Calla reaches over and pats my knee in a motherly way, despite me being about three-hundred years older than her. “That’s kind of you, Arran. But the poor girl still needs somewhere to stay until then. I can guarantee you that she’d want to be out of Bodin and Tilly’s home sooner rather than later.”
Annamae’s bracelets jingle as she points an agreeing finger at her friend. “Not only is their couch not a viable solution until acottage is ready, those two would want some ‘alone time’ before the twins are here, if you get what I mean,” she adds with an unnecessary wink. “Nothing kills the mood faster than having family in the next room.”
Pierre crosses his arms over his chest, his big gray wings flaring slightly. “Well, what do you suggest she does until then? It’s not like we can magic cottages out of thin air within a week.”
Katie claps her hands together, her eyes shining brightly as she looks around the room. “Can you imagine if we could? It would make life a lot easier. The island would be teeming with all kinds of creatures, houses popping up wherever we want. We could be our own little city.”
I shudder at the thought. Thankfully, everyone else looks equally appalled.
Calla takes a fortifying breath as she turns to me, her eyes soft as she takes one of my hands between her spindly fingers. “I hope you don’t take offense to this suggestion, but, as the founder of Starry Hill, and her cousin’s closest neighbor, and the creature with the biggest home, it could be nice if Audrey perhaps stayed here, with you? In an unoccupied wing of your castle? Temporarily, of course.”
I go absolutely still, nearly ceasing breathing as everyone turns to me, waiting for my response.
Replaying the moment she walked into my foyer and patted my chest, the feel of her hand on me, confident and unafraid before she sauntered upstairs, I…
No, Audrey can’t stay here again. The temptation would be too great.
Someone like her, so vibrant, so fragrant, living with me? It’s impossible. I’d be constantly ravenous for Audrey. For her zest for life, for her touch, for her blood. It’s been decades since my last dalliance with a human, even longer since I’ve drunk directly from a source. The lure of Audrey is stronger than anything I’vefelt in centuries, and this is the exact reason she can’t stay with me.
If I say yes to Audrey living here, what else would I have to agree to in the future? Would my home become some kind of an inn that creatures will use whenever they want? Turning it into a bazaar of sorts, constantly bombarding me with noise throughout the day when I try to sleep, filling it with various scents and creatures until I no longer feel at home in the sanctuary I built with my own hands.
Though, opening my home to this single human, providing Audrey refuge in her time of need… I guess it could be a kind thing to do,ifI can control myself.
I scrub a hand over my close-cropped hair and bite down on my tongue as I process Calla’s suggestion, ignoring Annamae’s expectant gaze as she adds another, much larger, rose to the posy.
A couple of months ago, Charlie the werewolf stayed here until we got the apartment above The Bandaged Heart fixed up for him. Neither of us seemed to be comfortable having the other in his space—something about the territorial nature of vampires and werewolves—but we managed well enough, all things considered.
If Audrey lived here, I’d need to put certain measures in place in order to avoid her as much as possible. The castle is big enough that days could pass by without us seeing each other, if we were to stick to our respective wings. Plus, considering she’d be keeping daytime hours while I’m intrinsically a night owl, it might just be possible for us to coexist without much interaction.
However, would Audrey even want to livehere,withme?
My castle is cold and quiet and doesn’t hold any of the charming appeal that the cozy cottages scattered across the rest of the island have. I don’t even have electricity. This didn’tseem to bother Audrey the last time she was here, but if it’s an extended stay, it could hold some sway over her decision.
Cheeks heating, I think back to that night, and my biggest obstacle to having the beautiful woman living with me.
The moans slipping from Audrey’s bedroom as she pleasured herself, the pulses of desire seeping through the very stones of the castle, it called to a feral part of me that has been dormant for a very long time.
The moment I realized what she was up to, I left the castle and took another lap around the island, draining a bag of fresh blood in the hope that it would distract me.
Only when I was sure she was gone the next morning did I enter Audrey’s empty room. The rich scent of her arousal washed over me in a palpable wave, almost making me come under my kilt like some inexperienced young lad.
I allowed myself to savor the complex, velvety scent for only a few seconds before I opened the windows and let the breeze carry most of it away, but not before the rosy notes of her pleasure were imprinted in my memory.
For nearly two weeks I tried to avoid that wing of the castle until the lingering traces of her arousal were finally gone.
I checked daily, just to be sure.
What if she pleasures herself again? Would I have to leave my castle each time?
Or… what if I could be the one to pleasure her?
My fangs elongate at the thought of sinking into her neck, bringing her ecstasy while my cock is buried deep inside of her tight—
No, Arran, those kinds of thoughts shouldn’t even enter your mind. It’s been more than fifty years since you drank directly from a human. You’re not succumbing to the temptation now. No matter how enticing Audrey is.
Calla raises a brow as she waits for me to respond, and unable to sit still a second longer, I get up to pace behind the couch.
When I’m sure no one is looking, I subtly adjust my half-hard cock and will my fangs to shorten while I focus on my steps thudding methodically across the floor. Even if it would require more self-control from me than I’ve needed in an eon, I can’t fathom having Audrey stay with either Aurelius or Pierre. But the choice would remain up to her.
