Page 23 of His to Own

After an hour of reading, it dawns on me how quiet the library is at night. It’s almost closing time. Eleven at night. I’m sure my father has figured out I’m gone and is angry.

If he’s even noticed I’m gone. I think he hates me so much, he’d prefer I wasn’t even there.

I don’t hear the sounds of other students. The quiet is deafening. I can feel someone watching me.

With a gasp, I turn around to find… nothing. No one. But still. I can’t shake the sense that someone has their eyes on me. I pack up my books and head through the stacks. My pulse is pounding. Why am I so afraid?

Sergei is dead. He can’t come for me.

But there’s someone else who has made their intentions clear. Who has made it clear he wants me.

When I turn around another bookshelf, I’m not surprised to find Maxim there but it’s still a frightening sight.

He’s just… there. Leaning against a bookshelf, looking very amused. “I was wondering how long it would take for you to notice me.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Heard you ran away. Got a call from Nikolai who said that Gregory called him, angry that you were gone. He thought I snuck into your house and kidnapped you.”

But you did kidnap my sister, I want to say but the words get caught in my throat.

“I said I’d go out to search for you. I thought you’d might be here. You were carrying so many books earlier. It meant you like to study. And what’s a better place to study than the library?”

“Are you going to hurt me?” I whisper.

His eyes narrow and he slowly approaches me until he has me backed into a bookshelf with nowhere to run. “Why would you ask me that?”

“Because…”

“Because?”

I spit it out. “Because you killed Sergei.”

“You figured it out. He’s no longer a problem for you, Elena. You should be happy.”

“But you killed him… for me. I don’t know how to feel about that. I’m scared.”

He leans in closer, making me gasp. I’m not sure if he’s going to strangle me or kiss me. My heart is beating so fast, it hurts. “I told you before, Elena. You don’t have to fear me.”

“But you want me to be your wife. I don’t get any say in the matter.”

“No, you really don’t, do you? Poor little lamb. I would be lying if I said I was upset that you’re upset. I’m not. I want you, Elena. So I’m going to have you.” He tucks a piece of my hair behind my ear. Electricity zaps its way through my entire body. “And now I found you. I’ll bring you back to your father as a sign of my good graces.”

So he can force my father into giving me to him. In marriage.

“I can’t go back,” I whisper.

“But you must. For this peace deal to work, I need your father’s permission. Or I can kill him. But I think that will make things much messier. I need you to work with me on this, Elena.”

“I can’t,” I gasp and slip under his arm and begin running through the library.

The only thing I can hear is the sound of Maxim’s footsteps as he chases after me.

Chapter Four

Elena

Running through the library is like running through a maze. Twists and turns. Dead ends. In the darkness, I forget my way around. I can sense Maxim getting closer and closer with every step he takes.