Page 78 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

I kept my voice low as I said, “I’m allowed to leave. I just…can’t. I’m trapped here because of what I am.”

“I thought you were human?”

“I’m an amplifier.”

Her brow furrowed. “What’s⁠—?”

“Ladies?” Bastian Croft’s head popped into the hallway. Even at this distance, I saw the way his features relaxed as he caught sight of his mate.

“We’ll be along shortly, Bas. Give us a moment.”

He hesitated, then nodded.

“If you need to leave, just say the word and my mate will get you out of here.”

I hesitated, then shook my head. “No. No, it’s… No. I’ll stay.”

I was trapped. I wanted to blame Laurent, but he was not the reason I’d been born an amplifier. That was all me.

All. Me.

I nearly choked as I forced myself to turn, to lead Eleanor back to the library. I felt Laurent’s gaze as I sat. I risked a glance, only to find a strange expression on his face. As if I’d caught him off guard.

My stomach swooped. Had he heard my conversation?

Eleanor said a few things to Bastian, her voice a low murmur. Then she helped herself to a few of the refreshments on the table. A couple of the vampires were also speaking, the low cadence of their voices filling the room.

“Are you all right, Lily?” Laurent’s words were barely above a whisper. And yet, there was something there in the way he spoke, the way he used my name. He almost never used my name.

I swallowed, forcing myself to meet his gaze. I took note of the weird, unreadable emotion lurking there. I almost preferred the emptiness. At least that made sense.

“I’m… I don’t know.”

“Perhaps something to eat? Did you have lunch earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Here—“

He grabbed one of the small tea cups and poured. It looked comically tiny in his large hands. I half expected him to shatter it. He began adding cream and sugar, giving it a quick stir. Then he reached for one of the serving plates, piling it with pastries. I watched him, lips parted with unguarded surprise. He was fussing. Over me.

I blinked as everything was set before me. When I glanced up again, I caught Zola’s eye from across the table. She watched, her brows lifted with something that looked like satisfaction. I gave her a what the fuck?! expression and that brought a twitch to her lips before she lifted a shoulder.

“There,” Laurent said, returning his arm to the back of my chair. I tensed, but tried to ignore his proximity. “Eat something and you’ll feel better. It’s your favorite,” he added, nudging the plate closer.

My stomach did a weird flipping thing.

Sparing him one more glance, I reached for the teacup. After a few sips, I began nibbling on one of the mini cinnamon rolls. I was vaguely aware of Eleanor praising Vittorio’s baking as she inhaled her own plate of pastries.

Laurent didn’t take his eyes off me and a flush rose to my skin. After my third pastry, he said, “Any better?”

Like he actually cared.

I couldn’t help but frown. It didn’t make sense. He wasn’t supposed to act like this. Was it because we had company? Perhaps it was an act for the sake of appearances.

Except, something in the way he looked at me spoke otherwise.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, wishing he’d focus on something else.