“Who’s Anna?” I asked, not really familiar with the name.
Corrine and Rosa exchanged uncomfortable glances. Rosa tentatively took a seat on a wooden chair near her as if to grab support for what Corrine was about to reveal.
“Anna was a Migrate. She was Felix’s slave. For a time, it seemed that he was actually in love with her. He had everyone convinced, but then, eventually he tired of her and just kind of abandoned her here at The Catacombs. We don’t really know exactly what happened between them, but she went insane…”
“So you have a crazy woman living in Sofia’s quarters?” I frowned.
Corrine glared at my nonchalance. I found the story heart-breaking, but it was standard fare at The Shade. Anna was lucky that Felix kept her alive. I wasn’t glad that she went crazy, but what was I to do when for hundreds of years, death was something common to The Shade?
Rosa was, of course, oblivious of this reality and was quick to explain. “Well, you see… Gavin and Ian already suspected that some of the men here at The Catacombs were…” she paused and swallowed hard “…taking advantage of Anna. I’m not sure about the details, but Ian and Kyle got into a fight with some of the older Naturals over her. Since then, both of them have had this weird rivalry over who gets to protect her. That’s why Ian insisted that he move here with Anna, something Kyle’s not very happy about.”
Kyle was one of two guards that I really trusted. He and Sam weren’t part of the Elite—mostly composed of families who fought with me in order to establish The Shade. They moved to the island much later, seeking The Shade’s refuge against the relentless pursuing of the hunters. They’d proven to be loyal and worthy of my trust. They were also good friends with Sofia.
Sofia. Suddenly, looking around me, it felt like I was surrounded by her. These people I was with were her friends. The Catacombs was her world. I was sitting inside her home. I was suddenly so aware of her absence, causing a heavy weight to settle on my chest.
I swallowed hard just in time to catch a glimpse of Corrine staring directly at me, as if knowing exactly what I was going through.
“You’re not going to survive without her. You can try, but apart from her, you’re out of depth, Novak.”
“What do you want me to do, Corrine?”
“Get Sofia back here. There’s no other way.”
CHAPTER 16: INGRID
The morning after Aiden and I made love, he found me cowering in a corner, trying to get as far away as I could from the sunlight streaming through his large bedroom windows. I could swear I heard him snicker when he saw me. I couldn’t help but shoot him a look of thankfulness, however, when he pulled the heavy drapes over the windows, once again allowing us to be in the darkness.
He pulled a robe over his body before turning to look at me. “No one can know this happened.”
That hurt. I wondered if he even had any idea the kind of effect he had on me. I wondered if he had even the slightest clue what it did to me when he took me in his arms the night before and held me like he did before—like I was Camilla. It felt like forgiveness, like redemption, like acceptance.
You’re such a fool, Ingrid. He used you. That’s what he did.
He began gathering my clothes and placed them over the bed. “Get dressed,” he instructed, worry creasing the lines on his forehead. He then walked to the bathroom. Minutes later, I heard the shower running.
My knees were still shaking as I stood to my feet. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the sunlight or the fact that the full reality of what had just happened dawned on me. I never actually enjoyed sharing the marriage bed all those years I was with Aiden. I tried my best to please him, because I loved him, but to me, it was my duty as his wife and not necessarily something I relished.
This time, however, I found myself giving into him with abandon in a way I never did before. Perhaps it was the time and the distance that kept us apart for a good part of a decade. I wasn’t sure why, but I wanted him as much as I felt he wanted me. I gave myself to him without inhibition. I was surprised by my own response.
Is it because I was with him as Ingrid and not as Camilla?
I didn’t have much time to process all the questions and emotions coursing through me. I barely just finished slapping my clothes on when he stepped out of the shower, dripping wet, a robe over his muscular form.
He stared at me momentarily. I would’ve given anything to be able to read his mind at that moment. His face was one big blank.
My heart broke when he flatly said, “Let’s go. You can wash up back in your room.”
I thought that was it. I was sure that Aiden thought that everything that had happened between us was just one big mistake, a lapse of judgment on his part. I was certain that it would be the last time something like it would ever happen.
Thus, I was surprised when in the middle of the night, he arrived in the bedroom I shared with Claudia, bringing with him our nightly ration of animal blood. He handed both Claudia and me our respective containers before uncomfortably shuffling on his feet. I took my container and stared up at him, wondering why he wouldn’t just leave.
After what had happened, I wasn’t very thrilled to have him around and strange as it was, the idea of drinking blood in front of him felt wrong.
He must’ve noticed how I was staring at him, so he explained, “I need to speak with you.”
“Let’s speak then.” I placed the container on my bedside table.
“You’re not going to drink that?” he asked.
I shook my head. “I’m not that hungry…”
“Very well.” Aiden nodded for me to follow him. Thus, I obliged and followed him out of the bedroom, not knowing what to expect. He immediately took me to the elevator and we were soon headed for the basement. I took note of where we were passing through, noticing that whichever way we went, nobody was around. No guards, no other people at all. Just us. I paid attention to the direction we were going and it wasn’t long after when I realized that we were walking through a network of secret passages in the headquarters’ underground. Eventually, we reached a short flight of stairs that led up to a latched opening. Aiden pushed it open and we stepped into a garden which I assumed was somewhere south of the main estate. Headquarters was quite a long walk away from us.
The moment I stepped out of the underground passages, Aiden took one long, yearning look at me before grabbing me by the waist and kissing me. For a moment, I was too stunned to respond or even react. After I gathered my wits about me, however, I responded with abandon. I realized that night that I had him. I had Aiden Claremont in the palm of my hands.