Page 97 of Our Sins in Blood (Coven of Sin 1)

But my father had.

How could I have spawned from such a monster?

Vincent had called me “little monster” on occasion, and now the nickname felt appropriate. I was the direct blood descendant of pure evil. A normal girl in my situation might be afraid of the four progeny princes that my father had tormented—afraid that maybe they’d take out their vengeance on me.

But nope.

More than anything, I was afraid of myself. Something was lurking just beneath the surface of my being. It was that monster who had taken off Mal’s head without a second’s hesitation, and it was the same thing that had fought to hunt and claim Sterling.

Sensing my rising panic, Sterling arched down and pressed a reverent kiss to my forehead. “It’s alright, Ruby. He’s not here anymore. He can’t hurt either of us any longer.”

Tears pricked my eyes. I wasn’t sure if it was from the joy of hearing my first name in Sterling’s mouth or from the unsettling revelation that maybe there was a part of Thomas Knight inside me, a part that could hurt us both.

“I don’t understand,” I sniffed against him, rubbing my tears away by angrily grinding my fists into my eyes. “How can you stand touching me after what he did to you? You said you can’t claim me or the throne because you don’t want anything to do with him. I get that now. But there is a part of you thatstillwants me.”

A gentle smile tugged at Sterling’s lips, and he placed another soft peck on my cheeks, kissing away my tears. “Yes, there is a part of me that wants you.”

“But why?”

For the first time since meeting him, Sterling’s expression showed everything. His mask had fallen away, his walls crumbling like the ancient ruins they were. His eyes begged for a connection, something real, something he could trust. “Because Thomas Knight owes me something good.”

I pressed my hands against the prince’s chest, feeling the sculpted muscle beneath his sweater. He grasped my wrists, holding my hands against him as if showing me he wasn’t afraid to be close anymore.

A lump formed in my throat as my fingers grazed over the scars of the ruined crucifix tattoo. “I’m not an expert in medieval priests, but you couldn’t have gotten this tattoo before you were turned. So after all the vampire king put you through, you still have your faith?”

A melancholy smile touched Sterling’s lips. “My faith comes and goes depending on the century. If there is a God, I don’t believe he cares for me much. The tattoo was more of an act of rebellion against your father.”

Before I could respond, a huge raven landed on the windowsill, giving an obnoxious squawk. I jumped in surprise and moved away from Sterling, who looked thoroughly irritated by the interruption.

“Whoa, you are abigbird.” I stuck out my hand to see if it would hop onto my finger, but Sterling waved it away with an impatient flick of his hand.

“You don’t like birds?”

“I like birds just fine, but that one will be trouble if we let it inside tonight.”

Confused, I decided not to ask him to elaborate. He latched the window shut and began pulling down the metal shutters that seemed to be affixed to every window in the mansion. “It will be sunrise before too long. While it seems you’ve come down from your youngblood tantrum, you’re still putting off pheromones that will, to put it politely, excite all sorts of creatures, be it human, vampire, or otherwise.”

A familiar heat bloomed between my thighs as I began to catch on to his meaning. “So, what do you suggest we do about it?” I purred a growl, releasing some of the feminine scent he was referring to.

The vampire’s lips slid into a smooth smile that unleashed a flutter of butterflies in my stomach.

“I’m suggesting you stay with me for the remainder of tonight and into the day.”

Chapter forty-six

Golden Gift from a Silver Prince

SinceSterlinghadshutteredand locked all the windows to ensure protection from the oncoming sunrise, I was confused when he turned to leave the tower, pausing in the doorway, beckoning me to follow.

“Where are we going?” I asked with my gaze clamped to his broad back as he descended the stairs. “Isn’t the sun going to be up soon?”

“It is. The tower isn’t my only dwelling place. I like to have full run of the east end of the manor. I don’t have much of a stomach for small spaces anymore, not after those dark years spent in the monastery’s cellar. I like to move about, even during daylight.”

“But where will we be sleeping? Not among the books?”

“Would that be so terrible?” He chuckled, twisting to face me from over his shoulder, his sinful lips stretching into a smile as if he could see me and the excitement on my face. Hell, if he could see auras, maybe he could feel the giddiness bursting out of me, like a swarm of fireflies were buzzing in my belly, lighting me up from the inside. I was alit with a mixture of curiosity and arousal that had yet to fade. In Sterling’s presence, with the sleek body of marbled perfection and a pouting mouth made for sin, I doubted that sensation would ever go away while I was in his presence.

“I would love to sleep among the books. Or make a fort out of them.” I let out a nervous laugh, afraid that he might think I was childish. Of course, in a lot of ways, I was, at least compared to him. This gorgeous creature possessed a wealth of knowledge that made me weak in the knees just thinking about it. Here I was, a sheltered twenty-three-year-old whose knowledge didn’t stretch beyond a basic home school education, a meager book collection that was a joke compared to his, and lessons learned from cable TV. But if Sterling thought me pathetic, he didn’t show it.

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