23. Chapter 23

23

Chapter 23

Mia

I stumble as the guards shove me forward, my legs weak from hours spent huddled in that damp cell. My heart thumps against my ribcage, each beat a reminder of how spectacularly our escape attempt failed.

"Where are you taking me?" I demand, but my voice comes out rough and broken. The guards ignore me, their grip on my arms tightening painfully.

As we round another corner, my breath catches. I recognize this hallway. We're heading toward Soren's quarters. My dread intensifies, making it hard to breathe.

What cruel game is this? After everything that's happened, after what Soren did to Sabine and Jemma… The memory of their terrified faces as he dragged them away makes bile rise in my throat. I trusted him. How could I have been so stupid?

We stop in front of a door, and one of the guards touches the biometric panel beside it. My mind races, trying to prepare for whatever lies beyond. Will Soren be there? The thought of facing him again after his betrayal makes my knees weak.

The door swings open, revealing a dimly lit room. Before I can process anything else, I'm shoved roughly inside. I stumble, nearly falling to my knees.

"Your new accommodations, witch," one of the guards sneers. "Enjoy your stay."

The door slams shut behind me, leaving me alone in Soren's domain. My eyes dart around frantically, taking in the sparse furnishings and the complete lack of windows. This isn't just a room – it's another prison. I can't believe that the last time I was here, I felt safe.

Probably because I didn't know how much of a monster he was then.

"I'm so sorry, Sabine…Jemma…" I fight back tears when I think back to how powerless I'd been.

I scan the room, my heart still racing from the rough treatment. Soren's quarters are just as I remember – cold, impersonal, devoid of any warmth. The stark white walls, the minimalist furniture, it's all so… him. Clinical. Detached. The way he was when we first met. The way he truly is.

A familiar scent hits me – that cool, woodsy scent I've come to associate with him. My stomach twists, a confusing mix of revulsion and unwanted comfort washing over me. How dare his scent make me feel anything but disgust?

I pace the length of the room; aside from the books, there are no photos, no personal items. Nothing to hint at the man behind the monster.

"Stop it, Mia," I mutter to myself, clenching my fists. "He's not a man. He's a cold-blooded killer."

The image of Sabine and Jemma's terrified faces flashes through my mind. Their screams echo in my ears as Soren dragged them away. I sink to the floor, my legs unable to support me any longer.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper again, hot tears streaming down my cheeks. "I should have protected you. This is all my fault."

Grief threatens to overwhelm me, but anger quickly follows. How could I have been so blind? I let myself believe Soren was different, that he had some shred of humanity left in him. Now, Sabine and Jemma have paid the price for my naivety.

I push myself to my feet, rage burning through my veins. "I'll make you pay for this, Soren," I snarl, my voice barely recognizable. "I swear it."

As if on cue, the door swings open.

Soren steps into the room, his face a blank canvas, betraying nothing. My heart leaps into my throat, a confusing mix of feelings surging through me.

Our eyes lock, and for a moment, the world falls away. The intensity of his gaze threatens to overwhelm me. I see hints of emotion there – regret? Pain? Or am I just projecting what I want to see?

"Mia," he says softly, his voice sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

I clench my fists, willing myself to stay strong. "Don't," I spit out. "Don't you dare act like nothing's happened."

Soren takes a step closer, and I instinctively back away. "Mia, please. Let me explain—"

"Explain?" I laugh bitterly. "Explain what? How you murdered my friends in cold blood? How everything you've said, everything you've done, has been a lie?"

"It's not what you think," he starts, but I cut him off.

"I don't care what I think!" I shout, my voice breaking. "I care about what you did. Sabine and Jemma are dead because of you!"

Soren flinches as if I've struck him. "Mia, you need to listen to me. Things aren't—"

"No!" I interrupt again, my anger boiling over. "I'm done listening to you. I'm done believing your lies. You're a monster, Soren. Just like the rest of them."

He takes another step toward me, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "Please, just give me a chance to—"

"Stay away from me!" I scream, backing up until I hit the wall. "Don't come any closer!"

Soren freezes, conflict clear in his eyes. For a moment, we stand there, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife.

Finally, I can't hold back anymore. The rage that's been simmering inside me explodes, and words pour out of me like lava.

"You're a murderer!" I scream, my voice raw with grief and fury. "A cold-blooded killer! How could you do it? They were innocent! They just wanted to be free!"

Soren's face contorts with what looks like pain, but I refuse to believe it's genuine. He's fooled me before with his act of compassion.

"I trusted you," I spit out, my words dripping with venom. "I actually thought you were different. But you're worse than all of them. At least they don't pretend to care!"

