“I hate to disappoint them, but I am avampire,” she said.
As she spoke, he saw the tips of her smallfangs again. They would extend when she fed, but no vampire couldever completely hide them like a lycan could.
“I can see that,” he murmured.
Her head bowed as a blush crept up her neckand spread across her cheeks. It was so endearing his fingersitched to brush the hair back from her face, but he kept himselfrestrained.
He didn’t know why; he’d always gone for andalmost always gotten what he wanted. But though he longed to touchher, he simply stood and watched as she stretched a hand toward oneof the flowers before pulling it back.
When Cole clasped one of the flowers, some ofthe vines slid down to brush his arms as he moved. The flower’spetals were as smooth as silk and just as soft as he ran his fingeracross it before bringing it toward her.
Her fingers inched toward the flower, andwhen they landed on it, a smile lit her face. In response to hertouch, the petals closed around her hand. She jumped and started topull away but kept it there instead.
“It tickles!” She laughed.
Cole was stunned to realize he was grinningwhile watching the interaction between her and the flower. Itspetals moved over her hand before it released her. Cole carefullyreturned the plant; it lifted its petals to the moon beforetwisting toward her again.
“They’re amazing!” she breathed.
There was something far more amazing to himinside this room.
“This was my mother’s room,” he told her. “Myfather had it built for her so that no matter where she stood init, she could see at least a piece of a moon.”
A wistful smile played across her full lipsas she gazed around the room. “It’s beautiful. I’m sorry. Ishouldn’t be here. I was trying to find the room I was assigned toand got lost.”
“That can happen in this place. Sometimes, itchanges around you.”
“Really?”
When he grinned at her, Cole realized hecouldn’t recall the last time he genuinely smiled at anyone, butshe made it easy to do.
“No, but it’s something my father used totell me when I was a child. I think he was teasing me because Ialways got lost in this place.”
CHAPTER 11
Lexi couldn’t see the intimidating king of the darkfae teasing anyone, even his son, but she saw no reason for theprince to lie to her. Then again, she didn’t understand why he wastalking to her.
Part of her remained tempted to bolt out ofhere, but he so entranced the other part of her that she foundherself eager to learn more.
“Do you still get lost here?” she asked.
“On occasion,” he said with a ruefulsmile.
She didn’t know if he was telling her thetruth or saying that so she wouldn’t feel bad, but either way, itmade her laugh. “It is a rather large castle.”
“There are over a thousand rooms.”
Lexi’s mouth dropped; athousandrooms! If that were true, then he wasn’t lying about still gettinglost in this place.
“What can someone possibly do with a thousandrooms?” she blurted, and then her hand flew to her mouth and herblush deepened as she realized the question was rude.
He didn’t seem to find it such as he laughed.“I have no idea, and I certainly haven’t seen them all. I couldspend the rest of my life exploring this place and never find allof them. Some are hidden. Some are lost rooms only entered by pastkings and queens, and those same rulers sealed others away.”
His words intrigued her. She would love thechance to explore this place for a week in search of those hiddenand lost rooms. It would be fascinating. “I would try to find themall.”
“Perhaps one day,” he murmured.
As he spoke, more vines moved to brushagainst him, and a few encompassed his biceps before slipping awayagain. He was oblivious to them, but Lexi’s amazement of the plantsgrew; not only were they lycan plants, but they craved the touch ofa lycan.
