Page 175 of Their Blood Rite

‘I’ll take your threats. But I won’t let you say your lies.’

‘I’ll say whatever the fuck I want to you. And it’s not a fucking lie. I’m in love with you.’

‘I said don’t say that.’

‘And you’ll do what to stop me, exactly? You’re strong. We’re stronger. You’re powerful but can’t do any real damage to us because we claimed you. And I will never let you go because I love you.’

‘Shut up. Just shut up and let me go.’

‘I threaten you, and that’s fine. Just another day in your life, isn’t it, Pixie? A beating here. A threat there. But me telling you that I love you…thathas you reeking of fear.’ He sniffs.

‘You don’t know anything, Bloodsucker.’

‘I know. I’ve seen it. Seen you stand against Cole. Your old coven. Seen your dreams about your father. You expect violence and threats. It doesn’t really scare you. But love does. And it should. Especially when I’m the one in love with you.’

‘You don’t know the meaning of the word.’

‘Neither do you,’ Archie adds. ‘Guess we’ll learn together. Because I love you, too.’ He shrugs. ‘And you’re not going anywhere.’

‘Stop it!’ The burn of tears stings my eyes. ‘You don’t love me. No one fucking loves me. My mother slit my throat when I was just a baby. The man who thought I was his daughter made my life a misery. The man I planned to marry cheated on me and tried to kill me.Twice.My best friend abandoned me to the wrath of my coven and screwed my fiancé behind my back. No one loves me. Especially not you.’

‘Is that right,’ Shaw replies dryly.

‘No one has ever loved me. No one ever will. I’m not built to be loved, and I’m not built to love.’

I look at Dorian, who eases his grip on the doll, allowing me to stagger to my feet. He’ll never say it. Even if it were true, which it’s not, he would never-

‘You have my heart,’ he admits. ‘I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. To be loved by me. By any of us. I’d say I’m sorry, but that would be a lie. Watching you die broke me, Ashe. I will not allow it to happen again, so no. You will not leave. You will return home with us. That’s the end of it.’

I look at each one in turn. They stand firm and absolute. Their words hang heavy in the air. So heavy I’m unsure how I still stand.

Shaw straightens. ‘We don’t expect you to say that you love us back.’

‘Good.’

‘You’re angry with us. I don’t blame you. We used you. Manipulated you. Betrayed you. But one day, that rage and hatred will ease. And you will see that your place is, and always has been, with us.’

‘Don’t hold your breath.’

‘Baby, we’ve been holding our breath since the day you were born. It was only when you walked into our lives that we could finally breathe again. Being loved by us will hurt. That, I can promise. But you were built for our pain. You will thrive in it. And for the first time in your life, you will know what it is to be loved unconditionally.’ He kisses my cheek. ‘We will kill Neve. Reverse our curse. And destroy Cole. We will teach you how to control your magic. We will make you so fucking strong and powerful that your enemies will run in fear at the mere mention of your name.'

I laugh hatefully and shake my head. ‘No.Iwill kill Neve.Iwill destroy Cole.Iwill figure out what I am and why I have both blood and earth magic.’ I look him dead in the eye. ‘And I will become so fucking strong and powerful thatyouwill run in fear at the mere mention of my name.’

He smiles. The fucker actually looks proud. ‘That’s my girl.’ He holds out his hand and gently blows his sleep dust into my face. ‘But for now, sleep and dream of us, my love.’

He scoops me up as I fall.

‘I will never forgive you for this,’ I say weakly. ‘I swear it.’

‘We're taking you home, Pixie.’

Darkness claims me.