My hands clench into fists at my sides, shaking with the force of my anger. "You're a monster, Soren. A soulless, heartless monster. And I hate you. I HATE YOU!"

The last shred of my control snaps. With a feral cry, I launch myself at him. My fists connect with his chest, pounding against him with all the strength I can muster. I know it's futile – he's a vampire, and I'm just a weakened witch – but I don't care.

I scratch at his face, my nails leaving red trails across his pale skin. "How dare you!" I shriek, punctuating each word with another blow. "How dare you pretend to be kind! To be human!"

Soren doesn't fight back. He stands there, taking every hit, every scratch. His passivity only fuels my rage. I want him to fight, to show his true monstrous nature.

"Fight back!" I yell, my voice breaking. "Show me who you really are!"

Tears stream down my face, blurring my vision. I'm not sure if I'm crying from anger or grief anymore. All I know is that I want to hurt him as much as he's hurt me.

When he finally reaches for my wrists to subdue me, I thrash against his grip, my fists still pounding against his chest. "Let go of me!" I scream, my voice hoarse and raw.

His arms encircle me, pinning my own to my sides. I struggle harder, kicking out with my legs, but it's like fighting against steel cables.

"Mia, please," he says, his voice strained. "I'm not trying to hurt you."

"Liar!" I spit, twisting in his grasp. "That's all you do! Hurt people, kill people!"

I manage to wrench one arm free and claw at his face again. He catches my wrist easily, his grip firm but not painful. The gentleness in his touch only infuriates me more.

"Stop it!" I yell, thrashing wildly.

But Soren just holds me tighter, absorbing every blow, every kick. His restraint chips away at my anger, leaving raw grief in its wake. My attacks become more frantic, less coordinated.

"Why?" I sob, my fists weakly hitting his chest. "Why did you do it? They didn't deserve to die!"

The fight drains out of me, leaving me boneless in Soren's arms. My legs give out, and he sinks to the floor with me, still holding me close.

"I hate you," I whisper yet again, but the words lack conviction. Tears stream down my face as I collapse against him, my body wracked with sobs.

Soren says nothing, just holds me as I fall apart. His hand strokes my back in soothing circles, and I hate myself for finding comfort in his touch.

As my sobs quieten, I become acutely aware of our position. We're in the middle of the room, my body pressed against his, our faces mere inches apart. I can feel the rise and fall of his chest, the coolness of his skin through his thin shirt.

My breath catches in my throat. Soren's eyes meet mine, and I see a storm of emotions swirling in their depths.

The air between us seems to thicken, charged with an electricity I don't want to acknowledge. My heart races, and I know he can hear it. His hand on my back stills, but he doesn't let go.

I should push him away. I should scream and fight and hate him with every fiber of my being. But I can't move. Can't look away from those eyes that seem to see right through me.

Our faces are so close I can feel his cool breath on my skin. The scent of him surrounds me, making my head spin.

"Mia," Soren whispers, his voice low and rough.

I shiver involuntarily, hating the effect he has on me. How can I still react to him like this after everything he's done? Maybe it's because he's been the one bright light in my days here, and my foolish heart isn't ready to let go of the image I created around him.

Whatever it is, it weakens me. Crushes my resolve.

I'm not sure who moves first. One moment, we're locked in that intense stare, and the next, our lips crash together in a desperate, angry kiss.

It's all fury and grief at first, teeth clashing as we pour our rage into each other. I bite his lower lip hard, tasting copper. My hands fist in his shirt, torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer.

Soren's grip on me tightens, one hand tangling in my hair. He kisses me like a man starved, and against my will, I respond with equal hunger.

The anger slowly gives way to something else – an unwanted desire that burns through my veins. His lips soften against mine, and I hate how right it feels. How perfectly we fit together.

I sigh as Soren's tongue traces the seam of my lips, seeking entrance. Part of me screams to stop this madness, but a larger part craves more. I open to him with a quiet moan that would mortify me if I had any sense left.

Our tongues dance, and I'm lost in sensation. The coolness of his skin, the taste of him – it's intoxicating. My body betrays me, melting against him as the kiss deepens.

I shouldn't want this. I shouldn't want him. He's the enemy, a murderer. But in this moment, I can't bring myself to care. All I know is the feel of his lips on mine, his hands on my body, setting me aflame.

Stop, Mia. Stop it!

I break away from Soren, gasping for air. My mind reels, trying to process what just happened. How could I have let myself kiss him? After everything he's done?

I stagger to my feet, putting distance between us. My lips still tingle from his touch, and I hate myself for it. Disgust and confusion war within me, making me feel sick to my stomach.

"I… I can't believe I just…" I stammer, unable to form a coherent thought. My hands shake as I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable.

