I blink a couple of times and pinch myself. Nope—he's still here. I let out a small chuckle. No engagement ring, no love confession… just a straight-up declaration of ownership.
I'm not in the mood to argue with him.
"Since you are mine, there are rules you need to follow," he says, his voice echoing oddly in my head.
"Yeah, don't try to escape or you'll kill Rain, got it," I snap back, standing to leave—but he pulls me down again.
"I'm not done," he growls.
I roll my eyes but sit anyway, arms folded tight across my chest.
"You are human. And you are mine. That makes you vulnerable and weak."
Ouch. That one stings.
"You're changing, but it's not enough. Your human scent is still strong. From now on, that part of you must be covered by my scent—my pheromones."
My eyes widen. "Oh, goodness. Please don't tell me you're planning to pee on me," I say, horrified.
Animals mark their territory like that… and knowing him, I wouldn't put it past him.
His glare sharpens, annoyed at my remark. "There are other ways, Rose."
"Oh," I say with an awkward smile.
"I do this by being intimate with you. You staying close to me will make my scent linger. Thanks to the necklace, it will last longer. We can also use kissing—like earlier. You still smell of me."
"Wait. Slow down. Intimate? You mean mating!?"
"Yes. There is mutual attraction, but also mutual reputation. We can find ways around this. For instance—"
My hand moves before I think. Slap. Hard.
The bastard.
He actually expects me to just sleep with him. I'm not a prostitute. I'm not his. And if I recall correctly, Jeremiah swore I wouldn't be a sex slave.
I stand before he can respond, storm to the room, and slam the door behind me.
Throwing myself on the bed, chest heaving, I huff angrily into the dark. What an asshole. He didn't even ask how I felt about this so-called ownership. No care, no explanation—just demands.
POV: Void
Rose. This woman. This human.
She is unruly, undignified—yet she stirs something inside me. Enough to make my cock hard. I shift in my seat, adjusting my pants.
That slap… it was not human of her. She's changing into something else. Something forbidden. A hybrid. But not one born of bloodlines—no, she's becoming the first of her kind. A human-made hybrid.
And I will suffer for it. Father will make sure of it.
I drag a hand over my forehead, frustration pressing down like a storm. A web of problems tangled around me, all because of one thing—my weakness. My yearning. My desire for a love that should never exist.
Ayanda.
Does she think of me now? Or is she curled up in her bed, cursing my name? Is she imagining a future with me—the life, the power, the kingdom we could have ruled together? Or am I the only fool chasing something that can't be claimed?
The thought burns.
I push myself to my feet, pacing the tiny cabin. The floorboards groan beneath my weight. This place was never meant for Rose. It was meant for Ayanda—my escape, my secret haven. A place to breathe away from Father's shadow. Close to Panthera, close enough for danger, yet safe enough for stolen moments.
Now it feels tainted.
Because every thought, every corner, every breath of this cabin holds her instead. Rose.
I shake my head, as if I can force Ayanda's ghost away.Voluptuous woman, forgotten.
Rose is different. The necklace between us has built a bond from nothing—something that should only exist where bonds already thrive.
She knows it. She feels it. But she fights it. Impressive for a human.
Meanwhile, I fight every second. The urge to taste her. The urge to kill her. Both claw at me, merciless, demanding.
And I don't know which hunger will win.