Page 58 of Night Prey
“Why are you so nice to me?”
He touches my face with the tips of his fingers and grins. “Don’t know. I guess I like you despite everything.”
His smile draws one from me too. “Yeah, I like you too, despite your sire.”
At my mention of Lucca, Vaughn’s grin wilts. “I wish you weren’t the enemy. There was a truce before I met Lucca, but I guess there was too much bad blood for it to last.”
I frown. “I never really understood the war. My father kept me apart from it. He hid things from me for my own safety—or so he claims. But now I know he was just waiting for the right moment to use me.”
“What do you mean?”
I’m not sure what it is about Vaughn that makes me want to tell him everything. It’s not prudent—it’s downright insanity. “He wants me to take Queen Tatiana’s place.”
Vaughn winces. “What? Why?”
I close my eyes for a second. I don’t need to confess. Ishouldn’tconfess, but hell, I want to. If trusting Vaughn is my doom, so be it.
“Because I’m Queen Tatiana’s heir. I’m her daughter.”
Twenty-Three
VAUGHN
Istare at Sophie like a damn statue, completely paralyzed by her confession. But only my body is frozen. My brain is whirling, going at a hundred miles per hour. It’s like I manifested this scenario by thinking about it the other day.
At least she’s not Tatiana’s offspring.I snort in my head. What a cosmic joke. That’s exactly who she is.
“Vaughn… say something.”
I drop my hand from her face, and maybe she sees that as a sign of rejection. She moves away from me, scooching back on the grass. Her face is tear-streaked, but the hurt in her eyes is new.
With a shaky hand, I push my hair back. “I’m sorry. There’s a lot to unpack here. How can you be her daughter?”
She jumps to her feet, body coiled tight like a spring. “It’s very simple, Vaughn. Procreation works the same way for vampires as it does for humans. At least, it used to.”
“Wait. Are you mad at me?” I get back on my feet as well, not keen on my vulnerable position.
Her brow furrows. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself for believing you would react differently.”
I raise my eyebrows. This is escalating too fast. “Whoa. Hold on a second. I think me being shocked is a natural reaction all things considered.”
“All things considered?” she shrieks.
“Yes. In the last forty-hours, you’ve fed from me—without permission, might I add—not once but twice. You also kidnapped me, and when I tried to be a hero, all I accomplished was betraying the people who have my back, getting on the shit list of a deranged dragon kingpin, and developing a super-unhealthy crush on the daughter of my king’s mortal enemy!”
The forest grows eerily quiet. Maybe the animals nearby have grabbed their popcorn to enjoy the show.
“You have a crush on me?”
I wince. Fuck. I said too much. But in for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. “I thought it was obvious.”
“I… I don’t have a lot of experience in the romantic relationships department.”
Hell and damn if that confession doesn’t stroke my ego like nothing else. “So… no ex-boyfriends I should worry about?”
Really, Vaughn? After she confessed that she’s Tatiana’s daughter, that’s your concern?
“No.” She presses her hand against her sternum and shuffles back.
