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“You vowed on our wedding day to be honest,” I remind him.
“I have not broken my vow. I am merely choosing to answer your question at a later date, when the time is right.”
I knew it. “And I am choosing to go find a snack.” I turn to head inside, where he can’t follow. Too big.
“Lake, wait. We must come to an agreement.” He puts his foot down. Literally. It’s blocking my way.
I look up at this man who I once thought was too beautiful for words. The perfection of his face, with the straight nose, pronounced cheekbones, and angular jaw, is only surpassed by his intense blue eyes. In my life, I’ve only seen one other man more gorgeous, and that’s his brother Bard. Now, I don’t see any of that masculine beauty. All I see is food.
I eye his tree-trunk-sized calf. It’s covered in a sheen of coarse black leg hair. Every few feet is a battle scar.
“You’ve already eaten,” Alwar says, guessing my thoughts. Not so difficult.
I stare up, my eyes locked on him like a cheetah fixes on a gazelle.
He grunts with frustration. “Fine, but not here.”
“Then where?”
“My tent.”
He doesn’t want his men to see him giving his blood to me. It’ll make him look weak. “Point the way, husband.”
CHAPTER TWO
The entire time I drank from the vein in Alwar’s leg, he had a giant boner. No pun intended. He didn’t even try to hide it. Not that he could, considering the man only wears a suede loincloth. But as I lay there in the valley of his crotch, sating my never-ending thirst, I felt his finger run down the length of my back like I was his little toy. He was getting off on it. Not like I got off on being bitten by Benicio when I was his “guest” here at the palace. Benicio’s venom did more than excite me, it made me an addict. I would have done anything for it. Die even. But for Alwar, he’s too large for my bite to affect him. No, his arousal comes from something else. I just don’t know what.
When I finish, he tries to convince me again to give the inaugural address and “affirm I will rule with an iron hand” until the plan is in place. The plan he’s referring to ismyplan. Or, it used to be before I turned.
Like an idiot, I thought I could remove the threat to my world by making this one less violent. I told them they needed to build reservoirs to store water long term, that the leaders had to sit down together and come up with real laws that give every kingdom a say. I told them to start growing their own food instead of constantly raiding each other for meat. I believed if they were well fed, had plenty of water, and they shared power, the threat to my world would be gone.
How stupid my plan was. These creatures don’t want peace. They like their way of life. Hunting, killing, fighting for power. It’s who they are. I know because now I’m one of them. Which is why I turned Alwar down and left his tent. I know what really needs to be done. I just haven’t figured out how yet.
I climb into my large bed with red satin curtains around the edges, creating a cocoon of crimson. I like it even if Benicio once slept here.
I lie back, fighting the hunger singing in my veins. I can’t believe this is how vampires live. Always hungry. Emotions constantly teetering on the edge of a knife.
The curtains rustle, and I sit up. The palace is well guarded. This room has no windows and has an iron door one foot thick that locks from the inside. It would take a lot to break in.
“Who’s there?” As I speak, the aroma of dog hits my nose. “Master?”
He was my grandma’s Great Dane.
His white and black polka-dotted head pops between the curtains.
I let out a sigh. “How did you get in?”
He stares with his big brown eyes.
“Ah. You were waiting under the bed.” I don’t know how, but sometimes I sense what he’s thinking. Then again, he’s not really a dog. Master is originally from here, which means he crossed over the bridge at one point and, well, became what he is now.
Honestly, I still haven’t had the nerve to find out what species he was born as. Master has been my only comfort since my life became one disaster after another. He’s a reminder of home.
“Yes,” I say, “you can sleep here. And, no, you don’t have to worry. I won’t bite you. Your smell is unappetizing.”
Master climbs in and curls his large furry body next to mine.
I stroke his soft ears. “Thank you.” He knows I need this—some semblance of normalcy.
