Page 16 of Forced Vampire Mate

The orc grinned at us. She kept shooting me, knowing looks that made me blush, but she didn’t seem to think it was odd at all. I wished I could tell her that I really wanted my own room, but causing a scene would only slow us down. Luken kept hold of my hand as we went up a pair of rickety stairs to a creaky hallway. The paint on the walls was fading, the carpet was practically non-existent, and the horror vibes were even worse.

“Here we are,” the orc said, unlocking the first door. “Here’s your key. You can come back down and pay when you’re done with your shopping.”

Luken nodded toward her in thanks as he led me inside. It was… nicer than I expected. At least, it looked clean, there were no obvious bloodstains, and the room was in better repair than the hallway or outside of the building.

The problem…

“I’m not sharing a bed with you,” I said. It was a double-sized mattress. If we were both in that bed, we’d have no choice but to be pressed up against each other.

“Oh?” Luken asked as he wandered around the space. “There’s only one bed, though.”

I pointed to a hard-looking chair tucked next to the desk, on which an old TV sat. “You can sleep in the chair.”

Luken pulled it out and settled into it. He made a face of exaggerated discomfort as he moved about one way, then the other. “Hmmm. I’m not sure. It’s not very comfortable. I don’t even think…” He stood and sighed dramatically. “There, you see? There isn’t even a cushion. I won’t get any sleep on that.”

I folded my arms as I rounded the bed, trying to decide exactly how much space was available. “Then you can sleep on the floor.”

“Ah, the floor.” Luken nodded, but I knew better than to think that was the end of the conversation. He stalked toward me with slow, deliberate movements. I narrowed my eyes as he came closer. When there was less than a foot between us, he cupped my face with his hand. “Oh, Elara. I didn’t think you were cruel.”

“Cruel?” I spluttered, distracted by the length of his lashes around his eyes. He had such beautiful eyelashes, long, thick, and slightly curled. He had the type of lashes that mascara companies caked on their models.

“To deprive me of my beauty rest,” Luken said, pulling his mouth into an exaggerated pout. “It takes a lot of sleep to look this good. If I don’t get a proper night’s rest, I’ll have giant bags under my eyes. My skin will look like oatmeal. And don’t even ask me about my hair! You won’t make me look like an old hag, will you?”

“That’s sexist,” I said, heart stuttering as he moved closer.

Luken laughed. “What is?”

“Hag evokes images of women specifically, who are viewed as having less worth because of their age and looks,” I answered, unable to tear my eyes from his lips.

“My mistake. How about old geezer?”

“That’s ageist.”

Luken laughed as he stepped back. “Fair point. But the point stands. You won’t deny me the comfort of a mattress on my honeymoon, will you?”

“Bastard,” I groaned. But I was beat, and I knew it. Even though I knew he was exaggerating and faking, I couldn’t deny him a good night’s sleep. Even if it meant I wasn’t going to get any sleep. “But nothing is going to happen. Honeymoon or not.”

He sobered as he nodded. “Let’s stock up on our supplies, shall we? We’ll need to get moving first thing in the morning.”

“Finally, something we agree on,” I remarked dryly.

I tried not to think about the one-bed situation while we shopped. I found a good hiking pack that was perfect for my size and bought an extra set of clothes as well as preserved food to last for several days. At one point, I saw Luken talking with the orc in a low voice. It was only then that it occurred to me that either this was another waypoint for him or this orc lived under a rock. My face had been plastered all over the news for weeks now, and as for Luken? His profile was on our coins, for crying out loud! How could anyone not recognize us?

That night, I only took off my shoes before climbing into bed. My heart skipped and hammered as Luken climbed in the other side. The mattress sagged with his weight, pulling me toward him. I lay on my side, my back to him. Part of me wanted to roll over. Maybe I should fuck him, as a thanks for going after Darcie and Thessa after all. My body grew hot when I imagined it. I closed my eyes, remembering the night when we made love together in his bed.

But it wouldn’t be the same tonight. That night, when I held him in my arms, I felt safe. Fully, wholly safe.

I didn’t feel safe with him anymore. I couldn’t trust him. Which meant that we could only fuck. There’d be no lovemaking tonight.

Luken shifted in the bed, and my nerves strung out, sensing his every movement. I expected him to put his hand on my hips and press his lips to my neck. My skin tingled in anticipation.

“Goodnight,” was all he said. From the way his voice sounded, I knew he was facing away from me.”

“Goodnight,” I whispered, fighting down my disappointment.

***

A commotion outside woke me up. It was still dark, but Luken was near the window. A silver glow lit up his profile as he shifted the curtain away from the window and stared out.

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