Page 86 of Mortdale

“Why not?”

His eyes were still shut as he slowly breathed in and out. “Because I am a person with desires, not an animal.” He lit a cigarette, blowing the smoke overhead. “And I want what I want.”

So, it wasn’t only about self control. Arthur had told me it was hard for him to ignore the arousal part that came with blood feeding. Even imagining him feeling desire for another woman had made me slightly sick.

“Thank you,” I offered, burning with shame and something I couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“It was my fault. I should have told you.”

He’d almost sounded like he’d gotten me mortally wounded.

“You should have.” I scratched my nose, planning to search a plot of land with a seaside view to dig up with my bare nails. “I could have gotten a hand from someone else and spared myself all the embarrassment.”

I realised I’d said the wrong thing when his whole body tensed against mine. Why had he not put me down yet? Why were my breasts out, and why was I still laying on him with his hand still on my thigh, only an inch or so from my bare sex?

“Who?”

I tipped my head to the side at his question. “Who what?”

“Who would you have asked?” He tilted his head back until the shadows swallowed the entirety of his face, only the piercing glint of his golden eyes visible. “Arthur?”

I sputtered. “W-what?”

“I’ve seen how you look at him.”

“You’re not being serious.”

He grabbed my chin, pulling my head back against his shoulder. “The only reason I haven’t killed him yet is because I know he wouldn’t touch something that’s mine. So, for his sake, I hope you’re careful.”

My pulse was thundering in my ears, and his irritation was growing severe as his tongue slipped over his fangs. “No one can have me, but you can have anyone you want? Namely Irena, but I hear you have a whole list.” Leaning all the way back, I got comfortable in his lap and pressed his tie to my nostril to stop the bleeding.

“I play fair, Willow.”

I glared at him.

He unbuttoned the top of his shirt, raking a look down my body that was still so pliantly spread over him. “Irena is an informant. She came that day to let me know the parliament had gone through with a deal that I and the entire House of the Lords had particularly rejected. Many of the statesmen are her clients. Men like to talk when they fight, feed, and fuck.”

“What kind of deal?”

“Mandatory enlistment for those sixteen and over.”

“Enlistment for what?”

“They want to advance into human territories. With this Madness all over our feet, they think expanding the population would benefit us.”

“I am sure humans are fine residing in Mortdale as long as they see benefit to it. I’m not sure I understand the need for violence.”

“Not as humans,” he said. “Once turned, they would be subjected to siring laws. Basically slaves they will keep alive for all kinds of manual labour for barely a litre of blood a week. Not even that. The concept of blood slaves isn’t new, but we did try for a hundred fucking years to eradicated it. Only for it to come to this.”

My eyes widened as I shot up straight. “Shit.”

He hissed, his hand tightening against my hip as he pulled me back on his lap. “Irena has close ties to the Morngate courts, too. Her mother is one of King Ignatius’s healers. She’s been a bridge for our communication. I can’t have Ulric finding this out.”

I was severely underdressed for this kind of conversation, but I tried to ignore my state of nakedness and his thumb tracing circles against my thigh. “What kind of communication?”

“Proof that we didn’t kill his daughter. Matter of fact, she was nowhere near Mortdale at the time she’s presumed to have died.”

“You have found proof?”