Page 28 of Bewitched By a Vampire

He knew better than not to answer his brother.

“Away.” Night rubbed a hand around the back of his neck and caught himself, but not before Grave’s eyes narrowed further, suspicion colouring them.

Damn it.

He was going to have to be more careful. Grave knew all his tells, could probably already see that he was nervous about something.

He looked from his brother to his cousin. The two were a contrast. Grave’s brown hair was short and his clothing was neat, consisting of his standard black dress shirt and trousers. Snow’s white hair was overlong and wild, and a black T-shirt and jeans hugged his muscular frame, and his heavy-soled leather boots were suited more to a biker than one of their bloodline.

Their eyes were the same though.

Icy blue. Piercing. Night felt as if both males were stripping away his layers to expose his true feelings as they stared at him.

What on earth had transpired to drag not only his brother from Hell but his cousin from the safety of his home in London? If Grave rarely left Hell, then Snow never left the theatre he owned with his brother. Snow had grown to fear his own shadow after the dreadful night the bloodlust had seized control of him, and to protect everyone from himself, and perhaps protect himself from further pain, he had holed himself up and refused to set foot outside.

Now both Grave and Snow stood before him and he could only draw one terrible conclusion.

They were in serious trouble.

All of them.

It had to be the reason Grave had wanted to speak with Bastian. They all had a target on their backs.

Lilian entered the room from the doors beneath the staircase and he couldn’t stop himself from glancing at her as she approached his brother and his cousin. The urge to tell her to remain at a distance from them, where she was safer, blasted through him and he had to bite his tongue to stop himself from moving to shield her. She wasn’t in any danger. Telling himself that didn’t quell the need to protect her.

Part of him knew where it had come from. He didn’t really view his cousin and brother as a threat to her. He could feel the unseen threat that had brought them to this place, and he wanted to protect her from that, whatever it was.

She bowed, lowering her head, acting as expected of a servant.

Night hated it.

He curled his hands into fists and clenched them, pressing his emerging claws into his palms as a new need rushed through him—he needed to get her away from this place. The thought of her becoming a slave to his brother was torture.

The thought she might end up with a target painted on her back too was sheer agony he couldn’t bear.

Grave arched an eyebrow at him.

Then his brother’s gaze slid back to Lilian as she straightened and Night wanted to snarl at him to take his eyes off her. Grave always had been the most handsome of them. Despite the darkness that lurked just beneath the surface, his brother drew females to him like moths to a flame and they always got burned.

He flexed his fingers, itching to snatch her away from Grave before he could charm her too.

Grave looked at him again, his gaze searing Night, filling him with a need to look at his brother. Only he couldn’t tear his gaze away from Lilian as she stood before his brother and cousin, no trace of fear in her delicate scent. His brave little mortal.

“The room is ready,” she said in a quiet voice, one that trembled.

Was she afraid after all?

The hint of colour that darkened her cheeks as she turned away from Grave and Snow, glancing at Night as her gaze passed him, and the subtle fragrance of desire that laced her scent hit him hard.

She had been aware of him staring at her.

And she had liked it.

Night followed her, aching to talk with her, to make her look at him and see in her eyes that he wasn’t misreading things. She wanted him.

Grave’s clipped steps behind him and the feel of his brother closing in on him had him shoving away his desire to close the distance between him and Lilian. He was supposed to be concealing his feelings from his brother, and so far all he had done was broadcast them for everyone to see, including Lilian.

He couldn’t help it though.

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