I shook my head and pulled away from him. “How can I believe you if you’re part of the Mielcarek Coven?”
“Ceyla, I disavowed my coven and pretended to serve my enemy so that I could fight them from within, but I never offered them my wrist.” He showed me his unbitten wrist as proof that he hadn’t pledged his life to the coven leaders. “I found out that the Mielcareks were searching for you. They were planning to capture and convert all the surviving members of the fallen covens. Their power would grow and any thoughts of reviving the old covens would be gone. There would be no one left to oppose them.”
I dropped to the floor when I heard that the Mielcareks wanted to convert me. After years of wondering why I was still alive, everything became clear. I wasn’t unlucky; I was cursed. I was innocent of my supposed crimes, but I’d never been sure why they believed I was responsible for the riot. Hearing that they planned to force me to become a Mielcarek, I clenched my fists. The heir to the Sabourin coven bowing to them and pledging allegiance to them would make for a grand show of power.
“I will never bow to them.” I growled and jumped up from the floor to pace.
“Ceyla, you aren’t meant to bow to anyone. That’s why I’m here.” He tried to put his hand on my shoulder, but I shrugged it away. He stepped in front of me and stopped me from pacing. “The coven wants you alive, but you’re still in danger. Wesling is crazy and sometimes goes too far in punishing the students. The coven sent you here believing that Wesling could break you and make you submit, but the coven fears that Wesling will go too far and accidentally kill you. I stepped forward to be the coven’s spy so that I could keep an eye on Wesling and make sure you survived the conversion. The Mielcareks don’t know my true reason for being here.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?” I was furious that he had kept the truth from me and let me believe I was fighting alone.
“I’m no one special, Ceyla, and I never felt worthy to be in service to you, so I helped you from the shadows.” He stepped forward to take my hand. “When you stood up to proclaim you were reforming the Sabourin Coven, I knew I had to help you reclaim your birthright.” He knelt down and extended his wrist to me. “If you believe me unworthy, I swear I will spend every day trying to prove myself to you.”
The gesture sent a chill through me. He was offering to put his life in my hands so that he could serve me and the Sabourin Coven, just as his parents would have done. My heart thawed when I saw his eyes soften and a smile spread across his handsome face. I let my defenses fall enough to believe everything he said.
Pushing his arm away, I shook my head. “I’m no leader, Landon. Yes, I’m angry and want to fight the Mielcareks, but I have no plan and no one believes in me enough to join me. Pledging yourself to me will only get you killed.”
He sighed and lowered his arm. “If you won’t accept my pledge, then I offer myself to you.” He tilted his head and offered me his neck.
Staring at his jugular, I couldn’t believe that he was offering himself to me. If I bit him and accepted his offered blood, it meant that I was claiming him as my lover.
“Are you sure you want this, Landon? If the Mielcareks realize they can’t convert me and decide to kill me, they’ll burn you alive. There will be no second chance for you. Furthermore, if I claim you, no other female will have you. Do you understand what you’re doing?” Looking at his expectant face, I tried to figure out why he would want to be my lover and all the complications it brought.
When he looked up at me, I saw a tear forming in the corner of his eye. I had never seen Landon express any real emotion during the time I’d known him. I crumbled completely when I saw this hard man look at me with such devotion in his eyes.
“While I believe that you are strong enough to revive our coven, I’m offering you my neck because I’ve fallen in love with you, Ceyla. My little Pixie is the toughest, bravest, craziest woman I have ever met and I can’t imagine living my life without her.” His sincere smile made me blush.
I laughed at the nickname and punched his shoulder. “Why were you trying to barter with me for sex?”
He chuckled. “I had to get your attention somehow. I couldn’t show you my affection; otherwise, Wesling would see through my ruse. She figured out a while ago that I was spying for the coven since I’m not the first assigned to the task.”
I stepped closer and ran my hand down his throat. Landon had always acted like a dick, but thinking back, he had protected me more often than I realized. Knowing what he had risked to help me, I felt humbled by his sacrifices. I couldn’t ignore my attraction towards him, even during the times I wanted to punch him. Seeing the real Landon kneeling before me, placing his trust in me and offering me his life, I couldn’t deny him.
Gripping his chin, I stretched his neck even farther. “I thank you for your devotion to me and my family over the years.
