpha. "I meant it as a compliment."

"You meant what as a compliment?"

"Ah..."

Onyx looks at me, raising a dark brow.

He's unpredictable at best. This man may as well already be dead, but how my friend goes about killing him is yet to be determined.

"He meant nothing. Seriously, let's go." I don't want the blood of this man on my hands. I've been called worse than a whore.

Onyx looks around the room, observing the shopkeeper who stands behind the counter, gawking at us.

"No one is leaving until someone tells me what was said."

"He called her a whore," the shopkeeper blurts out.

I close my eyes, sighing through my nose. Shit.

"I just meant that it's lucky she is...you know, because she gets to sleep with you." The man swallows audibly, the multiple candles behind his head shrouding him like this is a ritual and he's the sacrificial offering.

Onyx tilts his head to the side, eyes narrowing slightly.

"On your knees," he orders quietly, firmly.

"Sir-"

"On your knees. Now."

The man's entire body is shaking as he obliges his Alpha's raw command.

"I'm sorry Sir. I didn't mean what I said," he excuses, looking at me for help.

I grab my friends arm, shaking him a little. "Onyx. Stop. It's just words."

"Do you have a family?" He asks.

"Onyx!" I growl.

"No..."

His lips tilt up slightly. "So no one will miss you?"

"Please don't do this." The man has shrunk down onto the floor, absolutely terror etched into his expression.

My chest aches just looking at him. I can't bear to stand and watch whatever my friend has planned for him.

"Hurt him, Onyx, and I'll never forgive you," I insist, pulling his attention back to me.

"I'm not hurting him." He shakes his head. "I just want him to know that your name, Sienna, will never be spoken from his mouth again."

He casts his narrow gaze back to the panicked man, who nods eagerly.

"It won't. I swear."

"Then we are done here." Onyx turns, striding for the door.

I follow him out, the traumatised man calling out behind us.

"Thank you for your mercy..."

I don't let my body relax until we are back outside, the cool air brushing against my flushed skin. Onyx rarely shows such restraint, especially when it comes to me.

"That felt too easy for you," I note as we walk back toward the hospital.

He gives me a side long glance, smirking. "I thought I better cut down in the violence if I want to find a wife."

"So you're serious about it now?" Despite his excuse, I get the feeling there's another reason he backed off.

"Undecided..." He sighs.

I don't push the issue. Not today. Not when Onyx showed mercy when that frankly isn't his style.

Not when I'm secretly terrified of losing him to an obligation I know he doesn't want to fulfil.

~Onyx

My mother paces in front of me, a murderous tension lengthening between us.

"My response was perfectly reasonable," I insist.

Her face shifts between at least three different expressions. Shock, anger and frustration.

"Reasonable?"

I shrug. "I didn't kill him."

Were I not so concerned about Sienna's presence, and so pleased at the hospital's official opening, I would have gutted him right there.

"That shopkeeper went and blurted out the whole story to the entire town!" Her face tints slightly red in her anger.

I've lived with this woman long enough to inure me to her tendencies. What did she expect me to do? Simply let the man call my friend a whore?

"They don't know it's true."

"Of course they do. Your reputation precedes you, Alpha." Strands of hair drift around her face, having fallen from her intricate braided hairstyle. It's enough of an implication to suggest her stress and frustration.

"I was protecting a member of my Pack," I note simply, folding my arms over my chest. "He called her a whore."

This entire scene reminds me so greatly of childhood.

I'm banished to a chair while my mother rants and raves in front of me, scolding me for one thing or the other. She's changed absolutely nothing about her office too, which sinks me deeply into such memories.

"This is what I was talking about. This behaviour is unacceptable," she seethes, her heeled feet clicking against the wood floor as she paces. "Any more of this and your proclivity for protecting this girl will get out to all the other Alpha's who are currently salivating at our borders, looking for a weakness."

I supply her with a bland smile, trying to comply.

