Page 34 of Accidental Blood Lust
“I smell enchanted blood.”A door opens and a man, obviously a vampire, sniffs the air. “You’re bleeding,” he says as his eerie eyes focus on me and his fangs become visible.
Roman steps in front of me. “He’s a friend, not a meal. You remember Jareth?”
Cassius blinks a few times then nods. “Hmm. Yes. Why have you woken me?”
“Is Loch with you? Or do you know where he is?”
“Of course he’s not with me. You would know that. Is something wrong?”
“Dammit,” I mutter. “You were supposed to watch him, Roman.”
“What happened?” Cassius asks.
“I don’t know,” Roman says. “He’s not here and Jareth had a vision. A concerning one.”
“He must be around here somewhere. He can’t leave the underworld without us.”
“I know.” Roman rubs his forehead. “A vampire wandering the underworld?”
“Not ideal,” Cassius says.
“What could happen to him?” I ask.
“A lot of things,” Cassius says while Roman growls. He’s acting so weird.
“Then we have to find him.”
“Go,” Cassius says. “I’ll gather the crew. Let’s meet in the library.”
Roman nods, taking my hand in his and leading me through the meandering halls. I can sense his worry and fear, but there’s something else more complex twisting around those emotions. I can’t quite name it, but whatever it is, it’s powerful.
“Did you fuck him?” The question pours out of me before I even have a chance to examine it.
“What?” Roman looks over his shoulder. “No.”
“But you want to? Or…” I shake my head as his aura swirls into a mess of colors. “Something else. Do you have feelings for Lochlan?”
“Can we not do this right now? We need to find him.”
“Oh my gods. Are you serious?” I know there are much bigger problems right now, but I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. I can’t breathe. Roman and Lochlan?
“It’s not what you’re thinking. Please don’t get yourself worked up.”
“Worked up? Roman, I love him.”
“Iknow,” he shouts, making the walls around us shake. “I would never hurt you like that. Don’t you know me better?”
We stop inside a room set up with a few tables and floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with an astounding number of books.
Roman puts his hands on my shoulders. “Jareth, youknowme.”
“Something’s changed. I can sense it.”
“All of this is happening because of how I feel aboutyou. Do you understand that?” he growls.
I shake my head, crossing my arms over my chest. “Oh yes, these feelings you have that you won’t do anything about because I’m not your fated mate. How could I forget?”
“Because I don’t want to hurt you.”
