Darius's POV
I stood in the shadows outside the old cottage, checking my pocket watch for the third time in five minutes. She should be here soon. If she cared about her precious maid as much as I thought she did, she wouldn't dare ignore my message.
The moon cast long shadows across the abandoned grounds, and I could hear the distant sound of night birds calling to each other. This place was perfect for what I had planned – far enough from the castle that no one would hear any screams, isolated enough that we wouldn't be interrupted.
Then I saw her.
Ivy appeared at the edge of the clearing, her cloak billowing behind her as she hurried toward the cottage. Even in the moonlight, I could see how breathless she was from running. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, and there was fear written all over her beautiful face.
Perfect. Fear would make her more cooperative.
"You came," I said, stepping out of the shadows.
She spun around to face me, her hand pressed to her chest. "Darius! Where is she? Where's Pamela?"
"Pamela?" I raised an eyebrow, pretending to be confused.
"My maid! You said you had my maid!" Her voice was shaking with desperation.
"Where is she?" Ivy demanded, taking a step toward me.
I held up a hand to stop her. "Come closer first. We have things to discuss."
She hesitated, clearly not trusting me, but her concern for her friend won out. She walked slowly toward me, her eyes darting around as if she was looking for an escape route.
"That's better," I said when she was close enough. "Now, shall we go inside? We'll be more comfortable there."
I gestured toward the cottage door. She looked at it with obvious reluctance, but nodded.
"After you, Princess."
Inside, the cottage was simply furnished but clean. I'd had my men prepare it earlier today. There was a small table with two chairs, a fireplace, and not much else. Perfect for an intimate conversation.
"Sit," I said, pointing to one of the chairs.
She sat down stiffly, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. "Now tell me where Pamela is. You promised you'd release her if I came."
"All in good time," I said, settling into the chair across from her. "First, we need to talk."
"About what?" she snapped. "I came here like you asked. Now keep your end of the bargain."
I studied her face for a moment. Even frightened and angry, she was breathtaking. Her dark hair had come loose from its braid during her run, framing her face in soft waves. Her green eyes were blazing with defiance, and her cheeks were flushed from exertion.
She would make a perfect Luna. My Luna.
"I have a proposition for you, Princess," I said finally.
"I don't want to hear any propositions. I want Pamela released. Now."
"Hear me out first." I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. "I'm offering you something incredible. Something most women would kill for."
She stared at me suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm offering you the position of my Luna," I said, watching her face carefully for her reaction. "Think about it, Ivy. You'd be a queen. You'd have real power, real influence. You'd never have to worry about your safety again."
For a moment, she just stared at me in complete silence. I could see the confusion in her eyes as she processed what I'd just said.
Then she snorted.
Actually snorted, like what I'd said was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.
"Are you insane?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "You think I would ever marry you? After everything you've done?"
The rejection hit me like a physical blow. I'd expected her to be surprised, maybe even hesitant, but I hadn't expected such complete and utter dismissal.
"Think carefully before you answer," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "This is a generous offer."
"Generous?" She laughed bitterly. "You tried to poison Kade! You kidnapped my friend! And now you want me to marry you? You're completely out of your mind!"
"I'm offering you everything!" I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping against the floor. "Power, protection, a future where you won't have to hide what you are!"
"I don't want anything from you," she said firmly. "Now release Pamela. That was our deal – I came here in exchange for her freedom."
I felt anger building in my chest. How dare she reject me so completely? Didn't she understand what I was offering her?
"Pamela has nothing to do with this," she continued. "She's innocent. Let her go."
"Innocent?" I laughed harshly. "No one is innocent, Princess. Everyone has their price."
"Not everyone is like you," she shot back.
That was the final straw. I crossed the room in three quick strides and grabbed her by the throat, not hard enough to truly hurt her, but firmly enough to make my point.
"What if I don't let her go?" I said, my face inches from hers. "Will you call your monster of a prince to deal with me, hmm? Are you in love with that beast, Ivy? Is that why you rejected me?"
The pain of her rejection was seeping into every pore of my existence. I'd planned this so carefully, imagined how grateful she'd be when I offered her a way out of her current situation. Instead, she was looking at me with disgust and defiance.
She tried to speak, but couldn't with my hand around her throat. Her eyes were wide, but not with fear – with anger.
"Answer me!" I demanded, tightening my grip slightly. "Are you in love with him?"
She still wouldn't answer, just glared at me with those blazing green eyes. I squeezed a little harder, and she began to cough, her hands coming up to grab my wrist.
"I asked you a question," I said through gritted teeth.
She was coughing harder now, her face turning red as she struggled to breathe. Finally, I released her, and she collapsed to the floor, gasping and choking.
I watched her struggle to catch her breath, feeling a mixture of satisfaction and regret. I hadn't wanted to hurt her, but she'd left me no choice.
"You brought this on yourself," I said, walking back to my chair and sitting down as if nothing had happened.
When she finally stopped coughing, she looked up at me from the floor, her eyes filled with hatred.
I let out a sharp whistle, and immediately, the door to the back room burst open. Silas stepped out, his massive frame filling the doorway.
"Yes, sir?" he asked in his deep, gravelly voice.
I pointed at Ivy, who was still on the floor. "Take her."
"What?" Ivy's eyes widened in panic as she scrambled to her feet. "No! You said—"
"I said a lot of things," I interrupted. "Plans change."
Silas moved toward her, and she tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. He grabbed her arm with one massive hand, and she immediately began struggling.
"Let me go!" she screamed, pulling against his grip. "You can't do this!"
"I can do whatever I want," I said calmly.
Silas began dragging her toward another room, and she fought him every step of the way, kicking and clawing at his arms. But he was twice her size and easily overpowered her.
"Darius!" she shouted as Silas pulled her toward the doorway. "This won't end well for you! Kade will come looking for me!"
I stood up and walked over to where Silas was holding her. She turned to look at me, her hair disheveled, her breathing ragged from fighting.
I smiled at her, letting her see exactly how pleased I was with how things were going.
"Until you accept my demands," I said softly, "you will remain my hostage."