Page 83 of Our Sins in Blood (Coven of Sin 1)

“What act?”

“He didn’t wear a condom, did he?”

It wasn’t spoken like a question, because he already knew the answer. He saw Eros’ cock just as it had been pulled from me, bare and dripping with my blood.

“So?” I pushed out, hating the way my cheeks flamed.

“So, he planned to claim you from the beginning, Princess. You can’t place a claiming mark on your partner unless it’s bare flesh to flesh. So he planned to mark you against your will from the start or…”

“Or what?” I asked, my voice a shaky whisper.

“Or he was planning to impregnate you. Because we all know Sharpe hasn’t had a chance to prescribe you birth control yet. I hate to admit it but it’s a smart play for him. A fucked up one, but still clever. If our little princess gets knocked up, it’s a no-brainer for her to select the baby’s father as king.”

My heart crystallized, everything inside me going numb. Of course it would be just like Vincent to plant seeds of doubt in my head about Eros, poisoning my mind against him. But what he was saying made perfect sense.

“How can you be sure? Maybe he just forgot to use protection.” The pitiful defense of Eros’ honor felt stupid even saying. I wanted to curl in on myself. I felt so stupid, so naive.

“He didn’tforget!” the vampire snarled in a mocking tone that did nothing to ease the wave of stupidity crashing over me. “I know how the mind of a monster works, believe me. If you had been in my bed, and my moral compass was as fucked as his, I would want to fuck you bareback too. I would mark you as mine, and then fill you with come night after night until you became swollen with a prince. And together we’d create something incredible.”

He strode forward, and I was so hypnotized by the conviction in his smoldering stare that I held my ground as he reached to stroke my cheek, with a hand so soft and gentle it felt like it belonged to another. “We’d be the first king and queen to create an heirtogether.”

I was left speechless. So Vincent Feral was hard up for a kid. I guess I couldn’t blame him. From everything I’d overheard between Eros and Allister, vampires couldn’t easily have children. Mortal women didn’t typically survive the pregnancy.

Whoever this Dagon Knight was, he had at least one thing in common with Vincent Feral. They both were coming after me, for the crown and for my womb.

Which meant I needed to find Sterling and beg him to turn me into a full-fledged vampire.

Tonight.

Chapter forty-one

Miss Lavinia Sharpe

WithVincent’shandstillcupping my cheek, I had to force myself to step away from him. It was like my body was being pulled into his dark orbit. He was intent on sucking me into his little web of mind games, seduction, and secrets. And fuck me, it was difficult not to be pulled in.

Why couldn’t I be normal?

Why couldn’t I have a thing for regular guys,humanguys? You know, dudes who didn’t want to suck my blood and impregnate me all so they could rise to power and take command of the vampire throne?

Why didthathave to be the thing to turn me on?

Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. For all the freaking issues.

“Where’s Sterling?” I asked while casting a glance down the hall to avoid Vincent’s glare. “I need to talk to him.”

“Sterling,” he repeated in a deadpan tone, like he hadn’t heard me right. “Why?”

Because he was the only one I trusted to turn me, that’s why. But I couldn’t tell Vincent that. Since he viewed my working womb as part of the package for winning me as his mate, he wouldfreakif he knew about my plan to go full vampire. Since Sterling didn’t seem interested in being king or producing an heir, he was the perfect person to do it.

My father’s oldest progeny was the perfect candidate to be my own master.

Not that I really knew what the relationship between progeny and master entailed. When I’d accused Vincent of staging my father’s murder to look like a suicide, he had said it was impossible for a vampire to kill its maker. I doubted I’d have to worry about that. If I knew anything about Sterling, it’s that he was nice, chill. He didn’t seem to care about getting wrapped up in political drama or the current real-estate between my legs.

And that was damn refreshing.

“Because,” I began, my voice faltering as I geared up for my white lie. “The Elders said you were supposed to help me with the whole vampire princess thing. So far, you’ve been pretty shit at helping me get my bearings. If I’m going to be queen, shouldn’t I know about the coven’s history and the people in it? I should know about all the covens governed by the Elders. I need to know these things, Feral. And so far, you, Eros, and Corry have other shit on your mind, so I’d like to talk to the one brother who doesn’t seem to care about getting in my pants.”

“Fine,” Vincent grunted. “He lives in the east tower. It can be accessed from the library. It’s the first door on the right past the main staircase. You may want to put some panties on before you go see him, though. The scent of Deathwish leaking off your pussy is so damn strong the whole coven can probably smell it.”

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