Page 18 of Forged in Blood

I growl. “I did not say she had captivated me.”

Grinning, he lifts his eyebrows. “Not with your words, old friend.”

I stand and straighten my jacket. “I suddenly remember why I have avoided speaking to you for six months.”

He puts his feet up on his desk and crosses his ankles, locking his hands behind his head. “And you know how I hate being ghosted.” That explains his anger when I first entered his office. “But I also recognize why you try to pretend I don’t exist for months at a time. It’s because I know you too well, Alexandros. And you fucking hate that, don’t you?”

“Let me know if you find out anything useful.” I hold his gaze for one short moment before turning and walking out of his office.

“You can let me know if you want to have some fun in the woods sometime,” he shouts after me.

As I stride away from his office, instinct tells me that he and I will never be that to each other again, but I shake it off and bury all thoughts of why that might be true.

Chapter

Eleven

OPHELIA

Malachi lies on my bed with his hands locked behind his head, the result of which is his already tight T-shirt straining at the seams of his tattooed and incredibly muscular biceps. He sings softly to himself. It sounds like an Irish folk song, sad and soulful and entirely distracting. Just like him. I pick up the unicorn plushie that’s fallen on the floor and throw it at his head.

He catches it and tucks that behind his head too, flashing me a grin. “Sorry, was I distracting you when you’re trying to study?”

I wave my textbook in the air. “Um, yes.”

“What are you studying with such ferocity on this fine evening, Ophelia?” There’s a playfulness in his tone that makes me want to smile. But I don’t, because he’s not here out of the kindness of his heart.

“Psychology.”

His eyes sparkle with curiosity. “Is that going to be your major?”

I glance at my textbook. I really do need to study. “Yes.” I turn back to my desk and scan the pages of my book, but I’m unable to focus on the words.

“And what will a sweet girl like you do with a degree in psychology?”

I roll my eyes. Is he genuinely interested, or is he mocking me? I swear I can’t tell with all that smooth vampire charm he has going on. “I’m going to be a social worker.”

“A noble profession. Not going to make you rich though.”

I snort a laugh. Rich! Not everyone is motivated by money. Maybe I just want to help little kids who have nobody to look out for them. Nobody to be there when they’re alone and scared and… I choke back a sob and don’t tell him any of that. “Have you considered that I don’t want to be rich?”

“I guess I’ve seen a lot of greed in my long life, Ophelia Hart.” The sorrow in his tone pulls at my heartstrings. But I can’t let whatever this thing is get any more comfortable to me than it already is. It’s dangerous.He’sdangerous.

“What are you even doing here, Malachi?” The ease with which he lets himself into my dorm room and makes himself at home is astonishing. This is the third time this week I’ve come back from class to find him in my bed, reading my well-worn copy ofWuthering Heights. I don’t even bother voicing my annoyance any longer. At least he isn’t a douchebag like Axl and Xavier. He’s actually kind of nice to talk to.

“Just keeping an eye on you, sweet girl.”

I sigh. “Like I’ve already told you all, your secret is safe with me, okay? I’m not about to go drawing more attention to myself by telling people about the three vampires I met on campus.”

“Four.”

“Four?”

“You’ve met the professor.”

My eyebrows shoot up, and I’m pretty sure they must reach my hairline. “The professor’s a vampire too?”

The deep, throaty chuckle that rolls out of him makes goosebumps prickle along my forearms. If it’s not bad enough that him calling me sweet girl turns my insides all warm and mushy, he has to hit me with that sexy-as-hell laugh too. “Yeah, he’s a vampire. He sired me. Axl and Xavier too.”

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