29. Callie

Istared at Montana as she stood beside Erik Belvedere, and something set the hairs rising along the back of my neck. She didn’t recoil from him. There was no hint of fear or concern in her posture as he leaned close to her. It was almost as if she didn’t mind him being near to her at all. In fact, I almost could have believed she wanted him to be.

My eyes narrowed as I tried to figure out what was going on. Something had changed in Montana since I’d last seen her and it had nothing to do with the extravagant clothes and makeup. Instead of the terrified girl I’d expected to find desperately in need of rescuing, I was looking at someone with such inner strength that it was like she was in control of her own fate. But if that was the case, then how the hell could it have led her here?

My heightened hearing picked up the sound of the final Belvedere brother approaching, and I turned away from my twin, forgetting about that particular mystery as my groom drew closer.

Fabian had chosen to wear a charcoal grey suit and it brought out the darkness in his colouring, the danger which clung to him like a second skin. His eyes widened as he looked at me and he held my gaze as he approached, sparing no attention for anyone else in the colossal room. I glared back at him, thinking of all the different ways I’d like to kill him and hoping he could tell.

“Callie,” he breathed as he reached me. “Words cannot adequately describe how you look. You take my breath away.” He took my hand, raising it towards his mouth, but I snatched it back before he could touch his lips to my skin.

“That’s not exactly a compliment, seeing as you don’t need to breathe,” I replied, not bothering to lower my tone.

Miles let out a surprised laugh, and Montana turned to give me an approving look. Erik glanced my way too, a smile tugging at his lips as if we had shared a joke.

“What are you looking at, murderer?” I asked icily, and the smile fell from his face.

Montana reached out and placed a hand on Erik’s arm as if she was reassuring him, and my scowl deepened. What the fuck was going on?

Fabian leaned close so he could whisper in my ear. “I’m going to have a lot of fun with that smart mouth later.”

“In your dreams, bloodsucker,” I hissed.

“And what filthy dreams they are.” He slid his hand across the small of my back and I tried to jerk away from him, but to my utter horror, my body didn’t do what I’d told it to.

A heavy pressure began to build around me, making it feel like I was being buffeted by a strong wind, but my hair didn’t so much as flicker in response to it. I was trapped in a storm that no one could feel but me, and Idun’s laughter resounded through my skull as panic gripped me.

As quickly as I’d felt her touch, it faded away again. I blinked up at Fabian, feeling totally disoriented and trying to remember what he’d just said to me.

My lips parted in confusion as I leaned towards him instead of away. My side pressed up against his until I could feel the firm pressure of his muscles beneath his suit. I looked up and found his mouth inches from mine as his gaze heated, nothing in his expression suggesting he knew what was happening, but inside my skull, I was screaming.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a bald, male vampire stepping onto a podium, and his voice echoed out around the colossal cathedral as he began announcing the union which was about to take place.

My mind thrummed like a bird trapped in a cage as I fought to regain control of my body. The wedding was already beginning, and instead of finding a way to escape the clutches of this monster, I was gazing up at him like some love-sick puppy, unable to so much as turn my head.

“Callie?” Montana called, but I couldn’t turn to look at her.

Fabian frowned at me slightly as if he’d noticed the difference too and didn’t know what to make of it. Surely he knew that I wouldn’t just change my mind about this? But then why would he care? They were forcing me into this either way and if I suddenly appeared willing, it didn’t alter anything.

Because I wasn’t willing. I was desperate to escape. My hand ached to hold Fury in my grasp, and it definitely shouldn’t have been reaching out to caress this monster’s chest.

Internally I was fighting, aching to be set free, but my fingertips were clasping his lapel and my mouth was curving in what I absolutely refused to accept was a motherfucking smile.