“I wanted to have a night of fun.” The words slip out of my mouth involuntarily. “It’s my twenty-first birthday.”
His brows pinch and his head tilts to the side curiously as he stares at me.
“Does Aster Delvaux have any intentions for conflict with the vampires?”
“Not that I know of,” I reply. Again, it slips out of me unconsciously.
“What’s your name?”
“Ember…Ember Hallow.”
He releases my chin and adjusts his suit jacket before sitting back down and looking me over once more. He seems to relax, no longer viewing me as a threat, but I can’t read his face.
The reality hits me. He just compelled me to tell him all of those things. How didn’t I know vampires were capable of something like that?
“It wasn’t wise coming here, Ember Hallow.”
“No?” I ask, trying to figure out how I’m going to get myself out of this mess.
I make a quick little vow that if I survive this, I’ll stop being such a reckless, foolish witch.
He smiles before standing. It seems like vampires don’t do well with sitting still. He heads to the wheeled bar at the corner of his office.
“What would you like?”
I scrunch my nose, looking at all the hard liquor.
“Silly of me, of course, you would drink something far more delicate. I myself have a bit of a sweet tooth,” he says and I swallow thickly as he comes back to his chair. “Let me have a taste and I’ll let you go.”
“Sorry. What?” I say without even thinking.
The vampire grins, grabbing my wrist, holding a thimble with a sharp prick on the end.
“Just a finger…just a taste…and then I’ll let you go. You have my word.”
“Why would I trust a vampire?”
“Ah, so you do have some fire in you. But you’re still the pretty little idiot who walked in my bar. If you’d like to walk out of here completely unscathed, I’ll be needing a taste of your blood.”
Okay, Ember, what would Iris do?
“Magically bind our promise,” I say, and he tilts his head as I take out my wand, flipping my hand so we’re holding each other’s wrists as I point the tip toward our skin.
I could easily start a fire, use the distraction to run away and attempt to teleport out of here. But the brain rotted part of me wants to see what happens.
“Vow to not harm me. For a taste of my blood, you are granting me protection,” I say, keeping it extremely vague. “Vow that you willneverharm me.”
His lip twitches as his hold on my wrist tightens, and he pulls me closer. He smells rich, like aged whiskey and warm vanilla.
“I vow it.”
My magic zips through us and he inhales deeply. He brings the thimble to my pointer finger, making a painless cut. A bead of red blood pools to the surface as he brings my finger to his lips, sucking the tip.
His eyes are closed as he does so, his body going soft, before he stills completely. He doesn’t let my finger go, as he opens his eyes and stares at me. It shouldn’t be so erotic, the feel of this stranger sucking on my finger or noticing how affected he is. But yet, it’s single-handedly the hottest experience I’ve had in my life.
His demeanor changes completely after he’s tasted my blood. I expect him to give me my hand back, but instead he tugs me closer to his face, his pretty eyes staring into mine.
“What are you doing?” I say quickly, actual fear hitting me now.
