Page 111 of Vervain

What. The. Fuck?

His fangs graze my lobe. “Afraid, Saya Claymore?”

“I’m bracing myself,” I say, my hand gripping his cock tighter.

He chuckles darkly. “Take your time. We have all,”—a light tap comes from the door—“night…”

“I can watch Saya if you need to hunt, Lord Serun.”

Whatever lust there is shrivels like a prune. Serun rolls off me and glares at the ceiling as if he’s contemplating killing my only friend. I rest my hand on his chest, lean in, and peck him on the cheek before I shuffle off the bed to wash away the blood and find clothes.

“You’re right,” Serun answers my silent thoughts as he sits up and grabs the belt I tossed to the ground. He slides the leather through the loops and turns to face me. “We will wait until I am on my deathbed with you.”

I smile as I slip my tunic back over my shoulders. “We will have all night, undisturbed.”

“Undisturbed,” he repeats. “I want to take my time with you. Savour the taste of your lips.”

Heat flushes my cheeks at the thought of his mouth between my legs.

An icy finger traces my nape, and when I turn towards him, Serun’s already dressed. “I tore the skin when I got too excited. Forgive me.”

I cup the wound, but the bleeding has already stopped, leaving only two tiny dents that my fingers circle. “You can treat me more tenderly when we return to your home.”

“Saya, I can move anywhere and call it home. The issue is, if you aren’t there with me, I wouldn’t want any part of it.”

“Serun…”

He pinches the fabric of my tunic, eyes on me, then quickly away, as if sudden guilt washes over him. “Entertain your servant before I turn her into nothing. Return to me when you’re tired.”

As I reach the door, I say, “Feeding from you is only temporary until I can take control of this hunger. Next time, we’ll be careful. I’ll be more gentle.”

“Whatever you desire, as long as I can claim your lifetime.”

A declaration, but also a warning. He tells me he will force-feed me if I try to refuse. And in my twisted mind, I’ve realised that as long as it’s Serun’s blood, everything will be okay.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

PAIR BONDING

Saya Claymore

Olivia sits on the lounge. The back of her hand runs across the corner of her mouth, wiping the blood from her lip. With her eyes closed, her brows draw together in frustration before she sighs, opens them, and studies me. “Is there something wrong, Lady Consort?”

“Saya,” I correct her as I sit on the opposite side of the couch. The old springs strain and the foam sinks, but it’s better than the mattress in the feeding ground. “How was your hunt?”

“Good.”

“Did you kill anyone?”

Her eyes narrow. “No, I didn’t,” she quips. “But why do you care, anyway? Do you have this enthusiasm for a bird eating a mouse, or for a human eating a cow?”

I pick at the flesh around my fingernails, pulling at the strings. “And what would happen if there were no humans left in the world? What would you eat then? The cows?”

“We can’t eat anything but humans. We starve if we do.”

“The point,” I reply. “Humans don’t have to eat cows, and birds don’t have to eat mice. We can eat an array of things, while nightwalkers cannot.” I wince as I pull too hard on the flesh. “Besides, this world would become a wasteland if humans died. Or it could very much flourish without us. I’m not sure—but what I know is that I don’t want senseless killings.”

She barks a laugh and sits up further on the couch. “You are more human than a nightwalker.”