"It won't happen again," I assure her.

Chances are it will. I'm no Saint.

"I don't believe that to be true." Her stare chills my skin. "We are announcing her as your mistress in three days, then I am bringing the marriage candidates here until you pick one."

I rise to my feet, my mother entirely unfazed by my towering height.

"By exposing Sienna to the whole Pack, you're putting more of a target on her back," I growl.

"Her face is plastered over every newspaper in your Pack. The amount of shared renditions of her is absurd. Everyone wants to know who the Alpha's best friend is."

"I'm certain this won't protect her." My fingers tighten into fists at the thought of anyone harming her. Today was bad enough. He's lucky he didn't lay a hand on her, otherwise he would lose what could cause him to make that mistake again.

"People respect mistresses more than friends. We've been over this," mother exasperates, tossing her hands up.

I wipe my hand down my face, frustrating eating away at my calm façade.

"I just...give me more time."

Seeing her look of disgust, hearing her rejection is too much for me to bear right now. Once I offer this to her, there is no going back.

Our friendship will never be the same again...

Mother's mouth opens, ready to spew some kind of protest when her office door opens.

Sienna walks in, staring down at a tiny blue glass bottle in her palm.

"Lucia, I retrieved that herbal ointment for your face..." She glances up. "Oh, hey Onyx."

Fuck.

"Come in dear." My mother smooths the frustration from her face, sweeping her arm to encourage Sienna to join us.

She looks between us, sensing the residual tension."Am I interrupting something?"

"Of course not." Lucia grabs her arm, tugging her to her side. "This is excellent timing."

"It is?"

"Mother, don't," I want quietly.

Sienna's deep brown eyes look to me for answers that I can't give her right now. She is well aware that being pulled into a heated meeting with my mother and I isn't a good thing.

"I'm assuming my son hasn't spoken to you about the changes that will be going on around here?" Mother asks lightly, glaring at me in a way that warns me not to manoeuvre out of this conversation.

"He's told me that women may be brought in for him to select a wife," she says warily. "I mean, you told me that too."

My mothers smile is cold. "No, not that."

"What then?"

I shift uncomfortably. I hate feeling cornered, especially by my own mother.

It's not like this is an easy conversation to have. I have no idea how Sienna is going to act. Were I in her position, I don't think I would take this well at all.

"Go on Onyx. I believe this is your news to share," mother prompts.

There's absolutely no room for me to sidle out of this conversation. It must be done.

"It looks like my mother will not be needing you to work for her any longer," I tell her uneasily. "I mean, we are ready to offer you a...promotion, of sorts, that will replace your job."

"Wait, what?" She looks a little panicked.

I rub the back of my neck, grimacing. "I've made some mistakes, Sienna."

"Get on with it, son," mother prompts, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Sienna takes a wary step back. "What's going on?"

"Too many people know about you, about how important you are to me," I tell her tightly. "You're in danger."

Her eyes widen and she looks to Lucia for help. Unfortunately my mother has no interest in fishing her out of this one.

"From who?"

"Everyone, but mostly those beyond my Pack borders who are looking to exploit me," I explain steadily.

This needs to be as professional as possible, because feelings are going to be very quickly involved. In a normal circumstance, I would have just had my way with her and would be rolling over in bed to offer her the position.

"Has threats been made against me?" The urgency in her eyes has my stomach twisting.

"Not yet, although we anticipate that at any moment you may be targeted for being my friend. For being close to me," I tell her gently.

"I'm safe here though, right?"

"To an extent." I close my eyes. "I want you to be my mistress."

When they open again, Sienna is staring at me in cold silence, her mouth parted in shock.

My mother looks at me, unsure of how to act. She's not very good with overwhelming emotions.

"Your what?" Sienna breathes.

I step forward, taking her hands into mine. They are clammy and limp, the shock still stunning her stiff.

