Page 87 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

I stalled as long as I could, but eventually ran out of excuses. When I could avoid it no longer, I braced myself and descended to the first floor conservatory on the far side of the manor. I slipped inside. The calming smell of damp earth and plants swept over me.

A sound made me freeze. A tiny, high pitched yipping noise that came from somewhere out of sight. My feet moved before my brain could catch up. I walked through the rows of greenery and rounded the corner. A tiny gasp fell from my lips. Laurent—all six foot four inches of his hulking form—sat hunched over on a blanket, toys scattered around, playing with a little golden ball of fluff. No, not a ball of fluff. A puppy! Wearing a big pink bow around her neck.

My mouth dropped open and an embarrassing little squeal left my lips. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Laurent dwarfed the tiny animal. She tumbled around him, yipping and lunging to give him little nips paired with puppy growls. There wasn’t a shred of fear in her behavior. If anything, she loved her new friend. Laurent kept his hands in motion, playing with her while watching me. His eyes were riveted to my face, to my expression.

“Where… Where did… Is that…?”

“Hello, Miss Shaw. It’s a puppy, yes. I got her for you. Do you like her?” And then something happened to his face. He smiled—he actually smiled. I caught sight of perfect teeth and dimples.

“For…me?” I cleared my throat, then tried to form more words, but couldn’t seem to function.

He huffed, and amusement danced in his eyes. “Would you like to hold her?”

A little squeak that could only be interpreted as a yes broke from my throat. I closed the distance, collapsing onto my knees. For the first time, I had no qualms about getting close to Laurent. I only had eyes for the puppy.

“Come and meet your new momma,” Laurent cooed. Something hot dropped into my belly at the sound of his voice. The way he said those words. I ignored it, scooping up the little bundle.

“Oh, my God,” I whined, cradling her to my chest. She squirmed against me, then started biting at my hair. I laughed. “I love her already,” I announced to no one in particular, looking down at the little golden retriever. “I love you all ready, you darling, darling thing.”

Laurent shifted, coming onto his knees. He held a toy out for her, moving in close to us. I didn’t flinch as he leaned against me, waving the toy in front of the puppy’s face, clicking his tongue to get her attention. She yipped at it, trying to detangle her little teeth from my hair so she could snatch the toy. His free hand reached around to help her and I stilled, but not with fear. Even though he was wrapped around me.

Seeing Laurent act like this was a kick to my ovaries. It didn’t feel real. I’d seen him rip out hearts. Seen memories of him destroy creatures I didn’t even have names for. Seen him feed from humans. Seen him annihilate things with his brute strength. Nothing prepared me for the sight of him on his knees, delicately tempting a little puppy to play.

Laurent’s body shifted against my arm as he let out a huff. “She’s playful, this one.”

“I… She’s… Is she really mine?” My voice cracked. I didn’t care. I turned to look at him, our faces inches apart. I could see the silver of his irises nearly glowing with amusement.

“If you want her.” There was something almost nervous in his expression, like my answer actually mattered to him.

A breath burst from my chest because of course I wanted her. I’d dreamt of having my own pet growing up, a companion that would love me no matter what. The only reason I didn’t have one now was because the apartment complex didn’t allow them.

“Is this a ploy to keep me here?”

Laurent sat back on his heels, muscular thighs filling out jeans. “What if I said yes? Is it working?”

I barked a laugh. Never in a million years would I admit that after last night, after tasting his blood, I might have stayed for just that. But now he’d given me yet another reason. Sill, I said, “I want my life back, Laurent.”

“And you will have it, Miss Shaw. I will give you everything you want and more, if only you let me.”

My mouth went dry. “What’s the catch? Is this your way of trying to weasel me into giving you my blood?”

His throat bobbed. I caught his quick gaze as it dropped to the pulse at my neck. “It calls to me like nothing ever has… Like no amplifier ever has.” His voice was rough like gravel. He gave his head a tiny little shake. “No, Miss Shaw, it’s my way of…atoning for my sins.”

“Which ones?”

“All of them.”

“Even that one where you swept into a mid-century modern seaside villa and ripped the throats out of every person inside?”

He hadn’t been sorry about it. There’d been no feelings of remorse as he’d slaughtered every human within. I’d felt everything he’d felt, when I went through the memory. It was one of the more recent ones, crisp and vibrant. Perhaps from the sixties or seventies.

I hadn’t thought it was possible for Laurent to pale, but he lost all color. “I’ve been wondering which ones were thrust upon you.” He blinked, eyes darting down to the puppy, then back. He licked his lips. I couldn’t help but catch the motion, my gaze lingering over it. Over the shape of his mouth. “You don’t have to look at them,” he had the audacity to say. “The memories.”

“I’ve looked at all of them, Laurent, many times.”

He deflated, then sat back onto the blanket, putting space between us. His next words were harsher. “You know what I am, Miss Shaw.”