Page 12 of Hell Storm

“On another note, once the blood bond is sealed, that’s when our individual gifts will all be passed on to one another, and to you, Corina,” Silas said with a thoughtful nod.

I offered a tight smile. “And … how is it sealed?”

“A mutual feeding.” I turned, surprised Levi answered this time. “From what I read, you’re to feed from each of us once your transition from human to Ianite is complete, followed by the four of us feeding from you.” He casually bit into a grape. “Sounds rather erotic, doesn’t it?”

My stomach sank with the image Levi had just painted. It made the idealistic plan I had to return to my team seem so farfetched. Especially after … I transitioned.

Maybe that wasn’t going to be as simple as I thought. What if my team didn’t want me, didn’t think it was safe to be near me?

A server entered with a crystal pitcher of blood, and all other thoughts slipped away. She carried it so casually, not caring in the least that a human was seated at the table. I meant to lower my gaze, meant to lower myexpectationsthat these four would behave any differently than the beasts they were, but I’d forgotten to do either. Instead, I watched as the woman circled the table, asking each prince if he’d like a glass.

I felt Julian’s gaze on me when he was approached. “Uh … no. Thank you, Glenda,” he answered dismissively.

I wished I could lift my gaze to his face, to see what expression he wore, but I couldn’t stop staring at the blood.

“None for me either,” Silas replied right after.

“Perhaps later,” Levi suggested.

But then the woman went to Roman. “Can I interest you in a glass, Your Highness?”

His eyes lifted as he stared at me from his seat across the table.

“Absolutely.” There was a wicked grin on his face when he answered the woman’s question.

The other three were dead silent, possibly thinking something similar to whatIwas thinking—that Roman’s message had been received loud and clear. The others hid their nature as a courtesy while in mixed company, but Roman made no apologies for the monster he was. Even as I watched him now, he made a show of savoring every ounce he swallowed. When he lowered his glass and licked the remnants from his lips, there was no missing the smile he wore.

Suddenly lacking an appetite, I lowered the fork I held.

This was … wrong. I wasn’t supposed to be sitting at this table with them, like some twisted, macabre family.

“Excuse me,” I stated, pushing my chair back as I stood.

“You don’t have to leave, Corina,” Silas insisted, but I begged to differ. “Roman is just in rare form this morning.”

“Like hell I am,” the monster himself rebutted. “This is myonlyform, because this is who we are! We drink blood, we feed on humans, and most of all … we donotplay house with common, human filth. If she wants to leave the table, I say we let her!”

I was fully prepared to let this go. My thoughts were at peace not addressing how inconsiderate Roman had been, but those words, implying that he was superior simply because he was an Ianite … I couldn’t walk away from the table and say nothing.

“Well, the beloved prince of the South has spoken, so I suppose it’d be wise to obey,” I mocked Roman with an exaggerated curtsey. “If you’ll all excuse me, I’ll be on my way.”

When I rolled my eyes afterward, Roman took notice.

“Is there something you’d like to get off your chest?” He asked the question through clenched teeth.

“I wouldn’t dare,” I replied. “Far be it for me, a mere human, to speak out of turn in the presence of such a formidable Ianite. One who clearly gets a hard-on by talking down to women.”

It appeared that my boldness agitated him even further. This idea was confirmed when the scowl on his face deepened.

“You’re walking a mighty thin line.”

I was certain his warning was meant to frighten me, to make me cower like I guessed so many others would have, but it only pissed me off even more.

“What’s your deal?” My gaze narrowed as I analyzed him. “I’m guessing you eitherreallyhate yourself, or you’ve gotseriousdaddy-issues. It’s the only reason I can come up with for why you’re such a massive dick all the time.”

I imagined Roman had lived his whole life atop his high horse, without anyone ever admitting what they really thought of him. I was more than happy to be the one to break that streak.

He sat there all high and mighty, as if he thought of himself as some sort of god. However, the truth was that he wasn’t owed more respect than the next guy. Especially if the basis for this mindset was simply that he boasted the last name Fairchild. Hell, if he knew the weight and prestige myownfamily name held among humans, he might have weighed his words more carefully.

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