"The title will offer you much more protection. You'll have far stronger guards both inside and outside of the manor and it will be assumed that you will be in my room at night, that you will be by my side often. This limits any attempts for assassination," I explain to her slowly, so she can understand every word.

Sienna is reasonable, but I can tell she is struggling to comprehend this offer.

"I don't understand..."

My mother smooths her hair away from her face before brushing me away so she can hold Sienna's hands herself.

"Most importantly, dear, you will be less of a target. Both male and female Alpha's are often forced to marry for wealth or power, so they keep someone close who they love, who they confide in. This person has a title, who is protected," she explains gently. "There has been an unspoken rule throughout history that mistresses are safeguarded against being targets of political upheaval."

"What if I say no?" She asks.

I feel my stomach twist in dismay. My fear is that she would rather leave here than accept this meaningless title change.

"Well, why would you?" Lucia asks.

"Because...I mean, Onyx and I are not romantically involved." She gestures between the two of us, the urgency in her eyes digging into my heart, causing an ache. "He's just my friend."

"What goes on behind the scenes means very little. It's just a title," I assure her firmly. "This title doesn't mean you are obliged to do anything a mistress usually would."

Her shoulders slump as she exhales slowly.

Ouch. I didn't expect her relief at not having to sleep with me to hurt so bad.

"That being said, you will have to keep up appearances in public. This is a ruse that cannot be exposed without risking making yourself more of a target," mother adds.

I glare at her. Now is not the time.

"So what, I can never marry?" Sienna wraps her arms around herself, disturbed at the thought.

"Of course you can." Mother squeezes her hand assuredly. "If you happen to find someone, we will dissolve the title and send you on the way. This is just an arrangement for however long you want to stay close to Onyx."

Sienna and I haven't talked much about her plans recently. It's just been assumed she would stay here for as long as possible.

It's my fault. I didn't allow myself to imagine her moving on with some other guy.

Sienna pulls her hands out of my mothers grasp, backing up. "I can't..."

She darts out the room at an unbelievable amount of speed that makes it feel like we were physically restraining her.

I start off after her. "Sienna!"

My mother grabs my arm, pulling my attention to her.

"Give her some time to think," she exclaims. "But not too much. You must convince her, son."

"Look how mortified she was." I point after her, nausea having rooted itself securely in my stomach. "I will not force her."

"You don't need to force her. But if she does not accept this, I will chop off her hair, change her identity and have her sent off to some remote village," she snaps.

Ever the more experienced, reasonable one, my mother is doing what is right for Sienna. My friend is in danger, and I can't allow myself to become too immersed in my emotions.

"Mother..."

"You will never see her again, Onyx," she insists coldly. "Do you understand?"

My jaw tightens, my teeth protesting but I hardly care.

"Okay. I'll talk to her."

~Sienna

I stare off into the distance, my knees pulled up to my chest, the back of my pants dampening against the grass.

Distantly, clouds grow thick and threatening, rolling mercilessly over the far-away settlements.

Up here, on this hill, I can almost see out to the ocean. At least I like to imagine I can, especially when there's no clumps of cloud blocking my view. Today I see little of the generous landscape.

Footsteps hurry from behind me. I don't glance over my shoulder.

"Sienna." Onyx sounds slightly out of breath. "I was looking everywhere for you."

He sits himself down next to me, looking laughably out of place amongst nature in his all black tunic and pants and brooding stature.

"Your ancestors did a good job securing this territory as their own," I mumble. "It's beautiful."

Clusters of lakes scatter haphazardly across the land, breaking up the endless forest and fields that can't seem to decide if they want to blend or not. We live up on a sprawling hill, allowing us to see much of the rest of the flat land.

I can feel his apprehension in the way he scans my face, in the way his breathing seems stilted.

"Many died to procure it, and many have died to secure it," he recites.

I turn my head. "That's what your mother used to tell me when I was younger."

"Me too. She got it from my father."

