Page 38 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Kiss

A slip of his fangs made the hair on my arms stand up, my body recognising the bigger predator. Had the room grown quieter? Emptier? Adrian had already aimed a crossbow at my chest once, and Nora wasn't here to catch the bolt this time.

My wolf stirred beneath my skin, and I knew without checking that my eyes were glowing silver from the slight brightening of Adrian's skin. “I don't follow.” My voice was soft and the vampires standing close-by had begun to back away, as if expecting a fight to erupt at any moment.

A taller undead vampire with familiar dark hair and eyes strolled up to us, a smile on his face that seemed borne of confidence. “Now, now. I believe this is supposed to be a party, gentlemen.”

Adrian straightened, drawing himself up to his full height as a self-satisfied smirk flitted across his face. “Indeed.” He walked away slowly, as if relishing the insult of giving me his back and the other vampire offered me a nod before leaving too.

I didn't bother watching him walk away, turning my attention instead to the vampires remaining and offering a nod to Novalie and Emerson as I walked past. There was no doubt in my mind that it was their arrival that had placated Adrian—for now, anyway. Somehow, he must have known we'd left court to meet with Cal, but not that we'd returned. Was he monitoring our comings and goings specifically? Or everyone's? What was he looking for?

There had been a significant crowd in the room when I'd first arrived, but thanks to Adrian's display of power, it had thinned somewhat. Like most gatherings at court, the longer you were there, the more likely you'd be to experience more than a little debauchery.

That suited me just fine. Nothing loosened lips like blood and sex, and I wasn't above seducing my way into information, but since I'd crashed back into court, there didn't seem to be a shortage of people trying to suck up to me. Some were interested in assessing how much of a threat I posed, while others clearly wanted to stay on my good side.

Green eyes flashed in my mind and amusement rose up. Leonora was possibly the only person in my life who treated my heritage like more of an inconvenience than a reason to grovel.

“I'm sure Adrian will settle down eventually.”

I glanced to my left and smiled bemusedly at the tall brunette vampire at my side. “One can only hope,” I said dryly and the coy smile on her mouth widened as she leaned closer.

Her hand curled around my forearm, sharp nails glinting like talons in the low-light. “Don't forget you still have many friends here at court.”

I didn't even know her name, but she was leaning in and looking at me like she would devour me if I'd asked—a thought that shouldn't have amused me as much as it did, but it was hard considering the irony of how many vampire heads I'd had in my mouth lately.

“I appreciate that,” I said finally and was only mildly surprised when she opened her mouth to reply and her head instead snapped uncomfortably to one side.

Chapter Nineteen

Leonora

The vampire fell to the ground in front of me and I cocked one hip as I looked at the white-haired devil smirking at me.

“So desperate,” I drawled, stepping over her and moving closer to Hayes, rolling my eyes when he grinned. “I was talking about you,” I continued as I pushed past him.

“Jealous, love?”

The sway of my hips might have deepened as I ignored him, instead making my way to where Novalie and Emerson sat watching our interaction unfold. Hayes' chuckle followed me and I scowled—damned living vamp knew just how to push my buttons.

Novalie shook her head, a wicked smile blossoming on her face as she propped her legs up on the remaining free chair. My eyes narrowed as I halted in place and instead pivoted to a sofa that overlooked most of the room. I kept my eyes facing forward even when the warmth at my side shifted closer.

“This seat's not taken, is it?” Hayes' breath tickled my cheek as he taunted me and I rolled my eyes. “Fine,” he continued, the bond pulsing between us as if irritated by the fresh distance he’d created. The sofa dipped slightly when he stood and I looked away when he glanced back and found me watching him leave.

One of the undead vampire's friends came and dragged her body to a nearby chaise. A fire inside me began to burn hotter and, from across the room with his arm on the back of the sofa behind a pretty red-head, Hayes chuckled like he'd felt it.

A frisson of electricity swept over my skin and I breathed deeply, attempting to gather some control lest anyone be struck by a stray spark. Much like the majority of the rooms at courts, the lounge seemed to blend brick walls with too much velvet as if it was a vampire's signature style. Personally, it felt tacky to me—a cliché so dated it just seemed sad.

Blue eyes locked on mine and the word shrank away. The damp and dust of the room were sidelined by my senses in favour of the unique scent that was Hayes. His heartbeat thundered in my ears and I licked my lips.

Another vampire had claimed the seat at Hayes’ other side, his smile was wide, his gaze a shade too languid to only be friendly—and Hayes was eating it up. Was it because he liked it when I watched? Or was he trying to use jealousy to force me to act? Against my better judgement, it was working.

The distance between us was negligible, barely taking any effort to cross, and the vampires on either side of him were easy to take care of too.

I barely glanced at them, too entranced by the pulse pounding in Hayes' throat. The urge to claim, to drink, surged more strongly. Before I knew it, his jaw was in my palm, head tilted to one side as I tasted his skin.

“Go ahead, Nora.” His voice was deep, husky. “Take me. I'm yours. Show them who I belong to—who you belong to—” His words cut off on a groan as I struck, sinking my fangs in deeply. The taste of him on my tongue, running through my body, was like a live wire.

My tongue laved the small puncture wounds as I swallowed, meeting the eyes of any vampire in the room who looked our way and holding their gaze until they submitted.

Hayes and I often disagreed on many things, but our connection made it impossible not to sense when to push and when to yield. I pulled away and Hayes panted, colour high in his cheeks as he swallowed. “Eternity with you is going to be so much fun, Nora.”

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