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He stalked towards Henry with an eerie intensity before I pulled my magick to the fore, using the threads of the nearby curtains to wrap around Alexei’s waist, halting his pursuit.
“Enough with the fighting, for the love of the Goddess,” I rasped with exasperation. “If you’ve been unwillingly putting me in danger by abstaining from blood, I deserve to know. Why have you not fed?”
Alexei flexed, trying to pull free from the makeshift holds, but I only tightened them with a scowl.
“Because I couldn’t stand the look on your face when you discovered the truth. Are you happy now?” he bit out with flashing eyes. “I have not taken blood from the vein in months, and I’ve managed fine. This will pass too.”
“Youidiot.” Henry’s face paled. “How could you go this long without feeding? How you’ve managed not to raze the city to the ground from blood-rage by now is a fucking miracle!”
I blanched, taking an unwitting step back. “It’s that serious?”
Henry bit out a heated, “Yes.”
“Why won’t you feed?” I whispered, hating the lick of fiery jealousy singing down my spine.
My fingers twitched with the need to break something or erupt with magick. Anything to release this ugly feeling inside as I imagined Alexei’s mouth—once pressed to my own—on the skin of another, offering pleasure and taking what he needed.
He shook his head, eyes flashing to mine as if spelled. “Won’t take another's flesh. None but—” he broke off sharply, his nostrils flaring.
Oh.Oh.
The fire within me simmered. It didn’t sit well with me, the sudden instinct to protect the vampire from his own idiocy. Nor should the thought of fulfilling those needs fill my chest with desire.
Alexei's nose flared once more as he scented my unexpected arousal. He lashed against the curtains again, his blood-rage just under the surface.
“Youarean idiot, vamp.” My lips parted, my body tingling hot and cold at once.
Beside me, Henry coughed, but before I could feel the sharp sting of embarrassment, Alexei finally pulled free from my magick and lifted me into his arms, angling me protectively away from his friend.
Henry tensed to attack, but I shook my head at him. I could handle Alexei, and I would.Afterhe fed.
“I’ll stop him if you need me to,” Henry said with restrained anger. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve tousled with a Vasyliev.”
Alexei’s lips caught on the sensitive skin behind my ear, and I shook my head sharply at Henry. My eyes fell shut briefly as he teased me with his tongue, scraping the skin with a touch of his fangs. “I have it under control. Thanks for your help, Henry.”
With a steady stream of low growls rumbling from his cool chest, Alexei moved through the house and out the back door towards the guest cabin in a blur. Within seconds, we emerged from the frosty night. Walking with long strides, he sat me on a soft couch before the fire.
All at once, that frenzy seemed to fade. His arms crossed tightly across his chest before he threw himself against the furthest wall, afraid to come too close. As if he didn’t trust himself not to fall upon me.
“Tell me why you don’t drink from warmbloods,” I ordered as I approached him with a drop of trepidation. “Tell me why you’ve kept this from me when you promised honesty.”
“You want to argue with me about honesty, Jade?” He lifted the amulet from his pocket and tossed it onto the coffee table with a clang. “I should have never offered it as a prize last year. Should have forbidden you from using it when I discovered your spirit magick manifestation after you joined my Court.”
I snorted, closing the distance between us. “As if I would have listened to yourorders.Now stop being a coward and tell me the truth.”
“You don’t understand,” he gasped in rising panic.
I lifted my hands to his chest and dragged my fingers through the springy hair. “Then explain it to me.”
“What would you have me do?” he barked with exasperation. “Drink the blood of the mortals or creatures in my club, abusing my power? I have killed many innocents in my life, Jade Belle. Hundreds,thousands. I have taken their lives because of my lack of restraint or selfish needs, but after I left Slovenia, I vowed to never succumb to such weakness again.”
I sucked in a breath at his brutal honesty. And the strength it must have taken to defy his father to save witches and change the most vital part of himself. Like always, Alexei could only see the darkness within himself and never the light.
He laughed humorlessly while his hands bracketed my wrists. “Don’t find me nearly as noble as your fantasies any longer? What is it about you that urges me to reveal all my dark secrets? Just leave it, Jade.”
And then I understood. He was still trying to push me away.
When he tried to escape my touch, my eyes flashed silver with mutiny. “Is that the only reason you abstain? Out of guilt? Because I’ve seen plenty of vampires in Bite drink from creatures or humans and they don’t kill them.”
