Book 6⌇22. Weak

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Chapter 22 ∣  Weak

-Landon

"At least they're dead now," Cleo sighed heavily beside me, breaking away from the group that I'd put together to hunt down one of the wolf packs. This was the one that continued to encroach further where we were situated and with the coven's safety, we couldn't put it off any longer. In doing so, it would have allowed for them to strike us when we were most vulnerable.

"At what cost!" I narrowed my eyes sideways at her, walking down the hallway from the back entrance to the mansion, irritated that the one flaw in her plan, had revolved around the idea that we would have an assassin to execute it.

We didn't.

I didn't have her.

I should have.

"You were completely okay with giving the order to attack," she glowered, the blame being placed on her shoulders. I shouldn't have listened. I should have just allowed for another method to come up in order to kill the wolves. "Don't forget," she snapped, eyes filled with anger, "you're the one who cheated on your beloved. Stop blaming me because you asked me to bond with you."

"Cleo!" I growled, grabbing her upper arm and slamming her against the wall. There were a few perturbed looks coming from those closest to us. My eyes gazed from them and then landed on hers, "Temptation is a bitch and so were you. You shouldn't have done what you did, seducing me just to get Adrasteia out of the picture."

"You were all too willing," she hissed through her teeth, my fingertips digging into her flesh. "You told me yourself, that you didn't love her, that she made you weak. You said I made you feel strong and that we would be perfect for one another."

Breathing in deeply, I closed my eyes for a moment, "I was wrong."

I let Cleo go, slightly pushing her to the end of the hallway, stating, "Go check the perimeter...do something useful besides swaying people."

"You really are weak," she rolled her eyes, walking away from me and to the front door, "it doesn't matter who you are bonded with, you're just weak."

My temper flared and it took everything not to lash out at her, the truth she was speaking stung. Cleo was right.

I am weak.

I had someone who would do anything for me, to be with me. The love and trust she held, was misplaced and I broke her heart by continuing to lead her on when I never intended to bond with an assassin.

I am weak because I couldn't love and trust her completely, that she would be okay when dissolved into the shadows. I made it out that she was the cause of our relationship not working out, but it was all me. I was supposed to be her strong and caring beloved, though she would have been better off with someone who hadn't lied to her for so long.

Adrasteia.

I placed my right hand against the wall, my other touching the fabric of my shirt right above my heart. This hurt, I put her through the exact same pain, knowing nothing else could have caused this much torment.

She has someone else.

She placed her trust in someone worthy of her compassion and love.

The pain that seared through my body, the moment I felt like a part of me had been ripped away, I couldn't sleep. Cleo couldn't figure out what was wrong and if I'd told her, she wouldn't have cared anyway. Considering what we did, it was wrong.

Cleo took away what Adrasteia should have had, but I'm nothing. She's lucky she doesn't have me; my lies and deceit are not meant for someone who just wanted to be cared for and the love returned. She waited for me and I betrayed her without a second thought.

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