I never got to meet Onyx's father. He doesn't mention him often, and I don't press the issue. 

He sighs. "I'm sorry about that."

My brows raise. "The ambush?"

"Yeah."

I huff out a bitter laugh. At least I can safely chalk that up as one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life.

"It's okay. I understand." I've taken the time to consider the proposition being made to me, and I've finally reconciled with the idea.

Its good timing that I've figured this out too. It's going to rain at any moment. The air is heavy and the wind is laden with the promise of a strong fall.

"So..."

"I'll do it." I straighten, pressing my shoulders back to convey confidence. "I'll be your mistress."

It's a bizarre sentence that tastes wrong coming from my mouth. Knowing it's bureaucratic nonsense and not a proposal to actually service my Alpha has made this pill a lot easier to swallow.

It's just a title. I don't actually have to fuck him...I don't think.

His lips curve upward in both relief and surprise. "Really?"

"It freaked me out at first, then I came out here and actually thought about it," I say, the wind rustling my hair loose from its tie. "Your mother is right."

"She loves you so much. She is frightened of seeing you harmed because of me.

"I get that."

And I do. I know I'm in danger here. Becoming his mistress is good logic.

"You need to think about this. Truly. Not just for a couple of hours, but for days, weeks even." Onyx takes my hands into his, squeezing tightly.

There's something about the earnest look in his large, almost black eyes that has my stomach twisting. The air is already starting to curl the edges of his hair around his face. I like when that happens.

I raise a sceptical brow. "Weeks? Your mother will wait that long?"

"No, but I don't care," he assures me. "This is a decision you need to make for the right reasons."

I'm not sure what the right reasons are. If I wanted to fuck him, maybe. That's what mistresses are traditionally designed for.

"You're my best friend, Onyx. I really love living here, and I can't imagine being away from you." I knot my fingers together on my lap. "I want to stay."

Eventually I'll have to move on. Onyx may fall in love soon, and I'll be even less of a priority. Soon, there will be nothing left here for me.

The doubt continues to battle with the relief in his eyes. "This may make finding a husband difficult."

I'm open to fun in the meantime. The next man I have something romantic with doesn't have to be my mate.

I mean, it could be years before I find the one I'm destined for.

"No it won't." I look out over the horizon.

"Why not?"

"I mean, it's hard enough with just you in my proximity, and I'm used to that." I laugh a little, thinking back to all the petrified faces of males who realised I was friends with the Alpha. "I'm only ever going to settle for my mate, and nothing, not even some faux title can stop that love."

"Good point." Onyx doesn't seem mad about that. I think he secretly enjoys terrifying all my potential dates.

Lucky for him, he doesn't have to try so hard.

"So, I'll do it," I say, focusing my pointed gaze on him. "But I'm not having sex with you."

Onyx's expression erupts into a rare, wild grin.

"I know, don't worry." He leans back so his elbows are in the grass. "Although no one else can know that."

"However will my reputation recover?" I rest my hand on my chest, acting aghast. "People are going to think I'm sleeping with you."

He rolls his eyes, but he can't hide his amusement.

Reality is, I'm the one with little experience and he's the alleged sex God. Then again, those claims have only come from him, and a girl I bumped into one morning who was slinking out of his room shamefully.

I believe it though. I mean, I can tell just by looking at him.

"Very funny," he mutters.

I smile smugly. "I think so too."

He tips his head back, closing his eyes. His relief is palpable, which means he was shouldering this burden for some time.

He needs cheering up.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

He looks at me. "Sure."

"I'm not a virgin."

He sits up properly, his eyes wide. I flush as his eyes sweep down my body like he's looking for the imprint of my past lover's hands on my body.

"What?"

"I snuck a guy into my room once..." I wince a little. This story is hopelessly embarrassing. It was not the first time I had dreamt of for many years, and to make it worse, it wasn't that long ago.

He cracks an amused smile. "When?"

