Page 46 of Taken By The Vampire King

“What are you doing, Nic?” Aurelia wrenched away from me.

“Nicolas.” I emphasized my name. She didn’t deserve the intimacy of Nic. “You need to get yourself under control. Leia doesn’t know what we are, and I need to keep it that way for the time being.” I kept my tone low, my voice urgent. I didn’t want to waste too much of my time talking to Aurelia, but I needed her to understand.

She folded her arms and tapped her foot. “Oh yeah?”

“Yes,” I hissed. “And if you don’t comply, I’ll take away everything that holds value for you—including your access to high-level vampire society.”

I held my temper in check, aiming to look bored as I spoke to her. If she knew how important this was to me, she’d act against me out of sheer spite.

“Okay.” But she agreed too readily, the shrug of her shoulders too simple as her eyes shone with a familiar malice.

Fuck. I’d have to watch her. Aurelia was dangerous when she was on a mission—especially when she thought she’d been fucked over. Dammit. I curled my hand into a fist. I didn’t have time to contain Aurelia as I needed to. I had to get back to Leia.

“Just behave,” I ground out before I turned back to where I’d left Leia.

I strode in her direction, but she wasn’t there. I arrived at the bar and glanced around, but she wasn’t standing anywhere nearby. I walked through the room, then even out into the garden where some couples stood and chatted, but she wasn’t there either.

This was all far too familiar. I should have spotted the pattern ahead of time: I took Leia out with me, left her alone, and she wasn’t there when I returned. Perfect.

Fuck. I scrubbed my palm over the back of my neck as I turned a full circle, searching for the splash of vibrant green that would tell me I’d located my mate. But she wasn’t anywhere.

Fear was a slow, creeping prickle as it worked through me, and I inhaled slowly. I wasn’t used to feeling afraid. I never feared anything. I was protective of what belonged to me, but being territorial was different than being fearful.

And I didn’t know what to do with that.

I stood straighter and pushed the uncomfortable fear aside. Leia was mine, and someone else had her, and I was fucking well going to find her. Then I’d deal with the person who’d dared extend such a direct challenge. Another wave of anger heated my blood.

I took a deep breath, hoping to clear my head so I could think. I tapped as many guests on the arm as I could, ripping them from their conversations because my need was greater, and I ranked above them.

“Have you seen my companion?” The word felt so dry when she was my mate, but I’d publicly shown my claim. I didn’t want to endanger Leia by declaring just how important she was.

Without exception, people shook their heads. I was just heading to the bathrooms to check there too when I caught a trace of Leia’s floral scent lingering in their air. I followed it out of the ballroom.

I was going to rip the fucking head off whichever fucker she was with. No one took what was mine.

Not anyone who wanted to live and tell about it, anyway.

Chapter 13

Leia

I watched Nicolas walk his friend across the room. Friend. They’d seemed closer than friends. His girlfriend, most likely. And that was shit. I swallowed a mouthful of whatever alcohol the bartender had provided for me and grimaced. I shouldn’t have cared, but I did, and that particular truth was a bitter one.

But if Nicolas already had a girlfriend, what the hell was I doing here, being paraded around like a fucking dress-up doll and introduced to his family? And what the fuck had that been in the car on the way over?

My cheeks flamed at the memory, embarrassment stronger than desire now. How many times was I going to let Nicolas leave me to my own devices while he was off taking care of whatever business he had going on? Family business, actual business, personal business… It didn’t matter. I didn’t need to be there for any of that shit. It was just a power play, and I was getting damn tired of it. I slammed back another drink. I didn’t even know who the bartender had set it out for. That didn’t matter either—as long as it burned my throat on the way down and made my eyes water.

I watched Nicolas and his friend where they were on the other side of the room. She was perfect. The epitome of gorgeous—even with my hair and makeup and a personal stylist, I couldn’t rival her. I didn’t have a cute little French accent, for one thing.

Nicolas stepped closer to her, and I didn’t need to see what happened next. I looked away, a sudden mess of wounded ego and hurt pride as he bent his head toward hers. I’d thought he was giving his kisses to me, but maybe I’d thought wrong.

Holy shit, of course I’d thought wrong. No one took possession of someone for a month—especially someone who’d categorically stated she wouldn’t put out—and didn’t seek attention elsewhere. Our arrangement didn’t mean anything to him. I’d been foolish to think otherwise, even just for a moment.

Didn’t mean I had to watch, though.

I slammed my glass down on the bar hard enough to rattle the other glasses sitting nearby before I surveyed the room. I’d never been to a party like this one, where the guests were refined and genteel, where laughter tinkled rather than boomed rowdily, and where the music was twiddly notes on a piano or violin rather than pounding from a jukebox or someone’s cell phone and speakers.

My dress was something else, too. I’d never been this dressed up. I wasn’t like the women Nicolas was obviously used to. This was a big deal to me—I looked like something out of a fairytale. And I was here in this wannabe-castle with a whole group of people I had nothing in common with, but I could definitely still walk around the room and enjoy myself. I’d never get this opportunity again.

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