At the door to the house he slid the bar back, but I didn’t step inside. I pushed my hair over my shoulder, forcing myself to look up at him. His gaze was guarded.
“Why were you so kind to me when I injured my hand?” Maybe it was foolish to hope that he would say he liked me, as I now realized I did him.
He was quiet for a long moment, but his expression never changed. “It would be inconvenient to have my source of information get infected.”
My lips parted in disbelief at the harsh words. “That’s it?”
“It’s all it’s ever been. Or will be.”
“I see.” There was nothing left to say, so I stepped inside. I stood there until the bar locked into place.
Jaron walked out of his room and immediately zeroed in on me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, it’s just been a long day.” I squeezed his arm as I passed to go to the room Tatiana and I shared. I was suddenly very tired.
“Did he do something to you?” his voice was soft and hesitant.
I turned quickly at the insinuation and met his gaze firmly. “No, Jaron. He hurt my feelings, he didn’t do anything else to me.” Besides make my heart flutter and then remind me that I’m nothing more than a prisoner, his captive.
He held my gaze and seemed reassured by what he saw. “Ok.”
I went to the bathroom and stripped off my clothes, submerging myself under the water as though it would help to dissolve my feelings.
Chapter 16
I lazily watched the female sashay toward us across the club we’d come to shake off the day at. The VIP lounge was in a large, round alcove carved directly into the stone of the cliff. Kyvar, usually the first to make a comment and flirt, glanced at her dismissively.
“We don’t need your companionship,” he told her when she got to our circle of plush chairs and settees. Pyravor looked like he was about to choke, while Jzulyk just looked sour. It was becoming a typical expression. I wondered what was bothering him so much of late. If he didn’t like my decisions, he needed to deal with it and move on.
“Ignore him. He might not be in the mood, but I am.” I said. I needed to find release and get the glistening eyes and hurt expression of a particular human out of my mind for good. Ishouldn’t feel bad about treating her as she was, a captive and an enemy. Not mating for too long was what had resulted in my awareness of her, nothing else, and as soon as I was inside a female it would go away.
The female purred silkily and sat next to me on the settee. She ran her claws over my shoulder delicately, but enough to sting. It should have felt good, should have started blood flowing to my cock as she trailed her fingers up my neck. Instead, I found myself disenchanted, bored even.
The evening went on and other females came to our alcove. Jzulyk was mated and dismissed them without a second glance, much like Kyvar was unnaturally doing, but Pyravor chose one to stay and she joined us, giving him the same attentions I was getting. Given the bulge in his pants, his body was responding more normally than mine was. Bastard. The female leaned forward to nip at my ear before licking and nibbling on my neck and I had the strangest urge to shrug her off, tell her she was out of line.
Pyravor left with his female to go to her VIP entertaining suite upstairs.
“What’s gotten into you, Kyvar?” I hadn’t intended to ask him, but I suspected I knew the reason he hadn’t already rutted three females this night and it gave me pause.
His jaw flexed. “Can’t I take a night off?”
“You sound as if you’re an ancient.” Jzulyk sniffed. “Any normal vorpyr male can go at it with a female from evening to midday every day without getting tired.”
“We’ve established many times that Kyvar can do that.” I said mildly, before an argument started. Kyvar was looking at him disdainfully. Those two had never been friends, but they’d been on edge around each other lately. “My curiosity is simply if there is someone holding his attention to the point he’s stopped carousing.”
“No one is holding my attention.”
“He’s been spending a great deal of time with thathuman.” Jzulyk sneered the word. “It’s unbefitting of a thalrikar to lower himself to associate with dirt so much.”
This could be a problem. Whether the problem was Jzulyk’s attitude or Kyvar spending time with Tatiana, I hadn’t decided.
The female next to me kneaded my thigh with her claws. It was nice, but that was it.
“These three humans aren’t dirt.” Kyvar snapped. “They’re full of emotion and curiosity.”
Jzulyk’s eyes flashed, and I intervened before he could go further. “Enough. We’re here to relax, not discuss work.” And that’s what the humans were, work.
Then why do I stiffen whenever this female touches me?The thought, accompanied by an image of curious rich brown eyes and sweet pink lips with a hint of a smile, made me uneasy. Thankfully Pyravor returned then, looking like a little lyhthat had stolen a basket of fruit. Satisfied and like he’d gotten away with something. Jzulyk immediately started joking with him and he grinned, swiping his tongue over his fangs.
