Chapter 16

Erina

I thought for sure that Nic would carry out his threats, that he’d push me into another round with him, but he didn’t. He remained focused on bathing me, inch by inch. His hands gentle as they smoothed over my elbows and knees.

“You can stop being scared now.”

I should have known he’d feel it. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, just understand you’ll never be hurt again.” He paused. “Beside the marking ritual.” He brushed his thumb over his own mark, it stung but not nearly as bad as it had the first time he’d done it. “Erina, it was no accident I picked you, and it was no accident that I’ve chosen to fight for our future. Trust in me and my abilities. You might not like belonging to us now, but as time goes on, those things will fade. You’ll understand that you’ll never be able to find this out there.”

Was this his way of telling me to give up? I stared at the foaming bubbles drifting through the water. When had he done that?

“I can’t help