Page 58 of Claim of Blood
Adam handed him the blueprints. “Deal with Julian. He overstepped.”
Gaspard accepted the documents. “What should I do with the property?”
“Whatever the Coven prefers. Julian needs to learn the protocols.”
Gaspard nodded, giving them both another glance before leaving.
When the door closed, Adam studied Lander. “How was he today?”
“Curious. Restless. Conflicted.” Lander shifted, posture tight. “He asked about you.”
“What did you say?”
“That you were attending business.” A pause. “He seemed... disappointed.”
Adam didn’t respond, noting how Lander’s scent had changed again. He crossed to stand in front of him, the air between them suddenly electric.
“You felt it,” Adam said.
“Yes.” Lander’s voice dropped. “Not like you and him, but... something.”
Leo’s scent still clung to Lander, and it triggered something visceral in Adam—a confusing mix of territorial rage and raw, unexpected desire. Not the need to possess, as he felt with Leo, but something else—a need to dominate, to put Lander in his place, to bring him to heel.
Adam moved closer, crowding him back into the couch cushions, until his knee brushed Lander’s thigh. In that moment, something in him slipped the leash.
He caught a fistful of Lander’s hair, pulling his head back to expose his throat. The younger vampire shuddered, but didn’t resist.
“Fuck,” Lander breathed, his hands gripped the couch cushions so tightly the fabric strained.
“Should I keep my distance from him?” Lander asked, his breathing ragged.
“No.” His fangs extended fully as he traced the throbbing vein in Lander’s neck with their sharp edge. A thin line of blood welled up, the scent intensifying Adam’s hunger. “He needs... connection. Stability. I won’t be his only point of contact.”
“I would welcome your bite... First,” Lander whispered, as his body shuddered in the face of Adam’s dominance.
A dark laugh escaped his throat, his grip in Lander’s hair tightening. “Would you submit to me?” Adam asked, voice low.
Adam moved his free hand down, pressing over the hard length straining against Lander’s trousers. The younger vampire hissed.
Lander swallowed. “I’m of your Court. You can do what you want.”
Before Adam could decide if he’d bite or break the moment, a knock shattered the tension. Oren stepped in, took one look at them, and paused.
“The Council is assembling,” he said evenly.
Adam straightened, smoothing his jacket. “We’ll be down shortly.”
Oren nodded, leaving without comment.
Lander sat frozen, breathing hard. “I should—”
“Yes.” Adam didn’t meet his gaze. “Go.”
As the door shut behind him, Adam braced his hands on his desk. So much he didn’t understand. So much he needed to learn.
Maybe it was time to stop dismissing research on compatibility. Maybe Felix’s notes were more valuable than he’d ever imagined.
He straightened his tie and went to meet his Court, though every step away from Leo felt harder than the last.
