Page 5 of The Serpent's Bride
“I can walk just fine,” I insisted.
Before I could react, he stepped forward again. And lifted me.
A startled gasp tore from my throat as the ground disappeared beneath me for the second time that night. One muscular arm braced my back. The other slid beneath my knees, locking me against him.
“Put me down!” I snapped, grabbing at his suit jacket. He paid me no mind.
My pulse spiked as I struggled weakly against him, but it was useless. He didn’t even seem to notice.
“Stop struggling,” he murmured near my ear, his breath warm against my skin. “You’re going to make it worse.”
“I said put me down,” I snapped, but it came out thinner than I wanted. My fingers twisted in the front of his jacket, not even sure if I was trying to push him away or hold on.
“You’re not in a position to give orders.”
Something in the way he said it made my body go still.
The pain in my ankle pulsed, sharp and spreading, but it felt distant compared to everything else.
Him. The way he held me. The way he didn’t hesitate.
“Why are you helping me?” I asked, my voice quieter now. “You’re going to get us both in trouble.”
He didn’t answer right away. I felt his gaze shift, like he was looking past me, calculating something.
“I didn’t say I was helping you,” he said finally.
I frowned, my head spinning. “Then what are you doing?”
A faint, almost amused breath left him. “Making sure you live through this.”
Before I could argue, voices drifted closer. Staff, I realized dimly. There was the familiar clink of glass. High heels clacking on marble.
The masked man slowed, then stopped just before the light spilling from the veranda. I could feel the tension in him, the way he paused like he was deciding something important. His hand pressed more firmly into my back.
“Listen to me,” he said, his voice dropping lower. “Don’t mention seeing me tonight. Our little secret. And make sure you get help for your ankle. You need to see a doctor.”
My lips parted. “But I-”
“Say it.” The command cut through every protest I had. “It’s our little secret.”
“Our… Our little secret,” I repeated, my breath uneven.
“Good girl.”
For a second, he didn’t move. I felt his gaze on me again, heavy and unreadable behind the mask. Like he was memorizing me.
A maid in my exact uniform turned the corner and froze when she saw us, her eyes going wide. “Signore, what happened?”
“Snake bite,” the stranger said, the spell broken. “Get her inside.Now.”
Before I could react, he shifted me out of his arms. The loss of his heat hit, leaving me colder than I should have been. The maid caught me with a startled gasp, already calling for help.
“No, wait,” I tried, twisting slightly, searching for him. But he was already stepping back into the shadows. Gone before I could even see his face.
And now there was no fixing the mess I’d gotten myself into.
Chapter Two: CHIARA
