I knew what he was playing at, testing my loyalties, but I knew how to play this game. I wanted to believe that we were still gentlemen after all.

“Give me this courtesy, Lucas. I do not know why, but I’m drawn to her. Consider her your gift to me.”

Lucas backed down. “It’s only appropriate I guess. After all, it was me who found her.”

He took one last look at Sofia and removed his arm from her seat. He set his focus straight on me. “And what exactly do you plan to do with my gift?”

I looked at Sofia and knew from the way she was gazing at me that she too wanted to know the answer to that question.

“I expect her to school me in whatever I missed during my sleep. She’s of great value to me in that aspect. I also plan to take her to the Crimson Fortress to train her to fight.”

“What?!” It wasn’t only Lucas who reacted, but also Vivienne, who had just stepped into the room. Apparently, they felt quite free to enter my quarters whenever they pleased.

Vivienne gave Sofia a wary glance as she took a seat beside me. “Why would you train her to fight? She’s a slave, Derek. That makes no sense.”

“I intend to keep her for a long time. If she’s to stay with me, she needs to know how to defend herself.”

“How can you trust her not to use that against you?” Lucas shot at me.

“She won’t. I can trust her.” I stared pointedly at her. “Can’t I, Sofia?”

It was more a statement than a question. She gave it a moment’s thought and though I knew neither my brother nor sister were convinced she was telling the truth, I fully believed her when she said, “You can.”

CHAPTER 13: SOFIA

I will never forget that conversation at Derek’s dining table on my first “morning” at the Blood Shade. For one, it was the first conversation I sat through where the people surrounding me talked about me and my future as if I wasn’t present. Only a day ago, I was really not much of anything other than Benjamin Hudson’s shadow. In the span of about fourteen hours, I was sitting there, having two vampires argue over which one of them I belonged to.

I wasn’t thrilled about “belonging” to anyone, but I’d be a freaking liar if I didn’t admit that I was flattered. However, it wasn’t the brothers’ showdown when it came to who had control over me that made such a distinct impression on me that morning. It was the look on Derek’s blazing blue eyes when he asked if he could trust me.

I didn’t know why I did it, but then and there, I decided that he could. Still bent on escaping captivity, I wondered to myself how I would pull that off while still maintaining Derek’s trust. I realized that if I were to escape, breaking his trust was inevitable. While I was still within the confines of the Shade, however, it was clear that the safest place to be in was with Derek.

After my botched escape attempt that morning, I came to realize that I wasn’t about to leave the Blood Shade any time soon. If I were to escape, I had to have a plan. I couldn’t just leave. Despite my hunger, I was barely able to bite through my breakfast. Lucas’ presence was that unnerving. Whenever he was around, I could still remember the way he touched me back at the dungeon. There was no doubt in my mind that without Derek or even Vivienne to reel him in, he would have no reservations about doing what he pleased with me. He terrified me and in the few hours that I’d been there, I could immediately see why Derek was a better man.

Vivienne eyed me warily at that breakfast table and I couldn’t help but feel as if she was measuring my worth. She licked her lips before looking at Derek. “We need to discuss something very important about the Blood Shade, something she can’t hear. I don’t trust her as much as you seem to.”

Derek’s eyes lingered on me for a couple of seconds before heaving a sigh. “You may leave, Sofia.”

“And do what?” I couldn’t keep myself from asking.

“Entertain yourself, explore… No… do whatever you wish, but stay at the penthouse. You can have the other girls at your disposal. Find something to do to amuse yourselves.”

I raised a brow, surprised that he would trust me after I’d just tried to escape and surprised at myself for sensing the urge to honor my captor’s trust. “Vivienne said that there are still rooms we can… decorate? May I have one room?”

He seemed curious to find out what I needed an extra room for, but most likely saw no harm in it.

“Of course. I’m sure Vivienne will see to it that you will have all you request. Isn’t that right, Vivienne?”

Vivienne nodded after giving me a quick, irritated look. “Of course.”

That’s when I realized how influential Derek was at the Blood Shade. Even Lucas and Vivienne balked at his command. I wondered why. What made them fear and honor him so much? I wasn’t about to find my answer then, so I bade my leave, eager to get away from my captors. I weaved my way through the walkways to find where they kept the other girls. It didn’t take long for me to find it, because guards were stationed outside their doors.

“The prince sent me,” I told them.

They exchanged glances. One nodded toward the other and the guard made his way to Derek – or so I assumed. I had no choice but to wait for him to get back after receiving instructions from Derek himself. I eyed the guard left there with me. “May I ask you a question?”

He raised a brow, perhaps surprised that I would even speak with him. “Go ahead.”

“Who is Derek Novak exactly? Why is everyone so afraid of him?”

“I would think that after you did the impossible and won his favor in the span of one night, you’d know more about him than anyone else. You must’ve pleased him so much last night that he would actually kill a guard for you.”

I found myself uneasy at what he was trying to imply. “What do you mean please him? Do you think…”

“What else would you have done since you got here?”

I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks, flushing as red as the blood running through my veins.

“That’s not… I would never!” Here I was, a virgin, being rumored to have given the newly awakened prince a pleasurable night in bed.

He furrowed his brows, an amused glint in the corners of his eyes. “You mean you didn’t…”

My eyes widened. “No! I’m not that kind of girl…”

“I’m sure you’re not, but can you blame us for thinking that he would be the kind of man who’d be able to make you do things you wouldn’t normally do?”

I was rendered speechless. My mouth opened to say something in my defense, but none came out. I then creased my brows, because the first thought that came to my mind once I got over my shock was, Derek’s not that kind of guy.

To my relief, the guard seemed over the whole thing. He chuckled, seemingly amused by my shock.

“I’m Samuel,” he introduced himself, an easy smile forming on his lips. The blonde man with a lean build and short stubble was only a couple of inches taller than I was, though I figured he was somewhere in his twenties when he got turned.

I knew I would be a fool to trust him immediately, but it felt like I’d found a friend in him. I flashed him a small smile. “Sofia.”

“Like I don’t know that,” he winked. “The prince is known to be picky with women. The fact that he’s giving you the attention you’re getting practically makes you a celebrity here.”

I wasn’t sure how to react to that. I was used to being obscure and invisible. Being told that I was known by everyone was a sensation I wasn’t used to, but found rather… flattering.

“To answer your question, you’re owned by a legend. Derek Novak made the Blood Shade possible. Many vampires survived the shadow hunters because of his leadership. He found this island, built the Crimson Fortress and won Cora, the most powerful witch of their time, over to our side. He is the most powerful and revered vampire of the Blood Shade.”

I held my breath, taken aback by the information. I knew Derek was somehow important to the coven, but I wasn’t expecting him to have all that legendary history backing him up.

“Wow.”

“Wow is right,” Samuel nodded.

Right about then, the other guard came back. He shrugged. “The prince instructs us that as long as it doesn’t involve allowing them to leave the penthouse, we are to do whatever she says.”

Samuel grinned at me. “Looks like we have a new princess.” He then pushed the door open to reveal the other girls.

“Sam, dude,” the other guard said, “I don’t think making friends with the prince’s muse is good for your health.”

“Relax, Kyle. She’s alright.”

I raised my eyebrows and gave them a funny look. I was going to like those two. I stepped inside the girls’ quarters, not quite knowing what to expect. Four pairs of eyes fell on me as I entered. I was surprised to find that they all looked relieved to see me.

I realized I didn’t even know their names and they didn’t know mine, but it was almost as if we were long lost friends, because all four girls began throwing their arms around me.