He straightened, his shoulders and wings pulling back. “Don’t act like you give a shit about Huntyr. We both know you’ll always do what’s best for you and you alone.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” The words came out too loudly, but I didn’t care. With the growing crowd around us prepaing for the feast, the rest of the damn kingdom would be preoccupied. If there was anything these vampyres loved more than an ounce of drama, it was fresh blood from the feast. “How dare you say that to me.”
“Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’rewrong.”
A wildness flashed behind his eyes. He really was coming undone.
“Fine. You want to leave? I’m coming with you.”
Goddess above. This event was horrid enough without Jessiah turning into the world’s biggest buzzkill.
But he wanted to follow me around? He wanted to control my every move?
Be my fucking guest.
I peeled my leather jacket off my shoulders, exposing more skin than I had in some time. It was a damn party, wasn’t it? So why not?
“Forget it. I’m going to dance.”
As I turned away, a low growl rumbled through the air. Wolf and Jessiah had that in common. Both were better at controlling their tempers than I was, but they had that primal response to anger.
And it gave them away every damn time.
Satisfaction bubbled in my chest as I made my way into the thick crowd that circled the massive fire in the center of the city. Two years ago, being so completely surrounded by vampyres would have terrified me. But this wasn’t my first feast. The ones dancing here weren’t hungry. There was no danger here.
These vampyres were still in that euphoric state that came after a fresh feeding. They danced, they drank, they sang. They let their bodies sway, let the music take over their senses, losing themselves in pure bliss.
I’d never experienced a sensation like that. Not once in my entire life. But on these nights? I could pretend.
Even though I felt Jessiah’s attention on me, like we were tethered somehow, I could pretend.
Chapter 6
Jessiah
Ihated her so much, and yet I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she dragged herself through that crowd.
Rummy was potentially the only person in the entire world who wasn’t the least bit afraid of vampyres. She was so confident that they would never crave her blood, that losing control wasn’t a possibility now that the curse of the hungry ones had been lifted.
But that didn’t explain the way my pulse heightened as I watched her.
I forced my fists to unclench as I stood on the edge of the crowd. Huntyr, Wolf, and the few other people who’d held on to their sanity tonight were gathered farther from the fire. They were talking and enjoying their coherent decision-making skills.
Nothing like the scene displayed in front of me.
I didn’t blame those who chose to let go. I wasn’t a vampyre, so I’d never experience what it truly felt like to feed.
But watching them all so close to Rummy? It set my blood on fire. She had a history of reckless decision-making, but this move was different. She’d done it to piss me off.
And it was working.
She swayed to the beat, her hips rocking from side to side seductively. Her black tank top exposed her sculpted back and strong shoulders. She threw her hair around like a weapon, drawing my eyes to her every time those blonde streaks flickered against the firelight.
Dancing wasn’t my thing. Neither were these feasts. But I came to support Wolf and Huntyr. I came to support the kingdom.
That’s what I told myself, at least. It had nothing to do with Rummy’s presence.
