Forever Rowan by Violet Summers Read Free Book Online

ignoring his hold on her hand and turning her back on him to face her father. Wouldn’t Erin be appalled? she thought. She felt safe to turn her back on the monster , while she had to keep her father in her sights at all times. It literally sickened her to think he’d witnessed what had passed between her and Aidan. She might not understand exactly what it was, but she knew it was something profound and private.
    William Stone sauntered into the room, his teeth flashing a dazzling white; it was the smile he wore for the media. She cringed inside every time she witnessed that smile. It meant he knew had triumphed in some fashion, almost always at someone else’s expense. What was he so happy about?
    He advanced until he stood in front of her and reached out a finger to stroke her cheek. When she instinctively jerked away, his smile just got wider.
    “Good girl, Rowan.” He pointed to Aidan, still strapped down to the bed. She glanced at him; he was stiff, staring at the man’s profile, destruction etched in his strong features. Heat flashed through her all over again. Even with murder radiating from every vibrating inch of him, Aidan was truly a breathtaking man.
    William wagged his finger at his middle daughter with a big grin. “I knew! I just knew you would be able to tempt him. Your DNA profile indicated you should be compatible.” He walked around to stand behind her, his hands digging into her shoulders. “I got a little worried, though, when his little soldiers couldn’t fertilize your eggs in the lab. Just another instance of your defiance.” She winced as he dug harder into the fresh wound Aidan had left on her shoulder. “So imagine my surprise, my vindication, when you mated with him.”
    “What are you talking about?” Confusion and dread settled over her. She glanced at Aidan and nearly gasped at his expression. His eyes were locked on William’s hands where they dug into her flesh. There was slow, bloody death in those eyes.
    Sensing he’d lost her full attention, her father squeezed hard, surprising a cry of pain from her.
    “My darling daughter, you are now bound for life to our pet Dragon.” He gave a satisfied sigh. “Just imagine; you will live your lives out down here, safe and contained. And when you birth his children, I will have a new generation to properly train in the art of killing the night filth that walks our streets.”
    “What are you talking about?” she stammered in horror. “I don’t understand--”
    William cut her off with a laugh. Her eyes darted back to Aidan’s, which were dark and cold as he looked at her.
    “Foolish Dragon,” William continued. “Did you really think any daughter of mine would kiss you for no reason?” He stroked her hair in a sick parody of tenderness. She barely kept from retching, afraid of how he’d retaliate. “She knows where her loyalties lie, and it’s not with you or any of the other vermin out there.” Wrapping cruel fingers around her arm, William dragged her toward the door. “Don’t worry, Ghallager. I will send your bride back to you in a few hours. We want her to look pretty for you when you consummate your marriage.”
    Horrified, Rowan struggled in his grip as he pushed her completely out of the room. A guard grabbed her roughly around the neck and shoved her forward, down the icy corridor.
    She was going to kill her father, she vowed, even if it meant her own death in the process. She closed her eyes as she remembered the shuttered expression on Aidan’s face. He hated her now. He would never believe she wasn’t in collusion with her father. She’d just wanted to explain to him about the chip. To warn him about her father’s breeding plan. To steal a little of the warmth radiating from him.
    Whether he believed her or not, though, her father spoke the truth about one thing. She was bound to the Dragon. There was nothing rational about the feeling, but she knew they needed each other in the most profound way.
    It