Page 20 of Semper

"But we aresomething." The words came out of me reflexively, my mind trying to make sense of this twisted reality.

"Indeed, we are," he confirmed.

My heart pounded harder, and I tried to rationalize his words.

He wasn’t talking about actual blood ties.

He couldn’t be.

The Isle had its own ways of connecting people, binding them through lineage, through the beliefs of this place, but that didn’t mean we were actually related by blood, right? My thoughts spun, clinging to that logic. He must’ve meant we were tied together by some ancient tradition or ritual, not by genetics.

Ithadto be that.

"You could’ve just left me alone," I said suddenly. I needed to deflect, to steer this conversation away from the disturbing implications of what he was saying. "You have others here, right? Other fam—women. Aren't you still mar—?"

Before I could finish, his hand was in my hair, his fingers tightening as he yanked my head back, forcing me to meet his eyes. The suddenness of it made me gasp. His grip was harsh and possessive, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine.

"I will haveonewife," he stated calmly, each word dripping with finality, "and that isyou."

The intensity in his gaze made my pulse quicken, but not out of fear. It was something else entirely. His words, his touch—they left no room for doubt. He wasn’t just claiming me; he was stating a fact, one that I couldn’t argue. His grip on my hair tightened, pulling me closer until our faces were inches apart.

"You were meant for me in every way that matters."

I suppressed a whimper as his grip tightened further.

"You've been doing so well," he murmured, his lips brushing lightly against mine.

To anyone else, it might have seemed caring, gentle even, but I felt the warning beneath his words, a dangerous undertone that sent a chill through me.

"I'd hate for us to have to start back at square one."

"Let me go," I whispered, my heart racing. The shift in his demeanor was tangible, and every instinct I had screamed for me to put distance between us.

His grip loosened just a fraction but didn’t release me. I was still trapped against him. He enjoyed watching me struggle.

"I can't do that," he replied softly. "We haven’t gotten to the reason I brought you in here yet."

“Why am I here then?”

"Acolyte Selena informed me that you and another Electi thought to interrupt our service earlier."

Selena. Of course, it was her. I was sure Seraphine would’ve done the same, but the other woman beat her to it.

"Careful, Lolita," he murmured, his voice a quiet threat. "It’s not wise to speak ill of those who serve me, especially not in a place as sacred as this."

I hadn’t realized I’d said her name aloud. “I wasn’t speaking ill of her,” I countered evenly.

“Wait.” His head tilted slightly, the faintest smirk touching his lips. "Are you jealous, Lola?"

I bristled at the question and the way he used that name. "What would I gain from being jealous of your ex?"

He laughed, and it was an actual laugh, dark and full of amusement. "Ex?" he repeated, as though the idea was absurd. "She was my whore in a lavish whorehouse—nothing more. Now, she serves me differently, though I suppose she does still do so on her knees."

My pulse quickened, anger bubbling up inside me. "Then maybe this is the place for her," I shot back, shoving against him, desperate to put some distance between us.

His grin widened, that dark gleam returning to his eyes. "Ah, youarejealous. And a little possessive too. I like that."

"I am not—." I started, but his hand slid to the back of my neck, holding me firmly.