Page 89 of Death God

Civilization had never crumbled here.

Encouraged by my family and also to show that I was a good queen, I had enrolled all the vampires in a dental plan, since group plans were even cheaper.

My sister hugged my friends and then left us alone. Sam was warm, intelligent, and great with people, so everyone liked her. Not even Mouse had any issues with her. My human family was treated like royalty here, and they had vampire guards. I didn’t take their safety lightly, even though every vampire in the country knew that my family was absolutely off limits.

My heart still ached when I thought of the passing of my mom. My dad was mostly lost to us as well, even though I had Fairy and her team searching for him.

“So, how’s your life with the Vampire God?” Danielle whispered.

I glanced at Marlowe, who was sprawled on the vast sofa in a corner of my spacious suite. Our chatting had put him to sleep. Plus, the sun was high, so it was his napping hour, even though he was a day walker with my potent blood in him. But I guess old habits die hard.

A cashmere sweater stretched across his broad chest, and a pair of dark jeans hugged his powerful legs. He dressed chic and modern these days, abandoning his long trench coats.

He had his muscled arms beneath his head; his dark hair was tussled like a supermodel. He looked less intimidating as he slumbered. He actually looked like a college graduate on that sofa despite being the most ancient, formidable being on Earth.

I loved that he always liked to spend time with me, but sometimes I pointed out that it wasn’t healthy to be codependent. He ignored me though.

“You’re my mate,” he’d state simply.

“But it doesn’t mean that we need to spend all our time together.”

“Then who would you like to spend time with?”

“I’ll get back to you on that question,” I’d offered.

“Please do,” he’d said. “When I have to take care of the court and do my duties as a king, you complain that I don’t spend enough time with you.”

So now, when my friends were here, he tried to play a supportive spouse role but ended up dozing off. I didn’t think I’d worn him out last night despite keeping him up till dawn. He’d appeared vigorous, with endless interest toward my body. He’d explored everywhere and still couldn’t get enough of it. Some of the things he’d done made me flush.

Heat brewed in my middle, and my friends frowned at me. Shifters could smell arousal.

“You were asking about my life with my vamp?” I beamed at Danielle. “Life has been interesting with him. We’re trying to live a normal life, you know. At least I am trying, and he humors me. We took a walk in the public park with our fingers interlinked. Yes, he did that. But the guards were everywhere. They pretended to be boring pedestrians while Marlowe and I strolled along the lake beneath the maple trees. You can always easily tell a vampire apart from a human. Marlowe and I don’t need any protection, but the court has strict rules regarding the security detail for a king and a queen. The day walker vampires really enjoy having their pretty faces bathed in sunlight. Anyway, after strolling in the park, we came home, lit candles, and fu—made lov—”

“Stop, stop,” Danielle shouted, pressing her hands against her pink ears. “We don’t want to hear the details.”

I blinked at her. “But you asked me about my life with Marlowe.”

“We were being polite,” Shade said. Now he and Danielle were “we”. “When people ask, ‘How are you doing?’ they don’t really want to know how your day is going.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Then why ask?”

We heard snores coming from Marlowe’s corner.

We all turned and stared at the napping vampire.

“Is this for real? A vampire snoring?” Paris whispered, afraid of waking up and upsetting the Vampire God.

Shade chuckled. “Never thought I’d hear that.”

Danielle covered her mouth and giggled, then Paris joined her.

Marlowe snored freely, without a care in the world. Mouse poked his head into the living room, looking concerned.

“The king’s happy,” I told the butler.

“You want more popcorn with a lot of butter and a sprinkle of salt, Queen Pip Ophelia?” he asked.

I smiled at him. “No, we’re good.”

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