Page 7 of Entranced By the Immortal

CHAPTER 4

CORVIN

From the sharp cut of his stubble-covered jaw to his deep blue eyes and disheveled brown hair, the mortal was a spectacle to behold. He was as handsome as they came, the perfect blend of old and modern charm, and he exuded the seduction oflife.Everything about him made my mouth water and my fangs ache.

The way his heartbeat kicked up, blood thrumming in his veins, had heat rolling through my frigid limbs, sparking long-dormant feelings I no longer thought were possible. Fear bled from him like a fresh wound, and I breathed it in slowly, savoring the taste.

Delicious.

I could only imagine the taste of his lifeblood coating my tongue, how sweet it would be, as he stared up at me in disbelief. I’d expected him to put up more of a fight, to run the moment the chains were off. I’d expected him to scream, to beg, to dosomethingother than stand there studying me.

It seemed he was as intrigued by me as I was by him.

“I’m Ever. Ever Briggs.” He paused for a beat, his eyes dropping to linger on my mouth. “Are your fangs…are theyreal?”

I grinned, running the tip of my tongue over one of the sharp points. “Of course.”

His jaw clenched, his heart still racing frantically, as he mulled over the information. I could sense his curiosity as he tried to connect the dots, tried to figure out what I was, but I’d let him ponder a little longer. His fate was already sealed; There was no sense in rushing things.

It had been so long—decades—since I’d welcomed anyone new into the manor. I could show him around, take my time, toy with him before unveiling the truth. After all, stringing humans along had once been one of my favorite pastimes. I enjoyed the chase, slowly peeling away their armor, making them trust me. Then, I enjoyed shattering that trust and draining them dry.

At least, I had once upon a time, back before my world fell apart.

Beforehim…

“But why are they?—”

“Come.” I cut him off and gestured toward the hall. “Let me show you around.”

I was thankful for the distraction. I’d almost let my thoughts wander too far, to a place I’d avoided for far too long. Even after all these years, there were things that haunted me, things I wished I could change. Dark memories that made me ache, tugging at my heartstrings that had remained stone still for over a century. I didn’t regret many things in my long life, buthewas one of them, my greatest mistake.

In fact, as much as I hated to admit it, Ever reminded me ofhima bit…

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a visitor,” I said, cutting off the half-formed thought. “Many years.”

“Can’t imagine why.” He scoffed a laugh.

Fighting a smirk, I led the way down the hall to the grand entryway, stealing glances at him along the way. His eyes widened at the high ceiling and chandelier glittering overhead before sweeping around the room to take it all in. I paused, admiring the wonder in his eyes.

Fear no longer wept from him, instead replaced by something else. Curiosity? Awe? I couldn’t place it, and I also couldn’t tear my eyes from him.

“The manor was built in eighteen eighty seven.” I crossed the space to stand by the staircase, watching Ever carefully. The front door was only a few feet away, and I wondered if he would chance an escape if I let him.

It would be futile—no one could outrun me—but I wanted to see if he’d try.

He didn’t.

“It looks just like the pictures,” he said, his gaze dragging back to me. His eyes lingered, locking with mine, igniting the spark I felt earlier that had warmth rolling through me. After a tense moment, he looked away again. “Better, even, because they’re all black and white.”

“Pictures,” I repeated, recalling the few times I allowed photographers into my home. Back then, I lived for the attention, throwing parties to lure the locals into a false sense of security. It was what I did best, before picking them off one by one, making their deaths look like accidents.

It wasn’t easy, but that made it all the more fun.

“There aren’t many.” He slowly made his way over to a low table, running his fingers gingerly over the wood, streaking the thin layer of dust on top. “All from events or parties.”

“Yes, there were many of those,” I recalled. Sometimes, even a century later, I missed the extravagant evenings spent watching mortals binge themselves on alcohol only to make fools of themselves later. Drunk blood wasn’t the best, but it was the easiest. “Once upon a time, things were much livelier around here.”

The way his eyes shot back to mine took me so off guard that I nearly missed his next question. “What happened?”

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