My Vampire Thralls

Chapter 18:The Sovereign’s Hunger: One More Kiss

Seraphina considered herself a patient person, but this was pushing it.

Was barking in the middle of a crowded street the new trend among the undead? Was he a fruit bat in disguise?

Fortunately, after half a month at Eli Academy, she had learned one thing: vampires were, as a rule, completely unhinged.

Xavier watched her with those bright, round "puppy-dog" eyes, the small beauty mark under his right eye adding a layer of deceptive charm to his face. He didn't seem to care about the bewildered stares of the passersby. In fact, he looked like he was about to let out another bark just for the fun of it.

Before Seraphina could speak, Theodore Canaster snapped. "Have you lost your mind? Who gave you permission to speak?"

Theodore was, in his own way, quite civilized; even his insults lacked real venom. Xavier, however, didn't seem bothered. In fact, Seraphina could tell he was relishing the chaos.

Sure enough, Xavier spared Theodore a glance and flashed a brilliant, mocking smile. "My, getting defensive, are we?"

Theodore’s eyes flashed a dangerous red. Sensing an impending disaster, Seraphina grabbed his wrist, holding the fuming prince back with everything she had.

"Senior, I don't have those... specific tastes," she told Xavier, trying to ignore the meaningful looks from the crowd. "It's late. I'm going home."

She wasn't about to play "Master and Servant" in the middle of a shopping district.

"Should I have my driver take you? Or... perhaps you’d prefer Adrian?" Xavier chuckled, walking alongside her and fanning the flames. "Since half-bloods have a lower sense of status, Adrian would certainly make a much more obedient pet."

Seraphina ignored him. Xavier played the role of a devoted dog, but his eyes held the predatory edge of someone who was always in control. To her, Theodore was much easier to read.

She pulled Theodore toward a waiting car.

"Let go," Theodore hissed through gritted teeth.

"Escort me home first," Seraphina whispered. "I'm afraid he might try to follow me."

Since he was already here, he might as well finish the job as her bodyguard.

Xavier, overhearing her, didn't seem offended. He simply stood by the car with a playful smile. "It’s certainly a possibility."

As the car pulled away, Seraphina watched Xavier through the window. He stood there, a handsome silhouette under the streetlights, perfectly comfortable being watched. Seraphina didn't believe for a second that this was a "coincidence." She had never run into anyone from school in the city before. Her internal alarm regarding Xavier shifted to a higher frequency.

She knew Xavier was aware of the recent vampire deaths—he had been watching her since the first day of school like a hidden bomb waiting to go off. It was a spine-chilling thought.

The drive was short. Once they reached her apartment building, she finally let go of Theodore’s sleeve.

"Safe at last," she sighed.

Theodore, who had been a silent, brooding bodyguard the entire way, looked at her with a dark expression. "You drag me all the way here and then just expect me to leave?"

In his eyes, Seraphina was an incredibly insolent "food source." She showed him zero respect and, worse, she was far too close to Adrian. He knew the two of them were practically inseparable during certain classes, and the thought galled him.

"Fine," Seraphina relented. "Do you want to come up for a seat?"

Theodore followed her up, clearly intent on making her life difficult.

Inside, Seraphina turned on the lights and handed him a pair of slippers. Theodore’s gaze swept across the room, lingering on the chairs. The memory of his dream—the ropes, the restraint—seemed to overlap with the reality of her living room. He quickly looked away.

Seraphina brought him a glass of water.

"Aside from the Hunting Day, what use do you have for that low-blood?" Theodore asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"Actually, quite a lot," Seraphina said, leaning her head on her hand. "He’s useful. My plans are going to have to change now that Micah is involved." Adrian was efficient and didn't talk back—a stark contrast to the prince sitting in her kitchen.

Theodore bristled instantly. "What is that supposed to mean? Are you unsatisfied with being in an alliance with me?"

"Calm down," Seraphina waved a hand. "Your bloodline is pure, but your family dynamics are complicated. What if they come after me because of you?"

Theodore’s eyes suddenly locked onto her palm. The wound from Adrian’s bite was still fresh, though it was healing at the accelerated rate common to vampire-inflicted injuries.

"Does it hurt?" he asked abruptly.

"Yes," Seraphina replied, confused by the sudden change in topic.

Theodore stepped closer. "A vampire’s bite shouldn't be painful."

"It’s still dangerous," Seraphina countered. "I saw a girl at school with bruises all over her shoulder from being a blood bag. She looked like she was being drained dry."

Theodore curled his lip in disdain. "Only those savages in the Crossed Swords Clan act like that."

Theodore usually loathed direct contact with "blood bags" or humans, finding them beneath him. But Seraphina was different. He grabbed her hand, his thumb pressing hard against the bite mark on her palm.

"Did Adrian do this?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Seraphina realized she shouldn't have moved so close to the bed.

"He got his reward," Theodore muttered, staring her down. "Where is mine?"

"I could give you some blood in a cup?" Seraphina offered tentatively.

"No."

He was being incredibly difficult. For someone who claimed the Scepter Clan hated direct contact, he was being very hands-on. He laced his fingers through hers, forcing her back until she sat on the edge of the bed.

Seraphina didn't mind a bit of physical intimacy with a handsome, single man, but the air in the room was shifting. Theodore’s knee pressed into the soft mattress as he hovered over her. The warm lighting of the room felt heavy, and for a moment, the ropes from his dream felt almost real.

He leaned in. He was inexperienced, his lips meeting hers with a hesitant, raw clumsiness. But the natural instinct of his race soon took over, and he began to master the rhythm of the kiss.

Seraphina felt her head sink into the pillow, unable to find leverage. Kissing a vampire was a gamble; you never knew when the passion would turn into a bite.

Theodore seemed annoyed by her composure. He nipped at her lower lip—not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make his point.

"Don't bite my tongue," Seraphina whispered against his lips. "I want to be able to taste my dinner tomorrow."

Theodore’s breathing grew heavy. The sound of shifting fabric filled the quiet room. Seraphina tried to pull back, but he held the back of her head, deepening the kiss until the air was stripped from her lungs. She felt his hand hook into the hem of her dress.

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, the doorbell rang.

The distraction gave Seraphina the opening she needed. She shoved Theodore, her foot connecting with his chest and sending the startled prince tumbling off the bed onto the floor.

Seraphina scrambled up, smoothing her dress. Theodore sat on the carpet, disheveled and looking utterly dazed, his fingers trembling as he touched his swollen lips.

Seraphina ignored his bewildered expression and ran to the door. She checked the peephole—it was Alaric, her neighbor.

"Are you alright?" Alaric asked as she opened the door. His eyes immediately fixed on her reddened, swollen lips.

"I'm fine," Seraphina lied, touching her mouth and wincing. "Just bumped into something."

"A letter of yours was delivered to my door by mistake," Alaric said, handing her an envelope. He paused, his gaze lingering on the apartment behind her. "Do you have a guest?"

"Something like that," she muttered.

Once Alaric left, Seraphina looked at the letter. It had no return address. She set it on the cabinet and walked back to the bedroom.

Before she could speak, the world spun.

Theodore pinned her against the door, his eyes a swirling vortex of complicated emotions. He gritted his teeth, his voice a low, desperate command:

"Kiss me again."