How has the Raven King been outplayed?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Blue Lotus Palace, Blood Kingdom
Freya
“Stay close,”Lanlin murmurs like warm honey.
“Not a problem,” I mutter, hurriedly walking faster to catch up with him past a courtyard.
My eyes widen at sight of the writhing, naked vampires who are rutting, as if in a frenzied dance, beside deep pools that reflect the stars in the courtyard, which is open to the night sky.
Blue lotus flowers, the color of twilight, glisten on the water’s surface. Their sweet scent is overpowering like the rhythmic, sensual beat of drums and ecstatic flute melody.
The music is hypnotic.
The vampires are lost to the passion, kissing, fucking, and biting.
Suddenly, my breath hitches.
I catch a glimpse of twitching shadow deer ears and cute wagging tails.
Are the vampires feeding from Shadow Humans?
Scarlet runs down long, pale throats. Groans of pain and pleasure mingle like there is no difference between the two. The breeze sighs through the date and fig trees, as loudly as those of the nest of vampires.
Are these the Scarlet Temple Omegas? Can they take off their veils along with everything else, to rut with the Fang Born Alphas?
To feast on Shadow Humans?
I tug on the back of Lanlin’s robe. “Are these Shadow Humans? They’re kind of a myth to wolves.”
“To us, they’re how we survive. They worship us asdark gods, offering up their blood. They also farm the land around our city that provides our food and drink, which we don’t need to live but enjoy for the pleasure it brings us. The Shadow Humans are trained in a Blood Lovers Guild. Like fae, they are close to nature. We call them Harts and Hinds.” He glances over his shoulder at me. “Do you wish one to join our nest?”
“Nope, beautiful as they look, I have more than enough on my hands with Dove and you. Where is our fae? Did you call a healer for him?”
Lanlin stiffens, stalking toward an archway.
“Dove is settling into his new chambers. He’s being taken care of.” Lanlin’s voice is cool, but there is an edge to it that I can’t read. It unsettles me. “Now we have time alone, dearheart, I want to show you my court and help you learn how to survive it.”
When he turns to face me, I am taken aback by the intensity of his gaze. This close to him, I find it hard to breathe.
I simply nod.
Lanlin’s gaze drops to my lips like he’s desperate to kiss me, but he doesn’t.
I remember the first touch of his lips, after he fought so fiercely against Daire for the right yesterday in the sparring session.
It had been thrilling to watch two powerful Alphas battling to impress me and win for my sake.
Any Omega would be turned on.
By the time that Lanlin’s lips touched mine, I’d melted.
Yet I could also feel from his hesitancy, and the way that he felt out each move, that it was Lanlin’s first kiss.
It was delicious to take the lead, showing him how to deepen it.
