Page 33 of Darkest Heart

“They were probably written by your kind,” she said, her eyes drifting over me. “To lure us to you.”

“Perhaps.” I drew in a slow breath, the pounding of her heart sweet in my ears as I thought back to the taste of her blood. “I’m hungry.”

She peeled her eyes back to look at the shelves of bookcases lining the walls. “Did you bring my sister up here yet? I haven’t seen her.”

“I’m about to meet with my father, to tell him I’m withdrawing Carla for the purpose of the Blood Brothers.”

Her heart skipped, her next breath hitching as she stood, discarding her book. “Can I see her?”

“Perhaps,” I toyed. “It depends on how well you behave.”

“Why do you care about making me behave?”

I smirked, sitting on the sofa next to the fireplace. This used to be my room, after all. Resting on the seat, slouching my legs, I slapped the arm, gesturing for her to come. “Because it’s so hard to.”

“If I took that challenge away?” she asked, raising a thick, brown brow. “Then what? You’ll throw me to yourfriends?”

The corner of my lip lifted, desire building in the pit of my stomach as I skated my gaze over her thick curves. “No.”

The fire crackled, flames hissing between logs as the wood churred to ash. I watched the way she moved, swaying her hips until she reached me, attempting to tug the silk nightdress I had sent up below her thighs. I placed two fingers in the air, flicking them backwards. “Come to me, little warrior.”

Slowly, she sat next to me, anger simmering below the surface. I could tell by the way her nostrils flared, her shoulders tensing.

“Relax, love,” I said, touching her bare arm, but she flinched.

“I’m doing this for my sister,” she shouted.

“I’m aware,” I groaned, as she yet again sucked the life out of another moment.

“Am I taking away the excitement again?” she asked, a hint of a smile on her lips.

I tilted my head. “Do you like games, Elizabeth?”

“Not particularly.”

She leaned away from me, but I pulled her in closer. “You’ll learn to.”

She shuffled, pressing her back against the sofa. “I don’t want to.”

I arched a brow. “When was the last time you let go?”

“What do you mean?”

I noticed the dagger strapped to her leg. “Have fun.”

“I—well, I know how to have fun, and this isn’t it. Besides, Carla has always needed me. Our mom died, and I’ve had to take care of her.”

I ran my fingers through her hair, sweeping strands between my thumb and index finger. “Who takes care of you?”

“Myself,” she said simply, batting my hand away. “I don’t need anyone.”

I knew that feeling all too well, but I sensed her edge. She wanted to let go, to be taken care of. She just didn’t know it yet. The thirst begged for me to feed on her already. Normally I would have. But I wasn’t quite ready to stop playing our little game yet.

She cleared her throat, averting her eyes from my intense stare. “So you’ll protect my sister?”

“That depends,” I challenged. “Show me you can do what you’re told first.”

She squirmed. “Why should I trust you?”

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