Page 111 of Bitten By the Basilisk

Chapter Thirty-Five

Alice

Though Alice asked to be the one to clean the blood off Silas, he insisted she take time for herself before the mating gala resumed.

He and Bruno slithered away together, and Nic escorted her to a room in one of the tunnels, just off what she now knew was the Den.

There, she was able to get a much-needed drink of water and the chance to wash up and check her appearance. Nic offered to remain with her, in case she didn’t want to be alone, but she decided she would rather have privacy while she recovered from what had already been an insane evening.

The room was like a hotel suite and mainly comprised of a seating area in addition to a separate bedroom. Instead of windows, fine art hung on the walls.

Rather than think about what she had just witnessed—or how she had reacted—she visited the bathroom. Her mom’s glamour was still in place, but she washed her face anyway.

When she could no longer put it off, she nervously unpacked the glass snake she intended to give to Silas, then released a heavy sigh of relief to find it was still perfectly intact.

The braided silk cord she had attached to it so it could be worn around the neck had come from one of her mom’s old sagemono—in particular, a small pouch, meant to be hung from the belt of a kimono.

Rather than pack away his gift, she decided to wear it around her neck until she was ready to give it to him, tucking the snake itself into her bodice.

With nothing else to do and no other way to distract herself, she sat on the massive bed and focused on breathing, only for her mind eye’s to conjure up the moment when Silas had been poised to slit Lance’s throat and stopped to look at her.

She had understood right away that he was giving her the chance to avert her eyes, as he had already stated what would happen if he won his bout against Lance.

But she had sensed that his territorial side wanted her to watch. To witness what it meant to be his and what he would do to protect her.

Lance’s and Eric’s deaths had been gory but swift. While part of her remained shaken, she mostly felt relief, considering the harm they would’ve done and had already done.

No, that wasn’t entirely true. When Silas had backed away from Eric’s body, sweat and blood gleaming on his chest—still heaving from exertion—her core had ignited.

If Silas had carried her off to claim her, she wouldn’t have stopped him. Even now, her sex was pulsing with heat, slippery with her slick.

Would this be the room where Silas would take her after his mating display? Would he claim her on this exact bed? Or would he take her up to his apartment?

Just as she decided she preferred his apartment, a light knock sounded on the door, sending a somewhat nervous thrill through her. Was it time?

She hurried to the door, expecting Nic.

“Una,” she said with surprise.

“Delivery,” Una intoned, her smile bright.

The selkie had put her hair up tonight and wore a mauve off-the-shoulder dress that Alice’s mom would’ve adored. In her arms were the items Alice had left behind in her haste to reach Silas—her phone and clutch, which she’d left in the car, the wrap she had discarded in the elevator, and her heels.

Alice invited Una into the room. “Thank you for bringing all of that.”

“I only personally fetched your shoes, but you’re welcome,” Una said as she set most of her load on the same side table where the now-empty gift bag sat. “Quite an exciting night, huh?”

Alice chuckled awkwardly. “I’m…still reeling a bit.”

“Honestly? Same. Tonight is not my first mating gala, nor the first one I’ve attended where blood was spilled, but my heart hasn’t stopped racing.”

Alice stepped into her heels, expecting she would soon be returning to the Den and its hard marble floor. She considered sending her mom an update but doubted she could settle long enough to figure out what to say, when so much of what had happened was best told in person.

“There’s no rush, but we can go back in whenever you’re ready,” Una said, gesturing to the door. “Anything you don’t want to bring with you, you can leave here.”

“I’m ready,” she said without hesitation, so antsy—and yes, aroused—that she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Excellent,” Una said with an excited hop.