Page 20 of Lore and Lust
Silence. It’s as if they’re temporarily frozen in the awkward moment. Haruka’s heart is beating like a drum in his chest. He shifts his gaze down toward Asao, still crouched on the floor in between their chairs. The manservant’s eyes are flickering between them.
He smirks. “Cute.”
“Asao, can wepleasefigure this out later?” Haruka asks, the heat of embarrassment rushing up his neck. “Now is not the time.”
“The schedule is packed full,” Asao says. “We won’t have time tonight.”
“Morning is fine. I will survive.”
Asao pauses again, this time staring directly at Nino. Thankfully, Nino has shifted his attention away and is taking a bite of something from his plate. Asao looks at Haruka, his face flat and his voice low. “Ask him—”
“No.Goodnight, Asao.” Haruka turns forward in his chair.
“Your grace?”
He blinks, looking up. Elsie’s older brother, Oliver, is sitting across the table from him. His intended mate, Gael, is at his side. Oliver favors his younger sister. He has the same slight build, but is taller. His thick, short chestnut-brown hair has an elegant curl to it as it lies swept back for the formal event.
Gael is tall and strong. Burly—like someone whose profession is exclusively lifting very large objects. He has wavy black hair and a square, handsomely stubbled jaw. When Haruka introduced himself earlier, Gael towered over his five-foot-ten frame. When they shook hands, he’d lingered. It was subtle, but just an uncomfortable second too long.
“I amabsolutelylooking forward to your reading of the certification after dinner,” Oliver says, his proper English accent bright with excitement. He truly seems pleased about Gael and the prospect of being bonded with him. “It’s such an honor to have both our family legacies recognized as we bring our bloodlines together—fingers crossed, anyway! Isn’t that right, darling?”
He leans into Gael, prompting him to speak. His heavily accented English booms from his large body. “Yes, we are grateful for you, Senhor Haruka Hirano. Senhor Bianchi.”
“Aren’t you excited to watch him read?” Oliver asks brightly.
A slow smile spreads across Gael’s mouth. “Eu poderia passar horas assistindo esse gostoso fazer qualquer coisa.”
Oliver laughs, laying his head on Gael’s large shoulder. “Love, you know my Portuguese isn’t where it should be. We spent the summer together in Brazil—thankGodwe got out of there before the uprising.”
I could spend hours watching this hot guy do anything.Understanding Gael’s words, Haruka takes a long pull from his water. He briefly wonders if he should pour it over his face to drown himself (although he has drowned once before by accident—terrible experience).
“The uprisings have been getting worse the past six months,” Nino says, stepping in where Haruka has faltered. “This is strictly an aristocracy issue, right? No humans are directly involved.”
“Right.” Oliver nods, concern resting on his angelic brow. His appearance and demeanor are those of a male who has never wanted for anything in his entire life. No hardships whatsoever. “The aristocracy in Rio de Janeiro is unraveling. I think the steady decline in the purebred population is making everyone behave irrationally. The loss of purebreds means the inevitable end of our race.”
“The purebred leader of Rio de Janeiro is pretty famous, isn’t he?” Nino comments. “What’s his name again?”
“Ladislao Almeida,” Haruka says. The Almeida Clan took control over Rio de Janeiro a century ago, traditionally ruling under a strict, classist-driven system. Purebreds mating only with purebreds, first-generations with first-generations and so on. A dogmatic attempt to keep bloodlines from mixing.
Six months ago, the very ancient clan leader overseeing the region died. His eldest son, Ladislao, has since taken control. So far, he’s cast their society in the complete opposite direction of his father—and to a fault. Many lesser vampires within his realm oppose his “extremist views.”
“My darling used to work closely with the Almeida Clan.” Oliver looks up at Gael, his eyes practically twinkling. “Didn’t you?”
“Yes,” Gael confirms. “But after the death of Senhor Almeida… many things changed. Foi terrível. I do not like Ladislao’s way, so I quickly leave there.”
“And I fell right into his muscular arms.” Oliver swoons. “Tonight is the third, so I’m absolutely positive we’ll be successful.”
“Many factors contribute to forming a bond,” Haruka rationalizes. Oliver is so excitable, Haruka feels he should temper his expectations. “It typically takes time and much patience, so please be prepared.”
“What kinds of factors? How do you know this?” Oliver asks. Gael stares as well, curious. The existence ofLore and Lustisn’t a secret, but Haruka rarely brings it up in conversation. As if ranked vampires need one more reason to obsess over the topic of bonding.
“My family has privately conducted much research on mating and which factors are necessary to establish a successful bond. It is the legacy of my father and grandfather.”
“It’s an entire book,” Nino chimes in proudly. “The information is incredible.”
“Abookon bonding?” Oliver says, his eyes wide. “Oh my God—”
A light bell rings out. Emory is at the head of the long table, announcing that it’s time to start the certificate reading. Somehow, Oliver perks up even more. He reminds Haruka of an untrained puppy.