I look at Soren as he rises slowly, expecting to see smugness or satisfaction on his face. Instead, I'm shocked to see his usual composure has cracked. For a brief moment, his eyes are a storm of emotions.

But as quickly as it appeared, it's gone. His face smooths back into that infuriatingly calm mask he always wears. It makes me want to scream, to claw at him until I see some real emotion again.

"Mia," he starts, his voice low and controlled. "I apologize. That was…inappropriate."

I laugh bitterly, the sound harsh in the tense silence of the room. "Inappropriate? That's all you have to say?" My voice rises, hysteria creeping in. "You murdered my friends, and then you kiss me? What kind of sick game are you playing?"

"Mia—" Soren takes a step toward me, hand outstretched as if to offer comfort. I flinch away, pressing myself against the wall.

"Stop!" I interrupt him. "Don't touch me," I hiss. "Don't you dare come near me."

He freezes, hand dropping to his side. For a moment, I think I see a flicker of hurt in his eyes, but I must be imagining it. Monsters don't feel hurt.

"Wait, you need to know—"

"I know all I need to about you," I interrupt him.

I stand there, still reeling from the kiss, my emotions a chaotic mess. I want to scream at the unfairness of it all. How can he look so calm when I'm falling apart inside?

When he opens his mouth to speak, I expect some sort of bullshit story, but what he says instead is far worse.

"You will be moving here," he tells me out of the blue.

I stare at him. "What?" I snap, hating how my voice wavers.

"You'll be staying here from now on," he says. "In my private quarters."

I blink, sure I've misheard him. "You've got to be joking!"

"It's been decided that you require…closer supervision," Soren continues. "I'll be personally overseeing your care and security."

The implications of his words hit me. I'm to be kept here, in Soren's personal space, under his constant watch. My stomach lurches.

"You can't be serious," I whisper, my eyes darting around the room that's to become my new prison. "After everything that's happened, you expect me to just…live here? With you?" I shake my head vigorously. "No! I won't do it. I'd rather go back to the dungeon."

"It's not optional, Mia," he says simply. He gestures around the room. "The security systems on this apartment have been amplified. While there are no cameras inside, there are cameras on every possible access point. If you so much as breathe out the door, you will be apprehended."

I stand there, frozen, as Soren turns on his heel and strides toward the door. He pauses at the threshold, his hand on the door handle. For a moment, I think he's going to turn back, to say something. Part of me dreads what he might say, while another part desperately wants him to speak, to explain, to make sense of this madness.

But he doesn't. His shoulders tense, then slump slightly. Without a backward glance, he steps through the doorway.

The sound of the lock engaging is deafening in the sudden silence. It's a harsh reminder of my reality – I'm still a prisoner, no matter how different this new cage might be.

I sink to the floor, my legs refusing to hold me. The events of the past hours swirl through my mind like a tornado – the escape, our capture, what happened to Sabine and Jemma…and then the kiss, the argument, the devastating news about my new living arrangements. It's too much to process.

My fingers unconsciously touch my lips, still tingling from Soren's onslaught. Disgust and desire war within me, and I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to block out the memory.

"Stop it, Mia," I mutter to myself, pressing the heels of my hands against my eyes until I see stars. "He's the enemy. He's a cold-blooded killer. Whatever you think you feel, it's not real."

Pushing myself up off the floor, I stumble to the sofa and curl up on it, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms tightly around them. My body feels numb, but my mind is a mess. Grief for Sabine and Jemma crashes over me in waves, threatening to drown me. How could they be gone? Just yesterday, we were planning our escape, daring to hope for freedom. Now…

Anger burns hot in my chest, directed at Soren, at this entire facility, but mostly at myself. How could I have been so stupid? To think that we could get away. To think that Soren was different, that he actually cared.

He's not the one who caught you, Mia.

But somehow, his part in our betrayal feels infinitely worse than everything else. The memory of his lips on mine makes me want to scream. I scrub at my mouth furiously, as if I could erase the lingering sensation.

Confusion swirls through me, leaving me dizzy and disoriented. Why did he kiss me? Why am I now trapped in his quarters? Nothing makes sense anymore, and I don't know what to believe.

I press my face into a cushion, muffling a sob that tears from my throat. The scent of Soren lingers somewhere close, and I recoil, sitting up abruptly.

I take a shaky breath. "Never again," I whisper fiercely to myself. "I won't let him fool me again. I don't care what I felt when he kissed me. It wasn't real. None of it was real."

I squeeze my eyes shut, willing away the unwanted spark of desire that flares at the memory. It doesn't matter that my body betrayed me. My mind is made up. Soren is the enemy, a murderer, and I will never let him get close to me again.