Page 21 of House of Vampires and Flame

“My private feeding rooms. You need to get used to me drinking from you in different settings. But in the future, I’ll mostly take your blood in my suite.”

“Uh, sir.” I cleared my throat. “I think it’s best if I have my breakfast first, or I won’t provide good nutrition for you. You won’t enjoy it if I faint due to my hunger while you drink from me.” I then snapped to attention. “Allow me to report for duty after my breakfast, sir. I’ll make sure to eat an iron-rich meal.”

“Relax, squire,” he said lazily. “Drusilla will bring your breakfast to the feeding room.”

Fuck.

I sighed. I couldn’t get out of it then. I’d tried. Might as well just get it over with so I could get on with the rest of my day. I bowed my head, hunched my shoulders, and trailed after him in defeat.

Don’t worry, Sy offered. We’ll get through this. It won’t be too bad.

She liked the pleasure the feeding brought. I hoped she wouldn’t be reduced to a junkie.

We’ll stop him if he goes too far, she added with a low chuckle. When he meets my fangs, we’ll see who’s feeding whom. We’ll give him a nasty surprise and laugh at the look on his handsome face.

We got into an elevator, and Louis smiled at me—his food—fondly. I didn’t smile back. I doubted any meat on the plate would smile back at the one about to eat it.

The elevator stopped at the fourth floor, and the prince led me like a butcher leading a sheep to an artfully decorated banquet room.

Feedings were already going on in the hall. Over a dozen vampires had their fangs buried in their human donors’ necks or wrists. Some kinky ones were sucking from young human women’s inner thighs.

On a raised stage, a lovely redheaded woman was playing the violin passionately.

It was sickening.

As soon as I stepped into the hall after the vampire prince, all eyes snapped in our direction. Prince Louis dragged me out from behind him, slung an arm over my shoulder, and pinned me to his side. I wanted to shrug him off but decided against it at his warning look.

I didn’t need a mirror to see how my face had paled.

Every vampire stared at me with intense hunger; some of them abandoned their feeding to focus on me. They could smell my potent blood that was like nothing they’d ever tasted. My divine blood was irresistible to monsters.

Half of them rose to their feet, their fangs flashing crimson. A red ring formed and glowed in every vampire’s eyes. One nod from their prince and they’d all descend on me like bloody vultures.

My heart pounded, my eyes turned hard and inhuman, and my sweaty palms pressed against my thighs.

A cold, sharp smile formed on the vampire prince’s face but didn’t reach his pale blue eyes.

He turned to me and quirked an eyebrow. “Not impressed, little Bob?”

“I didn’t fucking sign up for this,” I said, my voice and face devoid of any emotion.

I was most dangerous when I had a blank face while Sy was most lethal when she smiled sweetly.

One wrong move from the vamps and I’d suck the magic out of this place and collapse the House of Vampires. And with the magic I took, I’d destroy as many vampires as I could but save Louis for last. I’d set Sy on him to shred him to ribbons.

Even if I survived the battle, I’d have to leave Mist of Cinder, the last haven for me, with more hunters on my heels.

I stood as still as an ice statue. I would not act rashly, but I was ready to react at a moment’s notice. After years of existing on the brink of death, my survival instinct had trained me to read the room first. But once I was on the move and turned into a killing machine, no force could stop me. Sy and I wouldn’t hesitate, and we’d slaughter any living things in our war path.

The vamps thought I was prey? They had no idea what kind of predator they’d brought amidst them.

“Of course not, little Bob,” Louis said, his voice booming loud enough for every vampire to hear. “I parade you to show everyone whom you belong to. You’re exclusive to me. Anyone else who brings their teeth near you will be severely punished, and anyone who dares to take a drop of your blood will suffer my wrath and beg for death.”

The vampires bowed to their prince and resumed their feeding with less zeal, their hungry gazes still trailing me, as if they were imagining their meals were me.

I shuddered.

“They can look but not touch?” I asked.

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