Bound By Desire

Prologue

The room is silent except for my breathing and irregularly thudding heartbeat. I stay silent as I feel him walk up behind me. I want to turn and ask him questions, but emotion forces me to hold my ground.

I can feel he is much closer now. Close enough that I can hear the regular beating of his heart that seems so out of sync with the irregular, erratic, thudding of mine. Silence fills the space, broken only by the soft crackling of flames behind us in the fireplace. He moves closer, close enough that I can feel him pressed against my back, his slow breathing rustling my hair and causing electric shivers to shoot through me.

“Who are you?” Hunter’s voice is low and soft. Demanding an answer from me. My heart does a strange double thump when he places his hands on my shoulders and turns me to face him. Keeping my eyes on the floor, he places a hand under my chin and tilts my head up so I am forced to meet his gaze. “Who are you, Rosalia?” He repeats slowly.

A small thrill of fear shoots through me followed by an indescribable feeling I can't quite name. Taking a shaky breath, I try to calm my racing heart and the tremors in my hands which shake by my side by focusing on the flames over his shoulder.

“I don’t know, Master.” I reply in a shaky voice, feeling another sharp thrill of fear shoot through me.

Hunter sighs and fixes his piercing gaze on mine. Trapping me. “Is that the truth?” He whispers in my ear, causing my heart to stutter momentarily before returning to its irregular rhythm. He leans closer. “Because you know how I feel about liars, Rosalia.”

I shiver.