“No, you didn’t. You didn’t force me,” she whispers back, her pupils dilating at my nearness, her breathing becoming audible. I need to be careful not to push her, if I take too much now, she’ll only put up stronger walls next time. I’ve lost control for the moment, but I’ll get it back. I can’t take it from her like I did when she was barely sixteen, this time I’m going to have to seduce it from her. Letting her feel like she holds the power while I ensnare her in my web again. I’m still her cage, only this time she’ll be the one locking herself in, not me.

“Hunter’s making pasta tonight, you should join us,” I say, taking a step back and loving how her body drifts toward me even as I pull away. She’s never had to deal with me being the one to back away before, and I enjoy how discombobulated it’s making her.

“Oh, I”

“It’s only dinner, housemates eating together, nothing more. I know you don’t want to be their friends, but perhaps this could be a first step toward tolerant cordiality.”

“Tolerant cordiality,” she smiles. “I’m not sure that’s ever been something to work toward, but okay, dinner.”

“Do you still have Hunter’s cell phone number? You could text him, or I could if you’d prefer?”

“You can let him know. I have homework to get on with.”

“Sure,” I say dismissively, sliding back into my seat and lifting my beer to my lips without even glancing her way. Her surprise and possibly annoyance follow her all the way out of the room and upstairs.

I hold back my smile until I hear the door to her room close. “You’ll be mine again soon, little bird.”

20

STARLING

What the actual fuck?

Sebastian Lockwood is an asshole.

Today is the first time we’ve spoken since the day he apologized and set me free. This boy has stalked me for years. Years, and yet only two weeks after he told me he loved me, that he didn’t want me to think of him as a monster, he’s absolutely fine, like we’ve never been more than passing acquaintances.

Fine. How can he be fine? I’m not fine. I should be, but I’m not. After that day when I made the decision to stay, to use this opportunity to get a great education on their dime and a little revenge at the same time by showing him just how little I cared about him, I spent the first three days in full-blown panic mode. Constantly looking over my shoulder, I jumped at the slightest noise. I slept at the bottom of the stairs to my room, with my foot in the door, making sure I wasn’t going to end up locked in.

It took a week before it sank in that it might be real. No eyes on me, no one watching me, nothing. The others have all reached out to me. Evan wants to be my brother, Clay my friend, Hunter my personal chef. But Sebastian hasn’t done anything. He hasn’t tried to talk to me, to see me, to dominate me. Nothing.