His lips twitch into a smile, one which howls of dark eternities and the screaming abyss.
I can’t hold it in any longer.
“May the Shadow Devils choke you, arsehole.” My eyes glisten with tears. He startles, as if I would melt at his dominant Alpha vampire performance. I’m not one of their fanatical Omega Shadow Humans. “You rejected me because you didn’t trust me. You know my secret is that I am blind and iron poisoned, but you still set me up to be beaten, locked up, and starved. Then you sent me out on this Hunt, where I was only ever intended to be executed. You asked me if I thought that you were the type of monster who would scar a Blood Lover…? Ididn’t…but I do now. You’re the type who allows Blood Lovers to be fucking killed.”
Lanlin becomes ashen.
Is that true guilt in his eyes?
“Dearheart,” he murmurs, “I had no idea that you would be treated in such a barbaric way. I have only seen the Blood Lovers being cherished. The Hunt should be symbolic. Fae’s blood is like nectar; I believed that some noble would take you in as his precious, prized Blood Lover. I feared that if I kept you in my nest, then I would truly have to break you. And I cannot get myself to do that.”
“I want a shrine for Barnabas, the killed Shadow Human,” I demand. “A whole bloody tomb. I want you to send his body back to his father and sister in his village. You won’t let him be forgotten.”
Lanlin hushes me more gently than I’m expecting. “As you wish.”
“Why are you here tonight?” I suddenly feel impossibly weary.
Lanlin plays with one of my curls. “Since she woke up, our dear Omega threatened me in the most…impressive ways…if I did not retrieve you immediately to our nest.”
That’s my Spark.
Despite myself, I bark a laugh through my tears. “How are your balls?”
“Sore.”
“Good. They deserve to be.”
Lanlin leans closer, until I can feel his hot breath ghosting the skin of my throat; I shiver. “What do I need to do to earn your forgiveness?”
“What do I need to do to earn your trust?”
“You called our nesthomein your fear. You looked to me to protect you. Youtrustme to feed from you. It is a start.”
“Then a start to me forgiving you,” I say, “will be destroying the House of Crocodile and Nebet.”
I crane to meet his gaze over my shoulder.
Say aye…
“Because of how they hurt you?” Lanlin asks.
“Nay, I don’t care that they hurt me. I’m covered in the scars of people who have done that. Because they’re all part of the reason that my friend is dead. Sobek just murdered his own Omega bond mate in front of me. On his mother’s order, he slaughtered Barnabas’ people —Omegas. Nebet set us both up to die in this Hunt. With or without you, I swear on the Shadow Devils that they will die for that.”
“Sobek slaughtered his ownbond mate?” Lanlin says in horror, before his eyes darken with rage. “I swear that your friend will be avenged.”
I tip my head to side, baring my neck. “Then it’s a deal. I hear that my blood is as sweet as ambrosia. Careful, you may get addicted.”
Lanlin snarls.
His gleaming fangs elongate, longer and longer. Then he launches forward, sinking them savagely into my neck.
As he bites, I scream with both pain and pleasure.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Scarlet Temple,Blood Kingdom
Lanlin
