Page 68

“Was it too hard to put clothes back on?” I sneer, sliding to the edge of the bed, keeping the sheet over my body. The thought of him naked while I slept makes my skin tingle.

King Kylian grabs the tray and turns to face me. The abrupt movement gives me a full, unobstructed view of his cock. Heat rushes to my cheeks as I quickly look away, fixing my gaze on the wall. His deep chuckle tells me my discomfort amuses him.

“I usually sleep naked.” He sets the tray on my lap and sits beside me. “Clothes feel restricting.” His proximity makes my heart race, but I keep my gaze stubbornly ahead, not even willing to peek down at the food in case I catch another eyeful of him.

“You could have at least put on underwear!” I hiss, my fingers curling into tight fists against my thighs.

“Eat,” he says simply, ignoring my complaint.

I blink, finally looking at the tray where steam rises from a bowl of rich stew. The chunk of bread beside it looks soft.

I lift the spoon to my lips as anxiety plagues me, wondering how long he can truly go without feeding. The stew is rich and hot, meat and vegetables swimming in a gravy so thick it clings to the spoon. The bread is dense and soft, perfect for soaking up the last traces of stew. I eat every scrap, licking my fingers when I am done, trying not to feel guilty.

I am used to sharing everything with Sable, every morsel divided equally between us, sometimes giving her my portion when she looked particularly weak. The realization that I’d eaten more in the last two days than both of us shared in nearly a month makes the food in my belly sink like a rock. She is probably hungry right now.

King Kylian lays back down, his arm tossed across his eyes as though blocking out the world. The silence stretches between us.

“How long can you go without feeding?” I ask cautiously.

“Most vampires can last a week, sometimes two,” he replies, his voice muffled by his arm.

“Most?” I press.

“I’m not like most vampires, or have you already forgotten that I am a cursed king, little mortal?” His tone holds a warning I can’t quite decipher.

“So . . . less?” I chew my lip nervously.

“I usually have to feed daily,” he answers, lifting his arm to peek at my reaction. “My thirst is insatiable. The longest I’ve managed is two days.” His admission sends a chill down my spine.

“What about animal blood?” I suggest, thinking of alternatives that might keep his fangs away from human necks—from my neck.

“Can’t stomach it,” he says flatly.

“So you should be fine since you leeched off me yesterday, right?” I try to sound confident, but my voice wavers.

He laughs, but the sound is hollow. “If that is what you wish to delude yourself with, sure.”

“You seem fine,” I state, more to convince myself than him.

“That’s because I’m in here with you, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

His words hang in the air between us, heavy with implications I wasn’t ready to consider. The silence grows more uncomfortable with each passing second.

“What will happen when we leave the room?” I eventually ask. “Can vampires feed off each other?”

“Not usually,” he says. “It has happened before, but it is rare.”

I twist my fingers together in my lap, gathering courage. “You won’t feed off me,” I say quietly.

“Not until you let me.”

I hesitate, the question burning in my throat. “But you’re a king. You could force me. Don’t you have your vampire charms?”

His arm moves away from his face. He looks at me, really looks at me, his gaze piercing. “Is that what you want?” he asks, voice sharp. “For me to force you?”

Fear licks up my limbs, cold and insistent. “No. But you . . . could.”

He sighs and looks away, something like resignation crossing his features. “I don’t want to force you, and I’m not sure I can.”