Page 30 of Bewitched By a Vampire

Grave had done that before and Night had hated him for it, even when he had known his brother had only wanted to protect him. It had felt as if Grave had been questioning his strength though, believing him incapable of handling the violence and dangers of Hell.

Night resisted the desire to lift his hand and touch the scar on his throat as it burned.

“Disappear, Night.” Grave tightened his grip on Night’s hand.

Night looked down at their joined hands and then up into his eyes.

Grave’s blue eyes slowly lowered towards Night’s throat.

Night snatched his hand away and lifted it, bringing it up towards his throat as he barely leashed the urge to growl and flash fangs at his brother. He stopped before his fingers made contact with the scar tissue and averted his gaze, anger at his brother swiftly morphing into anger at the witch who had tried to take his head. He wrestled with it, trying to calm his mind and stop the memories from coming, hating the way Grave and Snow were both looking at him now.

Watching him fall apart.

He needed to be strong. If he wasn’t strong, Grave would stick to his guns and refuse his help, and Night needed to help him. He cleared his throat and lowered his hand, battling the dark tide and slowly clawing back calm.

“Listen to me,” Grave said and Night’s gaze slid to him, and guilt flickered in his brother’s eyes—because crimson ringed Night’s irises. “You must disappear.”

His brother wouldn’t listen to a word he said. Night knew it. Grave was set on sending him away, forcing him to go somewhere safe. His vision sharpened as his pupils shifted, beginning to turn elliptical in response to the wave of anger that surged through him, driving him to seize hold of his brother and make him listen.

Make him accept his help.

He didn’t need to be safe. He didn’t need to be protected. Grave did. His brother was in danger and so was his cousin. They needed him. Demons of the Devil’s domain were extremely powerful. Two vampires were no match for one. He wasn’t even sure he could turn the tide in their favour if he joined them, but he was willing to try. It was better than being safe.

He sensed movement above him.

Lilian.

Another war erupted inside him. If he left with his brother and cousin, who would protect Lilian? If Grave was right, then the demon prince might be heading for the mansion, targeting his family. The demon would leave no one alive.

An image of Lilian lying broken and bloodied, her sightless eyes staring right through him, chilled his blood.

Grave needed him, but so did Lilian.

Maybe he could get her to safety and then find his brother and cousin and join them.

He dug his fingertips into his knee and cursed. Someone had to warn Bastian too.

“I cannot. I have to remain here and keep my promise to Bastian.” Night systematically shut down his feelings, killing them one by one to clear his mind so he could focus on figuring out a solution to this problem.

A strategy.

Grave frowned at that. “What promise?”

One he probably shouldn’t have brought up, but it was a good excuse for remaining here for the next day or two while he put together a plan that would see him able to help Lilian, BastianandGrave.

“I told Bastian I would take care of the house while he was away on business.” Night refused to look at Grave when his brother growled a warning at him.

“This is not a game, Night.”

Night rolled his shoulders beneath his black suit jacket. “I can see that from your escort. How is business, Snow?”

Snow leaned back in his armchair and eyed Night, his voice as cold as the Nordic lands they all hailed from. “Going well. You should listen to your brother. This is no time to joke and be foolish.”

Night knew that. Fear chilled his blood almost as much as Snow’s grave tone had as he locked onto Lilian with his senses. He tracked her, wishing he could explain his reasons for wanting to remain here to Grave, but his brother wouldn’t understand.

Running the Preux Chevaliers had left his brother’s heart cold towards the opposite sex.

That wasn’t true.

---