A sigh of relief escaped me as I walked into the bathing chamber.

It was completely empty, which wasn’t entirely common, since it was the only place the thralls could go to get some actual peace and quiet. This was a room that no vampires entered, except during the days of the Choosing when the new thralls were escorted in. But then, the old thralls generally weren’t hanging around for that.

This was a sanctuary of sorts, and I’d come here a time or two to relax without having to worry about who I’d run into or if Gray was going to be weird around me.

A small smile ghosted across my lips.

Not that I really minded when he came to see me, weird or not. His presence was a comfort most of the time, and I always felt a bit like something was missing when he was gone.

I frowned. No, I didn’t. That was absurd.

I crossed the room to take a seat on a bench, sitting so that my legs were propped up in front of me and my back was pressed against the wall. On my lap was the book I’d gotten from the library a few days ago—The Old Wars.

It was a nice quiet place to get some reading done, since the library often had vampires wandering in and out. And though I’d gotten to know a few of them—how weird was that?—I still wasn’t entirely comfortable.

That was as it should be.

I flipped through the pages until I got to my old place. Then I started to read again, losing myself in the subject matter.

It was rich information, things I’d never known before.

Conall wasn’t someone I’d talked to regularly, and none of the other wolves had wanted anything to do with me. None of them had even mentioned a vampire-werewolf war, but in retrospect, it was pretty obvious that the two big supernatural species would have it in for one another.

Especially considering that Conall was still waging a guerrilla war of his own.

I don’t know how much time passed, but I made it through a few chapters before my time was interrupted.

Three thralls—Kati, Isabella, and Jenn—entered the room, Kati in the lead.

She was the ringleader of a mean girls group among the thralls. I tried to give her as wide a berth as possible, but she didn’t like me, for the same reason most of the other thralls didn’t like me.

Grayson hadn’t touched me.

“Well, if it isn’t perfect little Nina,” Kati said.

I sighed, shutting the book. I was really getting sick of all the ‘little’ comments. Yes, I was petite, but did everyone have to comment on it all the time?

You didn’t mind it so much when Grayson called you ‘little hunter.’

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

“What is it now, Kati?”

“Oh, nothing. We were just coming in for a bit of air.”

I frowned. “Well, then, I’ll give you your space.”

I stood up, intending to leave the room to avoid a confrontation.

“Why would you do that? Shouldn’t we get to know one another?” Isabella asked, a sweet smile on her lips.

Hmph.

“I think we know each other pretty well at this point,” I said.

“Oh, I would disagree,” Kati said. “I don’t understand you at all.”

I lifted my chin. “What could you possibly not understand?”

“Well, I mean... What’s wrong with you?” She giggled.

“Ah, nothing?”

Jenn interjected this time. “Oh, there has to be something wrong with you. The King still hasn’t touched you, and that means you must be deficient in some way.”

“No, it doesn’t. He’s just being nice.”

I didn’t really believe that, but it was the excuse he was giving me, so I might as well stick to it.

“Nice, hm?”

The three of them smirked as one, sharing a look together.

“It sounds to me like he doesn’t like you. He’s probably regretting his decision.”

“Why are you giving me such a hard time about this? It’s not like I can do anything about it.”

“Oh, we know. We were just wondering what it is about you that’s so thoroughly disgusted him.”

I flinched.

That actually hurt.

I knew I shouldn’t let their words get to me, but they had a point. Either Grayson was playing mind games with me, or he didn’t want me. And I should be happy with the latter option, shouldn’t I? I should be happy that he didn’t want to touch me, because that made this whole experience that much easier.

If no one ever fed on me, I wouldn’t have to worry about being tracked down later, after this was all over.

That had been the biggest risk with taking this assignment—that whoever took me as a thrall would always know where I was.

But the solution had simply been that I’d eventually kill whoever I was enthralled to.

The King having Chosen me made things a little more complicated. It wasn’t like I could go around killing the King of vampires.

That would start a huge war, and then where would we be?

I huffed out a sigh.

“Look, this is really getting old. I get it. You don’t like me because he hasn’t fed on me, but that’s out of my hands. Can I go now?”

I took a step forward, and Kati matched it, closing in on me.

Her smile was sickly sweet as her gaze flicked over me. “It doesn’t matter. You won’t last long in this world. You don’t belong here.”

I pushed past her and walked out of the room.

She was right, of course. I didn’t belong here, but I wasn’t going to be here for much longer.

So, why did that bother me now?