Chapter Twelve
The first thing I notice when I wake is how wrong the room feels.
The canopy above me isn’t mine. The carved posts twist into unfamiliar vines, polished so smooth they shine even in the dim light. The ceiling is too high. The shadows are too deep. The sheets are soft but tucked in so tight they feel like a hold rather than comfort.
Across the room, Bella sleeps in her own bed. The mattress swallows her, the heavy duvet bunched to her chin. Her blonde hair fans over the pillow; her mouth is open just enough to breathe a soft, even sound. The sight should calm me. It doesn’t. It only makes the fear sit harder. I promised I’d keep her safe. Now I’ve brought her into a house that hums like a living thing and belongs to a man who says he owns me.
I sit up slowly. The air pres
