chapter one

Patiently seated in the plush leather chair , I glance around the office space . I find myself unable to avert my eyes from the taunting clock above the fireplace , slowly ticking away . Scowling at the clock , I swiftly stand up and walk to the large bookcase . Running my fingers over the books' spine's . Silently wishing I had the chance to read each one of them .

Looking down at the slight dust covering my fingertips , I wonder if the books have ever been read since they were bought .

It reminds me of the time where I begged the ruthless owner of them to just allow me to read at least one , he refused with the explanation that it's the first edition . Inhaling a deep breath , I push aside the memory , my fingertips running over the books as I walk further toward the large oak desk , papers scattered all over . I almost frown at the sight. The man despises when things aren't a certain way . The man I fear most , demands obedience , punctuality and order .

He's a respected man , whom I came to despise with everything I am , yet the fear of what he'll do to me if I were to disobey him , keeps me from admitting that to his face .

I stop dead in my tracks when I hear footsteps down the hall , spinning around on my heel and hurriedly fall back down on the chair .

The doorknob twists , the door flying open with a loud creak causing me to sit up straight , keeping my eyes focused straight in front of me . I keep my face impassive as his measured footsteps thud behind me , the closer he walks , the more tense my shoulders get .

I flick my eyes up to the large ticking clock before clearing my throat. "You're two minutes late ." I say flatly , averting my eyes back to the fireplace , the red and orange flames crackling .

He walks past me , coming to a halt behind his black leather chair , I refuse to make eye contact with him . My suspicion grows when I notice how disheveled his suit is out the corner of my eye .

He flicks his wrist , his golden watch coming into view and he sighs , rolling out his chair before sitting down . His dark blue eyes are losing it's glint , under his eyes are dark circles , his black and grey stubble on his jaw has grown and his hair sits disheveled on his head . He looks tired , stressed .

"Yes , it's good to see you too , daughter." He sighs , slumping back in his chair , his shoulders falling . I clench my jaw , the sight of him looking so stressed has me feeling uneasy and I can't remember the last time he's even referred to me as his daughter . He's always made it more than clear that he doesn't approve of my species , therefore always treated me as if I'm a disgrace and used me as his personal soldier.

I stay silent , staring blankly back at him as he rubs his temples . I know better than to reply , knowing full well that a snarky comment will fall from my lips and that all hell will break loose because of it .

He clears his throat, running his fingers through his hair before leaning forward and resting his elbows on the edge of the desk . "Your training schedule will be changed tomorrow," He informs , confusion roaming my mind but I refrain from reacting. "You'll train longer hours ." He continues , his eyes glued to the paper between his fingers .

Anger blooms in my chest at the new information , knowing I can't do anything about it . He already demands me to wake up at five in the morning, train until nine then train again at one am until five am . It's gruesome , exhausting and frustrating . I have no private life , I don't have an off day and I most certainly don't have the advantage to go out with friends or to even have friends for that matter .

My life revolves around training and obeying his demands . Since I can remember , he's been training me to be emotionless , ruthless and obedient . The perfect soldier .

I blink back at him , patiently waiting for him to dismiss me . He sniffs , averting his eyes from the paper toward me , before giving me a curt nod . I stand from the seat , striding toward the door and hurriedly closing the door behind me .

I sigh through my nose , briefly closing my eyes before pushing down my emotions . I stride down large hall , making my way to my room . Pushing open my bedroom door , I freeze in the doorway , a slight smirk spreading on my lips when I see my balcony door wide open .

"I know you're here ," I mumble , closing the door behind me before locking it . Spinning around on my heel , I raise a brow at the figure standing before me . "You know you can't be here during the day , Rowan ." I sigh , stepping around him toward my closet .

I hear him slowly walking toward me , his breath fanning my neck before his hands snake around my waist, pulling me flush back against his chest . I bite the inside of my cheek , to prevent the smirk from spreading on my lips .

This is dangerous and just wrong , if anyone were to find out that Rowan occasionally sneaks into my room , the aftermath of what would happen to both Rowan and I , is something I don't even want to think about .

But the thrill this provides is something I crave , yearn for even , something deep within me , keeps overtaking my mind and prompts me to fall into the forbidden sin .

"I just had to see you , Naveah ," He smirks against my neck , leaving a trail of soft kisses up to the shell of my ear . "You could've waited ." I retort , spinning around to face him , resting my hands against his chest , his eyes a shade darker as he stares down at my lips .

A slight grin spreads on my lips , my hands roaming down his chest toward his belt , where I quickly unbuckle his belt . "I didn't want to ." He sighs when I pull my shirt over my head , showcasing my black lacy bra .

"I'm glad you didn't." I mumble , removing my jeans while he follows suit and removes his shirt . His lips come crashing down on mine , taking my bottom lip into his mouth before his hands slide down my body . His hands grip my thighs, lifting me off the ground and I reflexively wrap my legs around his waist , his erection pressing against me .

He slowly walks us toward my bed , his lips latched onto my neck as my hands dive into his blonde curls . He gently settles me down on the bed before removing his jeans and boxers , reaching to remove my underwear. He crawls on top of me , rolling a condom down his erection before returning his eyes back to me .

His eyes hold so much emotion , emotions I don't return . Emotions i'm unable to feel , I always dread this moment whenever we're together , because I know he feels more for me than lust . I avert my eyes , my jaw clenching but before I can say anything , he thrusts into me . My back arches off of the bed , a moan falling from my lips .

He plunges into me repeatedly , rolling his hips before moving out halfway and pushing back into my core . He groans , resting his head in the crook of my neck . Sucking on my neck , I feel his thrusts become more sloppier and I resist the urge to roll my eyes .

"f**k , Naveah ," He groans , his movements coming to a halt as he finishes . I huff out a loud breath before pushing him off of me . I slide of the bed and walk to my closet , slipping into my robe before turning around to face him . "Leave , I need to shower." I say flatly , striding to my bathroom .

I lock the bathroom door behind me , turning on the faucet in the shower , I let my robe slide down my shoulders , meeting the cold floor with a thud . I stare blankly at myself in the mirror , my dark chocolate brown hair falls in waves down my shoulders , my pale green eyes have lost their glint and the faint freckles scattered over my cheeks are nearly unnoticeable . I look nothing like my mom or dad , where they both have pale skin , mine is a darker shade .

They both have blue eyes , my mom blonde hair and my dad black hair . I always questioned it , but soon realized i'm being ridiculous . Although the thought still lingers . I've always felt more powerful , but suppressed it and followed my dad's rules .

I step into the steamy spray of water , sighing in delight as the water runs through my hair down my back . I wash off the scent of Rowan , before moving on to washing my thick brown hair .

“Naveah !” My mom’s shrill voice booms from the other side of the door . I heave out a heavy sigh , stepping out of the shower before wrapping a towel around my petite body.

I open the bathroom door , her fiery eyes narrowed into slits as she stares down at me . “Get dressed , we have guests.”