Chapter 10 · Klaus Is Here

"Get your filthy hands off me, you coward!"

I didn't just scream it; I spat the words right into Klaus's face. He had me pinned against the cold stone archway of the Black Ridge gates, his fingers digging into my shoulders like iron talons. He smelled of expensive cologne and old blood—the scent of a man who liked to watch others bleed while he stayed clean.

"Still got that fire, don't you, Ivy?" Klaus sneered, his grip tightening. "I gave you to that monster to keep you quiet. I didn't think you'd actually enjoy being a pet. Look at you, shivering. Is that fear, or are you just missing your real master?"

I didn't shiver. I burned. The blood-bond on my wrist was pulsing, a hot, rhythmic throb that felt like Silas was standing right behind me, watching.

"I'm not anyone's pet," I hissed, my voice low and dangerous. "And I'm definitely not yours."

"You're whatever I say you are," Klaus whispered, leaning in so close I could feel the heat of his breath. "Now, be a good little girl and come back with me. I've got a new contract. Better terms. No monsters, no dark forests.