Page 42 of Queen of Vampire Hearts

“Lucien!” she screamed with delight and threw both her hands in the air. Well, that was unexpected. If only she always greeted me in such a way. If I’d come in here, determined to destroy these wolves, I wouldn’t have had that reception from her. Erik was right, not that I would tell him. Once was enough for a lifetime.

I smiled, her flushed face making her almost youthfully exuberant. I stood behind her and placed my hands on her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. She leaned her head back against me, giving me a drunken smile. My stomach fluttered, but my nostrils burned at the smell of the liquor on the table. What the hells were they drinking?

“Did these lycans challenge you to a battery acid drinking contest?” I asked, scrunching my nose at the smell.

She smirked, looking back at the remaining wolf. “I challenged them! Couldn’t resist.”

Phoebe closed one eye and looked at the last shot before carefully picking it up. She held it in front of her, waiting for the wolf to do the same. It took him three tries to get his hand around the small glass, then together, they slammed back the liquid. A minute later, the lycan slumped forward in defeat, and Phoebe leaned her head back to look at me in triumph.

“I tolds ‘em you shouldn’t challenge a southern belle to a moonshine fight.” Phoebe hiccupped, and I couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across my face at the picture she made. She was just so…adorable.

Phoebe wobbled in her chair, noticing Elijah and Erik for the first time.

“Elijah! Did youtattleon me?!” she yelled. Elijah hunched over, hiding behind Erik, fearing his queen’s wrath. I masked a chuckle. Elijah was smart to hide from her.

She shut one bleary eye and pointed at Erik, though her finger was off by several feet. “And you’re the wolf king? The super hot one?”

Erik gaped at her question, his eyes dancing with laughter. “I guess I am.”

Her eyes trailed up and down Erik. I gritted my teeth until she scoffed at the lycan, “My king iswayhotter than you.” She tilted her head up to look at me again. “Aren’t you?”

My ire instantly cooled. “It only matters that I’m hotter to you,vrajitoare.”

I helped her to stand, but she stumbled, falling against my chest. She didn’t even pull away when I wrapped my arms around her, keeping her close. “You are the hottest of the hottest to me. Like Vesuvius hot. What does vrajshfut mean?” she said, butchering the endearment.

She twirled her fingers along my chest, drawing little designs. Did she know she drove me mad with even such a simple touch? Even drunk, her effect on me was swift and powerful. Gods, she was addicting.

“Enchantress,” I whispered, stroking the hair falling into her face, brushing it behind her ear. Her eyes glimmered at the endearment as she reached up to touch my cheek. I held my breath, not wanting to scare her. I did not want this moment, this precious,fragilemoment, to end. This is what our life together would be like if she stayed.

Then she wobbled, and the moment ended. I chuckled and scooped her into my arms. She rested her head on my shoulder without protest, trusting me to keep her safe.

“Did you enjoy drinking those wolves under the table?” I asked, pressing her closer against me.

She giggled and nodded, the innocent sound striking a chord in me. I needed to hear more of it. I needed to see her smile and hear her laugh every day.

“I figured their burly man bodies wouldn’t be able to handle it.” She imitated the wolves’ accents when she spoke, forcing a bark of laughter from me. The wolves grumbled their protests as I carried her out of the kitchen, leaving Erik to take care of them. I maneuvered the dark labyrinth easily, heading for our room.

“It’s good I found you then. Who knows what kind of trouble a drunken witch could get into?”

She scoffed, tapping my chest lightly. “No trouble,” she said, jangling the cuffs. I stiffened, prepared for her to rage at me. Instead, she laughed. “Might be a good thing. The last time I outdrank a bunch of immortal males, I almost rifted into a stone wall afterward.”

Phoebe snorted at herself, settling back against me. Not wanting to release her, I used my foot to open the door to our bedroom. I stepped through, kicking it closed before placing her gently on the bed, expecting her to pass out. I should have known better. When did Phoebe ever do what I expected?

She sat up and swung her legs off the mattress, trying several times to come to a stand but failing. I moved to her side of the bed and kneeled in front of her, taking off her shoes. I frowned when I noticed they were the same ones she’d worn in New Orleans and not any of the new pairs I’d purchased for her.

The sounds of the wolves still shouting their loyalty to their homeland grew louder as they came closer, making their way to their own beds to sleep off the alcohol.

“Each honest Norwegian, who chains broke, will forever be loved!”

Phoebe covered her mouth, giggling again. She gave me a wobbly smile when I removed her socks, tucking them into her little boots. How did one so powerful have such tiny feet?She grabbed my shoulders to keep from falling back on the bed. The moment she touched me, I forgot my reasons for getting her into bed. She already owned me, just one touch, and I was lost.I needed a distraction.

“How did you out drink them like that?” It shouldn’t have been possible. Lycan metabolism was accelerated even among immortals. I’m pretty sure that was the first time I’ve ever seen a lycan trashed.

She smiled brightly at me, her hands moving up and down the sides of my neck. “It’s all about the alcohol. Moonshine and I gowayyyyback, but those not used to it,” she pulled away, making a slamming motion with her hands, “you’re on your ass with just a few sips.”

Phoebe pushed me back and stumbled to a stand. She tore at the buttons of her jeans, huffing in frustration when she failed.

“Let me do it.” I chuckled, efficiently peeling the denim off her legs. She fell back on the bed, kicking off the pants with a flurry of pale limbs, missing my face by an inch. Once free, she balanced on her elbows, shooting me a heated look. She licked her lips slowly, and I swallowed a groan. “Don’t even think about it, Phoebe.”

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