“Do you always like being alone?”

“Yes.”

A small crinkle forms on his forehead. “Never been concerned about finding a mate?”

“No.”

“Isn’t that what all males want? To find their loved one and settle down.”

“Not me.” Now that my eyes could focus on the smaller details, I could see my comment frustrates him. “Life for me has never been about finding a mate. I was raised differently. What I like is knowledge.”

“Power?”

“No, knowledge. I like to know things, figure things out, find little secrets hidden among life.”

“That explains all the books.” A small smile flickers at the corners of his lips. “What else do you like to do?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“If you need to give it a name, call it curiosity.” He had twisted his body around to face me properly. His scent of leather and tobacco is strong, but it was a trick. A trick that I wasn’t going to fall for.

“I like to help people.”

“But you don’t want to help me?” He cocks an eyebrow at me.

“You found me in the hospital, what kind of help do you think I offer?!”

“You are right. But you could help me and I could help you.”

I roll my eyes

“Not open to that yet. That’s fine, but you will be. You will want to help me, because that’s what mates do.”

“Is that what you said to all the others?”

He laughs to himself, spinning back around in the chair and propping his feet up on the coffee table. “I don’t think I have enjoyed anyone’s company as much as yours, mate.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“I will call you mate until you finally see the truth.”

Cooper surprises me by going back to sleep. He could probably tell I was almost at full strength again and he had done nothing apart from block the front door. Pulling my wrists open, I’m able to break the rope. Quickly and quietly, I get to my feet, checking the windows for another exit.

All are locked. I could break the glass, but that limits my get away time. I stood in the middle of the room for what felt like an eternity, trying to decide on my very limited options. In the end I just raid the fridge and cupboards for something more than a piece of fruit.

Thankfully Blair had some tinned sausages stashed in the back of a cupboard. It wasn’t much, but it was protein and that was more important than fruit.

Moving through the house, I take a look in each of the two bedrooms. It was clear which one was Blair’s. Though her room is immaculate, there is a photo face down on the bedside table. I recognised her mother, and I assume the baby her mother is holding is Blair.

In the second bedroom, it was

carnage. An open suitcase with clothes hanging out of it, clothes sprawled across the bed. Dirty

plates and glasses were in odd

places Broken perfume bottles littered the carpet by the side of her bed. If I didn’t know better would have said a teenager was living here, not Samara.

I smell Cooper coming up the stairs. His feet are heavy on the carpet from the running.

“I thought you had escaped!” He stares at me as the broken rope dangles from his hand.

“I thought about it. But I was hungry.”

“Why are you in here?” He asks quietly

“Trying to make sense of a few things.” I turn to face him properly. Shadows were cast across his face, but I could still see the way his eyes focussed on me. “You took away Samara’s abilities, didn’t you?”

“You don’t know what you are talking about!”

“She was the first one you tried it out on, right? But it was too strong and wasn’t supposed to last this long. She was the first one you had in that prison. You kept her there because you knew you had screwed up. She had to be close so you could keep aneye on her.” I use his own words against him.

“Is that what you did to Maddie and Blair? You gave them the same dose as you gave your sister? So it won’t be permanent, it will just take years to wear off?”

“Are you seriously suggesting I did this to my sister?”

“Yes. I think that you had enough of her touching your things. That you finally snapped and now, somehow, she helps you. What was she supposed to be? Some kind of guard for Blair?”

“You really are smart, Klaus.”

I keep my mouth shut and he starts to laugh and mutter to himself “Of course I would be mated to someone that can read between the lines.” “We are not mates. It is a trick, I am just your prisoner.”

He takes off his jacket, dropping it to the floor. His fingers make quick work of the buttons holding his shirt together.

“Witches and even half breeds like

myself are born with a mark over their heart. Many call it a Witches mark.” He gets to the final button_

actually the initials of our true matt

and pauses. “But the mark is

He rips the shirt open, and right

above his heart in deep red is a clear KD. “Now remind me, what is your name?”

“Klaus Anderson!” I laugh

“Before you were adopted.”