Page 4 of From Frost to Flame

A treaty signed with a volatile kingdom one night, a monster slayed with his bare hands the next. Every day, Silas did something remarkable that cemented him even further into history.

Even if Lex didn’t have these visions, he would hear about Silas's accolades in the pamphlets that floated around Dionysus on newsstands. “The great warrior king on track to unite the realms” was so commonly plastered across headlines it made him ill. Silas wasn’t just unbothered by their breakup; he thrived from the moment things ended.

It was hard enough to see his ex against his will but to make matters worse, in his visions, Silas's Beta, Vega, was always present. He was always either leaning over his shoulder or walking at his side through the shining marble castle halls. Alphas and Betas always ended up mating with each other, so it wasn’t surprising they were growing closer. Regardless, it chipped away at Lex’s already wounded ego every time he saw them together.

Tonight, Lex followed Silas somewhere new and free of Vega for once. Silas wore his silver laurel wreath crown like always. It shined in the moonlight as he raced up a tight and dark alleyway.

His signature jet-black toga, with thin silver vines stitched along the edges, was draped over half his chest, and his arms were bare. All his muscles, carved from years of battle and tattooed with a celestial tapestry of his legendary bloody victories, were on display. His markings and crown made it clear he was a king, but even without all the pageantry, his status was obvious. Silas radiated royalty. It was in the way he stood, walked, and talked.

Just the sight of him made Lex’s chest tighten with longing.

He wasn’t sure where Silas was, but it was clear he was on the hunt. Normally, Silas's boots fell heavy to announce his presence. Now, he shot through the dark with such an unnatural weightlessness that anyone nearby would think he was only a breeze.

Silas was the best at tracking and killing of all the warrior werewolves. Still, every time Lex saw him in action, he worried about his safety. Even now, despite everything that happened between them, he sank his fangs deeper into the man’s neck as worry consumed him.

What on earth are you doing tonight?

“Lex!”

Julian’s voice sliced through the air, and Lex’s mind was thrown from the confusing vision back into reality.

“Lex?” Julian said again as he caught up with him. “What’s wrong? You look upset.” He wore black pants and a matching loose blouse that exposed his chest. His arm was draped around his partner Mora. She wore a short black dress that showed off her sheer, thigh-high stockings and the straps of her silk garter belt.

Lex pulled his fangs out of his prey’s neck and looked at his family. “I’m fine.” The visions were an issue he kept to himself. Vampire families were prone to worry and large reactions. Wanting to spare them, he’d been venturing out to find answers on his own during daylight hours, armed with an umbrella and gloved hands. He begged witches to cure him, but so far, no such luck. They were all as clueless as he was. “I just got distracted.”

“I’ll say.” Julian nodded to the man. “I told you that you were starved. You got carried away with your dinner.”

“Huh? What do you—shit!” The puncture wounds were far deeper than he planned, and dark-red blood pooled in the man’s mouth, threatening to overflow from his lips.

“You bit through his esophagus,” Mora said as she peered at the human. She pointed at the wound with a dainty finger. Her shimmering light brown eyes were unfazed as the man died in front of her. “No use trying to fix it. Drop him and let’s go.”

Lex wilted, knowing she was right. Carefully, he lowered the man to the ground and met his eyes. In a swift movement, he snapped his neck. His heart sank as the lifeless eyes stared through him. “Poor man. I should’ve been more careful.”

“Such a bleeding heart,” Julian said as he kneeled next to the corpse. Coldly, he rummaged through the pockets of the dead man for coins. Jules was handsome, even by vampire standards, with his arresting blue eyes, tan skin, and chocolate hair. “I killed more humans when I was one than you have in the past hundred years.”

“You shouldn’t be proud of that,” Lex said, getting to his feet. The sound of splitting vertebrae echoed in his ears. Most vampires didn’t mind toying with their food or killing, but Lex hated it. He resented that he had to feed at all. His careful method of feeding always earned him confused looks from other vampires, but his family accepted him, even if they teased him from time to time.

Not wanting to look at the dead body anymore, he distracted himself by smoothing his shirt and straightening his vest the man had messed during the feeding. “Now that I’ve eaten, I’m going to go enjoy some music. The humans have come up with new songs for spring. You two would like them. Oh, there was also a gallery somewhere in the square. I might see if I can snatch a new painting to take home. I’ve been looking for something that would bring our living room together. What are you two going to do?”

“You promised us you’d come wash the blood down with some liquor. You can’t seriously be ditching us again.” Mora tossed one of her countless long, dark braids over her shoulder. She was just as arresting as Julian. Her skin was a light golden brown that mimicked desert sands, and her cheeks were splashed with cinnamon freckles. “Is Silas on your mind tonight?”

“What? No. Why would you ask me that?” Lex was uncomfortable with the suggestion, even if it was true.

“Whenever you’re thinking of him, you ditch us to go sulk, and your dinner looks a bit like him.”

“Oh please, they’re nothing alike.” He glanced down at the dead man. There were vague similarities in his jawline and his thick dark hair.

Again?

“He’s not as alluring, since he’s human, but the resemblance is there.” Julian stood triumphantly, jingling a small sack of gold coins. “You even made sure he was wealthy like the wolf king. Well done, Lexy.”

“On second thought, I’ll get drinks with you. There has to be live music, though.” Lex knew if they lingered on the topic of Silas too long, the questions would never stop. Without waiting for a response, he left the alley and walked the winding streets with his hands tucked in the pockets of his slacks. Something whispered in his mind as he looked at the branching alleyways. For a second, he thought of heading down one, but he brushed the thought away.

None of the lounges they came across were quite right. Lex wasn’t typically picky, but it was like an invisible thread was lassoed around his lungs, tugging him away from the lounges and making it hard to focus.

“Are we really not going to discuss how all your meals look like Silas?” Julian draped an arm around Lex lazily as he spoke. “We need to talk about it eventually. It’s weird.”

Lex crossed his arms. “He had black hair and money. That doesn’t make them twins.”

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