"Like a year ago. It only happened once and it was awful," I groan as I recall the mess of a night.

I threw back a shot of some alcohol and let some guy seduce me. I smuggled him into my room, so unbelievably ready to lose my virginity, only for the entire experience to last less than fifteen seconds.

"And you didn't tell me?" Onyx presses his palm against his chest like he's deeply offended.

"I thought you would be angry."

"I'm not angry." He says that, but even he can't hide the slight chill in his eyes. "You're allowed to sleep with whoever you please."

"Oh yeah?"

"What was his name again?" His smile is wicked.

"Stop." I slap his arm playfully. "He worked here and he's long gone by now."

Honestly I wish I could take it back. I remember being upset that Onyx had a girl he was seeing and she was so pretty and graceful and she looked like she would be good in bed.

My immature, foolish brain thought I needed to be good at sex. I didn't get much of a chance to improve my skills when the entire experience was so short.

"You scared him off, didn't you?"

"Me? More like you." I roll my ankles around. "After he...you know, he freaked out so much at the thought of you catching him that he was gone the next morning."

I remember the terror in his eyes. It was almost amusing, because at that time, Onyx probably wouldn't have cared all that much.

"I'm sorry for ruining your shot at true love." He laughs a little, shaking his head in a way that causes his black strands to brush against his brows.

"Hardly." I shudder. "It took him about five minutes to figure out where to actually put his dick."

Onyx pulls a face. I doubt he has any problems in that area...

"I'm sorry your first time wasn't all you had thought it would be." He looks off into the distance.

I swallow thickly, looking away. Shamefully, I always imagined my first time to be with him. He may be hard, rough and terrifying, but I know he would have made it good for me.

In some ways, I felt like I was always holding out for him to offer, which now seems like such a ridiculous thought.

"Why are you telling me now and not then?"

"Back then I thought you would hunt the poor guy down and kill him," I admit.

"I said I would only hurt those who hurt you," he muses, the wind rustling the hair against his forehead. "As far as I'm aware, you weren't harmed having sex with this man."

I physically grimace at the memory of the night. After a year the memory of the moment hurts more than the actual act of sex.

"My dignity was," I grumble, hugging my knees. "And it did kind of hurt, which is surprising because he wasn't exactly big, if you know what I mean."

Onyx raises his brows, laughing like I've never seen him before. I'm glad my misery amuses him so much.

"It was your first time. It's supposed to hurt at first."

"Anyways, now I know he's probably put multiple Pack's between him and I, so I figure he's safe." I don't think multiple Pack's would be enough to keep someone away from Onyx if they wanted him dead, but the poor guy doesn't know it.

Onyx shakes his head a little. "He's safe."

We sit in silence for a moment, watching the dark clouds approach us. I know a storm is gathering, but I'll be out of here before it sets in.

"Have you done it since then?" He asks tentatively.

"No. The opportunity never came up," I admit with a sigh. Part of me wants to lie, to tell him I have tons of experience and he isn't the one excellent at seduction. It feels wrong to twist the truth, though.

His expression is unreadable. "What a shame."

"What about you? How many poor souls do you drag into that room of yours?" I grin, although there's a biting ache in my stomach as the words come out. "And I ask this knowing Lucia caught a girl in her panties and no top running around the halls in your wing of the house a few years ago."

"I've been with a few over the years." He shrugs, like none of it matters to him. "Not recently, though."

"Why not recently?"

He gazes at me for a beat too long. I feel the need to fill the silence, but I let him decide what he wants to say to me.

"Different priorities, I guess."

A drop of cool water lands on my arm, and then the tip of my nose followed by my head.

"Oh shit, rain." I stand swiftly. Rain means a storm could be coming. I need to be out of here as quickly as possible.

Sensing my urgency, Onyx stands too and grabs my arm.

"Let's get my mistress inside," he says, smirking. I shake my head and him and jab him in the ribs before rushing off back home.