Chapter 3

Charli

A cold chill ran through me as I willed my feet forward. Déjà vu bogged my steps, as each one sunk deeper into invisible quicksand. I couldn't survive a year with this Nox—no, with this Mr. Demetri. Somehow I had to revive my Nox.

He stopped and turned on a lamp near the sofa, illuminating a small portion of the darkened room. Sitting within the circle of soft light, he leaned back and unbuttoned the grey jacket of his suit, revealing a white linen shirt and light blue tie. The tie moved as his wide chest expanded and contracted with each breath. All the while his stare drank me in.

"Come closer. I want to see you and appreciate my investment."

Slowly, I moved forward. His eyes unashamedly scanned up and down, lingering on some areas longer than others. The trail burned, not as it had before, but with a scalding sense of shame. Silence continued to tick away as I stood before him. Uncertainty filled my thoughts.

When Nox shifted, his physical reaction was visible.