Page 115 of Thirst
“Yes and no. A part of me was hoping you’d find me, force me to come back to Lilith Island with you. Then I’d tell you what I’d done for Eden—that I’d made sure she had food and water—and you’d say I had no choice. That I belonged to you now. That you were keeping me even if it set off a blood feud.” My laugh sounded thin in my ears. “And in a way, that’s exactly what happened. Just not how I pictured it.”
His lips brushed my temple. “I wish you’d come to me that night. Because you’re right—I wouldn’t have let you walk away. I would’ve brought you back here.”
His voice sank lower, slowed, like he was making me a promise. “And that fire on the island? It was nothing compared to what I’d do if someone tried to take you. Then—or now.”
31
Cain
I took Nyx a second time, this time roughly from behind, pressing deep, imprinting myself on her. The primal thing had come fully awake. It pushed me to claim her in a way she wouldn’t be able to forget tomorrow, even in her sire’s lair. Not out of anger or hurt. Out of the bone-deep fear that I could lose her before she really understood what she was to me.
Afterward, I gathered her against me. She yawned and fell asleep in my arms, soft and warm and trusting.
But I couldn’t settle. My nerves were stretched, my thoughts racing. Too much could go wrong tomorrow night, and I fucking hated how I’d lost control of the situation.
Careful not to wake her, I eased out of the four-poster bed and made my way to the war room. The soldier on duty informed me Talon and Brien were at the castle’s underground speakeasy—the Bite Club, as the thralls called it.
I headed back into the tunnels and the familiar red door. Inside the speakeasy, the bass throbbed like a second heartbeat and colored spotlights swept over the club in purple, gold and red. On the dance floor, thralls ground their hips to the rhythm, eyes heavy-lidded, bodies slick with exertion. A handful of enforcers and soldiers moved among them, their faces edged with hunger. Any other night, it would’ve hit me like a drug, but I wasn’t here for blood or sex.
I glanced around at the curtained alcoves. Talon had just finished feeding in one nearby, the silk curtain pulled back. He wiped his mouth and eased the thrall onto the couch, signaling a server who hurried over with a fruity drink.
Talon handed it to the thrall with a murmured thanks, and she relaxed against the couch arm, sipping it. An easy night for her—Talon didn’t fuck anyone but Eden these days. Same for Brien and Twilight.
I guess I’d just joined that club.
Talon rose and headed around the dancers to me. “You here to feed?”
“Nah.” I shook my head, unable to drink from anyone else so soon after being with Nyx. “I’ll just have a blood-whiskey.”
“Brien’s over there.” He tipped his head toward a black velvet couch, where our friend sprawled, mouth on another thrall’s neck. “Twilight’s with her halmoni.”
We ordered a trio of whiskeys—blood for me, straight for Talon and Brien—and dropped into the armchairs flanking our primus as he licked the thrall’s throat clean. She stood, and with a friendly nod to us, sashayed off, hips swaying in her short red skirt.
I handed Brien the third whiskey. We sat watching the dancers, Brien and Talon talking about nothing much.
I turned my shot glass in my hand, replaying the past couple of hours in my mind. Something was off with Nyx. She should’ve accepted my bond—we were mates, and she knew it as well as I did.
Fuck needing space. Now that I’d had time to think, that excuse didn’t ring true. Or at least, it wasn’t the whole truth.
So if that wasn’t the reason, what the hell was?
An unwelcome thought slid in: What scared her enough to lie?
Brien set his whiskey on the cocktail table and angled toward to me. “You okay, dude?”
I took my time answering, long enough for Brien’s brows to pull together and Talon to glance from the dancers to me.
“Something’s up with Nyx,” I said.
Talon frowned at me from the other side of the low black table. “Like what?”
“If this is about tomorrow night—” Brien started.
“She hasn’t changed her mind, if that’s what you mean.” I took a gulp of whiskey. “Hell, you two might as well know. I asked her to accept my mate bond.”
Talon grinned. “You fucker.”
Brien rubbed his chin, doubtful. “I— you sure?”
