Page 106 of Clash of Kingdoms

“Your brothers are okay?”

“They’re fine,” I said. “My father too. We lost very few vampires.”

“I noticed. That’s good to hear.”

“You lost a lot more of your own.”

“But that was expected.”

“After I speak with my father, I’m going to shower and rest. Wake me up when you get back.” I was dead tired, but I would never be too tired to hold her and kiss her, to treasure her beside me.

“I will.”

I leaned down and kissed her again. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She said it against my lips, her eyes on mine.

I wouldn’t have very many opportunities to tell her that anymore. I didn’t think about the end of our relationship much in the throes of the battles and conflicts, but now that we were on the other side of them, that was all that was left. I’d done my job and protected her…and now it was time to go.

I walked away and found my father minutes later. His guard stepped in my way and wouldn’t allow me to enter—and I knew that was because my father was preoccupied with his favorite whore. Not that he was fucking her…but feeding from her.

I should do the same, but I tried to fight it.

The guard eventually allowed me to pass, and I stepped inside his tent, the naked woman passed out on the bed with drops of blood on the pillow.

Father had already taken off his armor and wore only his trousers, not bothered by the cold. There were a few bruises on his arms from the hits he’d taken, but other than that, he looked perfectly fine. He opened a bottle on his desk and poured a glass to wash down the remaining blood in his mouth. He glanced at the woman before he looked at me again. “Would you like some?”

I didn’t look at the woman. “I’m okay.”

“I can tell you haven’t fed.”

“I’ll do that later.”

He poured another glass and slid it across the desk toward me. “You got your victory.”

“We lost good men.” I grabbed the glass and took a drink.

“And a few good vampires.” He sat behind his desk. He was several decades older than me, but the snake venom had smoothed out his skin and made him youthful, looking more like an older brother than a father. Getting the attention of prey was as easy for him as it was for me. His older age actually made him more appealing in some ways.

“Yes.”

He stared at me. “Now what?”

I stared at the glass in my head, dreading the answer. “Nothing.”

“We just leave?”

I nodded. “You can leave as soon as you want.”

“And you?”

“I’ll leave…eventually.” I didn’t have a particular time or date. “I guess whenever Kingsnake and Cobra leave.”

He poured himself another glass. “Their dragons are exquisite.”

“They are.”

“And they have many of them.”

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