Page 76 of Plug and Claim

“Here,” said Victoria, pouring water into her glass. “I’ve watered it down. But in return, you have to skull it.”

“I never agreed to that,” Kira muttered. But by now, several of Victoria’s friends had joined them, and as they chanted, urging Kira to skull the drink, she caved. “Fuck it!” she exclaimed, tipping the glass and gulping the contents down in one go.

“Yes!” cried Victoria. “Go Kira! What a badass.”

Someone clapped Kira on the back, and as the night wore on, she began to feel a strange sense of camaraderie with the vampires. She blamed the alcohol—a warm, hazy feeling had descended over her, and she sat contentedly, conversing with the vampires as they played cards.

“My room’s up there,” Victoria said, nodding at the balcony above them. “First door on the left.”

“The one with the purple lilies painted on it,” Felix added with an almost-straight face.

“If you ever need anything at all, come find me.”

Kira thanked her, wondering if she would ever take her up on that offer. Befriending a vampire could be useful—she’d already learnt so much from Victoria. It turned out that born vampires rarely had children and had a knack for persuading others to do their bidding—although Victoria insisted it was just charisma. Unlike made vampires, garlic and sunlight didn’t harm born vampires, and as Nathaniel had said, they could survive without blood, albeit in a weaker state.

“Here’s another valuable thing you should know, Kira,” Victoria tittered, slurring her words slightly. “Sex is always better during feeding—for both parties.”

Kira wasn’t convinced, but her limited encounters with Nathaniel weren’t enough to base an opinion on. She had left his office feeling disappointed by her failed attempt to kill him, and angry at him for the obvious joy he’d taken in her humiliation. But the longer he ignored her, the more confused she became. She was angry, of course, but she also felt hurt, almost as if he’d betrayed her.

Except how could he betray her when they were nothing to each other?

She wanted desperately for Nathaniel to summon her, just so she could tell him to fuck off. She had no intention of seducing him ever again, although her plan to kill him was still very much on the table.

Whilst Kira didn’t agree with Victoria’s generalisation, it was clear from Susie’s tales of academy life that some wolves truly did enjoy being fed upon. Kira had been surprised to learn of the arrangement between the sweet-tempered wolf and the headmaster. Arken had extended his protection to not only Susie, but her pack. By virtue of Arken’s position and formidable reputation, neither wolves nor vampires dared hassle the pack, which had become a sanctuary for vulnerable wolves. The story was almost heart warming, but the things Arken expected from Susie in return chilled Kira’s blood. It made her feel a little better about what Nathaniel had done to her.

Kira bit her lip as the memory of his arousal flashed in her mind. That had been nearly two weeks ago, and it was starting to feel like a bad dream.

A bad dream that had become a perverted fantasy that she’d been curious enough to revisit each night as she lay in bed touching herself. Thinking of him in that way brought her shame, but somehow, that feeling of shame was what pushed her over the edge every single time. To want him in any capacity was a failure on her part and accepting that failure allowed her to let go of all her fears and stress as she allowed the vampire in her dreams to dominate her.

It was bizarre, because she hated him more than ever, except that now, she relished hating him. Her body pulsed all the time, an aching thrum that yearned for his dangerous whispers. Her skin was covered in goosebumps all the time, craving his touches—the ones where he was heartbreakingly gentle, and the ones where he was demanding and rough.

She felt like a different person to Kira from two weeks ago. She was still hellbent on fighting the Vampire Kings’ injustices against her kind, but she’d hit a snag in her plan. Belonging to the king’s son could either help or ruin her plans, and she needed to find out which of those it was and fast.

Be patient, Kirabelle, Byron would have said. Good things come to those who wait. The right opportunity will present itself. It was one of Byron’s many pearls of wisdom, one his wife would often contradict with: And fortune favours the bold.

The alcohol had restored some of Kira’s boldness, so now she just needed an opportunity. But it was hard to focus on revenge when she was enjoying herself with Victoria and her friends. Their company was surprisingly pleasant, albeit a little unsettling, because even in their drunken state, they were quiet and reserved, showing little of their personalities. Victoria seemed to be the exception, alternating between bubbly cheerfulness and witty sarcasm.

As the night wore on, she noticed that the vampires were getting rowdier. Even Felix seemed more relaxed in her presence, and she suspected it was due to two parts alcohol, and one part Nathaniel’s mysterious absence.

After her third glass of liquor, she finally had the courage to ask Victoria why they were afraid of Nathaniel.

“Afraid of Nathaniel?” Victoria snorted, but she kept her voice low as she glanced over her shoulder.

“You all avoid me or act differently. I assumed he was the reason why.”

“We’re not avoiding you. We just keep to ourselves, it’s our way. But I doubt any vampire would ignore you if you said hello."

Kira chewed her lip. It was fair enough—she hadn’t tried to speak to any of the vampires at school, apart from her brief interaction with Felix last night. But she had a feeling Victoria wasn’t being entirely truthful.

The vampiress sighed. “The vampire hierarchy is simple. There isn’t one. We don’t have packs or covens. We have our families, and family honour is extremely important to us. I know I would do anything to make my family proud. The glue that binds all vampires together are our leaders. King Henrikk, and, if he had a wife, the Queen.”

“And Nathaniel?” Kira asked. “You don’t seem to care about pissing him off.”

“Look, I’m not about to let him boss me around, but he is our prince. He bit you, staking his claim on you. For any other vampire to touch you without his permission would be perceived as a challenge. He could rightfully kill anyone who dares.”

“Not if I kill them first,” Kira smirked.

Victoria leant closer. “So, has Nathaniel fucked you yet?”