Page 33 of Bitten

Ralnur licked his dry lips, trembling at that news. “A vampire mate, hmm?”

“A Halfling mate,” Kane corrected.

Ralnur’s stare flipped up. He met Kane’s and then understood the something missing. “A Halfling couldn’t have done this.”

Kane sighed. “I wasn’t sure my blood would work. Apparently, it did the job.”

“How long ago were you bitten?”

“Twenty years or so,” the Halfling answered.

Twenty years? Impossible. “How do you fight the bloodlust?”

Kane shrugged and looked away.

“You’d leave me to suffer,” Ralnur said. He lifted the mug and showed it to Kane. “You’d make me dependent on this vile liquid for the rest of my days. You didn’t save me. You cursed me, you bastard. And then you refuse to tell me how to fight the need for blood?”

A myriad of emotions swept over Kane’s features. “I know. I know what I did. And I won’t be sorry for it, Ralnur. Knowing you live—one way or the other…” He trailed off, leaving something unsaid.

“So now you’ve come to claim what’s yours?” Ralnur asked. “Is that it?”

Kane shook his head. “No. I can’t do that.”

Ralnur’s eyes narrowed. While he was angry at the Halfling’s high-handed choices that led them here, hearing he wasn’t going to be claimed stung. Was he not worthy? “Then why bother with any of it? Why curse me at all?”

“I have a job to do… and I can’t have a weakness for my enemy to exploit. If I claim you, you’d be in danger. And I won’t do that to you.”

“But you did this?” Ralnur threw to half empty mug at Kane.

The Halfling slid out of the way just before the mug shattered against the doorframe…

Just as his nephew, King Adriel, walked through it. Blood flew all about, some splashing onto the king’s tunic. Adriel looked down with disgust before lifting his gaze to the both of them. “What’s going on here?”

Theis and another guardsman walked in behind the king, and they both stared just as intently. Ralnur wasn’t sure what to say in answer.

“I came to check in on your uncle’s condition,” Kane answered the king.

“Why?” Adriel asked, cocking his head to the side with interest.

“I was the one who found your uncle in that nest,” Kane said, never taking his eyes from Ralnur. “He was in such terrible shape, near death. I carried him to the healers myself—and they took him away. After that day, I’ve been curious to see how he had fared since.”

“Seems a half-vampire can enter a warded room without setting off the alarms,” Theis murmured, eyeing Kane before turning to look at the other guardsman.

Kane’s head turned toward Theis. “Maybe your wards aren’t strong enough. Perhaps you should have someone come in to check on them.”

Theis and Kane glared at one another a moment, making Ralnur wonder if the two were at odds.

“I appreciate your concern for my uncle,” the king said. “Compassion is a fine quality in one of my guardsmen.”

Ralnur’s stare went to Kane. A king’s guardsman? He’d never seen Kane in the castle before—nor had he seen this other male beside Theis. He spent much of his time there advising his nephew and knew each and every one. “You’ve gotten new guards?”

“Several,” Adriel admitted before taking a tissue from Ralnur’s tray table to wipe some of the blood from his tunic away. He then sat on the edge of the bed.

“I’ll bid you adieu,” Kane said before bowing to the king and heading for the door.

“A moment?” Theis asked before following Kane out.

Ralnur couldn’t help but watch Kane leaving. Their eyes met just before he slipped into the hallway, Theis on his tail.

---