AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It had been nearly a decade since I’d been exiled to the Crescent City, completely oblivious to my mate hidden amongst the Coven of witches, who before the emergence of the Council would have loved to see me burning under the midday sun.
“I see you’re no closer to wooing your pretty witch than before,” Silas said around a mouthful of blood-wine.
My lips twitched. “All in good time. I’ve got it under control.”
I collapsed next to him in the booth, my hands instantly searching for my own glass of liquid sustenance.
With Jade, I couldn’t afford to rush. Like an undiscovered masterpiece, I endeavored to chisel away at her roughened exterior, one piece at a time, until the incomparably beautiful heart she buried away flourished for all to see.Rushing such an act would only damage the foundation.
It didn’t mean my need for her became any easier to bear.
“Clearly,” Silas drawled as I downed the blood in one gulp. “You know, the longer you deny the pull to drink from her, the more intense the cravings will become until you snap and hurt someone. Or worse, get yourself sent back to Slovenia in chains.”
My hands briefly clenched the glass before I released it back onto the table. “If I succumb to my urges, Slovenia will be the least of my concerns.”
Just imagining the pleasure taking Jade’s blood would bring me made my body react riotously. Jade’s earthy scent ripe with the herbs she puttered with still lingered on my jacket, as sweet and alluring as the pulse of her blood beneath her delicate skin. Sage and bright juniper berry seeped with the dark florals from my gardens. I could feel her soft body beneath my hands, flushing hotly as those mesmerizing emerald-green eyes flashed with irritation and those lips—bee stung and begging for a kiss—pursed as if she had tasted something tart.
“Are you even listening, Alexei?” Silas ran a hand through his cropped, soft brown hair, annoyed at my inattention.
“Not at all.”
I couldn’t help my distraction. The desire to grasp her face in my hands and caress the fine skin of her cheeks before claiming those lips with my own. And then, much later, I would press that wicked mouth open with my thumb as she sucked my cock between those pouty lips with a sultry moan.
The things I could teach her, show her. How high we could soar while I discovered every millimeter of her skin and what made her scream. It was too tantalizing to even imagine.
“Alexei.”
With an internal shake, I commanded my body to relax. “Apologies, Silas,” I sighed, “What news does my exalted father send from Slovenia? Not another ridiculous order to cease my dealings with the Council again, I hope?”
“Your father worries,” he drawled, ever the mediator between us. “After Rosalind’s murder and the lack of proper justice, his displeasure with your involvement with the Council grows. He despises witches and cannot fathom your insistence on working with them. You’re lucky he hasn’t commanded you home already.”
Over my rotting, dead corpse would that be fucking happening.
My temples throbbed, and I poured myself another glass of blood. “And end my humiliating punishment earlier and risk himself looking weak before the other vampires? Unlikely.”
Regret stung my throat whenever I remembered the Slovenian mountains, where I had first encountered the talismans and the Bled witches who created them. Though the sliver of time I spent on that island was sparse, it had irrevocably changed my life. I quickly fought my mind’s desire to delve into the memories, lest I lose what was left of my sanity this evening.
Silas let out a breath, looking equally weary.
Swirling the liquid in my glass, I asked, “What about the guest list for the masquerade? Have you taken care of everything? I want it to be perfect with no room for mishaps the rest of the Council will hold over me.”
Silas took out his phone, pounding at the screen with irritation, his fingers flying. “Worries are low considering the relatively quiet Samhain festival weeks ago. But otherwise, everything is in place. Not even a few members’ insipid interference will ruin your night.”
“Which Council members specifically?” I bit out through clenched teeth. “If it’s Hunt Boudreaux again, I may invest in finding a local taxidermist and add some wolf hides to my décor.”
Silas disregarded my comment with a scoff. “Rebecca expressed some mild worry, but I don’t foresee any trouble. Killian did not submit a guest list of anyone from Hell, so I doubt any demons will disturb our evening. However,” he paused, lifting his dark eyes to mine, “Trystan Dubois and his people from Boston apparently received an invitation. He arrived at the manor minutes after you and Jade left.”
My blood froze in horror. “Who invited that insufferable sycophant? I haven’t heard from him since my last debacle in Slovenia nearly a decade ago, when my father offered him the general position over me. I suppose he felt the need to gloat over his victory.”
Bitterness colored my tone. The French vampire had always despised me, and the feeling was mutual. If he ever discovered my relationship with Jade or our secret involvement with the talismans…
“Where is he now?” I snapped.
Silas angled his head as he studied my reaction. “He and his court were descending on the guest suites, but I don’t doubt they will find their way here before sunrise. Have you considered your father is sending one of his top warriors to investigate exactly how far your Court has fallen in the aftermath of Rosalind’s death?”
I stood, adjusting my jacket as I searched the club for signs of Jade. “I do not pretend to understand the political machinations of my father, Silas. I must be going. Alert me to any new developments with Françoise or Trystan.”
“Of course, my prince,” he replied, but I wasn’t listening.
