Sparrow rolled his eyes, and Lydia laughed at his reaction. I felt a warm, firm grip on my shoulder. My breath caught. I looked up and there he was.
Xavier.
He stood behind me, his presence unyielding, as if he had been watching me the whole time. His hand slid from my shoulder, trailing down in a slow, familiar path. I felt the soft press of his fingers along my thigh, a touch so firm, as if he tried to possess me. My body began to betray me, welcoming the contact of his skin on mine.
As he led us back to our table, Xavier’s touch lingered on me, his hand absentmindedly stroking my thigh in a tender yet possessive movement. I could not ignore the calming feelings these touches ignited in my body, especially a place where I never had any kind of fires and butterflies before.
As the night went by, the conversation of the dinner might have changed, but the heat down there stayed. It didn’t help that Xavier’s hand kept sliding down my back, his fingers gently brushing over my skin in a way that made my entire spine shudder.
I looked at Xavier, his focus on one of the men he talked with. Then, slowly, he leaned in. His breath brushed my neck, warm and deliberate, sending a shiver through me.
“Are you okay, my love?” he whispered. “Because I can smell your arousal… and I’m certain my vampire friends can too.”
My entire body went rigid. Embarrassment burned beneath my skin. Xavier grinned at my blushing.
“I didn’t say it to embarrass you,” he murmured, fingers gliding down my arm, slow and circling my wrist, “but the thought of other men smelling what’s mine… unsettling doesn’t begin to cover it.”
I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. “Why are you staring at me like that, then?”
He tilted his head, the ghost of a smirk appearing. “Can’t I stare at you?”
“It’s inappropriate,” I murmured, looking away from these penetrating emerald eyes. “It makes people wonder if...” I couldn’t even end the sentence, because if I said it myself, it would mean I’d accept the bond we have.
“My staring,” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, “is far more appropriate than the thoughts going through my head right now, just looking at you,mylittle demon.”
My heart thundered. But still, I had questions that needed answers.
“Why are you so tense around your sister?” I asked, searching his face for an answer. That caught him off guard. For a moment, the tension in his jaw betrayed something deeper. Still, he brought his hand to my chin and tilted it gently, bringing our eyes level.
“Because not everyone in my family is close to me,” he said slowly, voice lower now. “If you want to ask something about me, about my siblings, then ask. I won’t keep things from you.”
“Then... if you and Lydia don’t really talk, why was she even invited?”
Xavier’s gaze flickered, thoughtful. “I never banned her from coming to Carnivalland. Sparrow still lives here most of the time.But Lydia… she trusts people I don’t. And until I can guarantee your safety, I’m not risking anything. Even if that means keeping my distance from her.”
“But… why?”
He exhaled, the weight behind his words finally surfacing. It felt like he didn’t want to give me an answer.
“Lydia has a habit of speaking of things that don’t concern her. And her mate, Seth, is one of my father’s most loyal commanders. Everything I tell her? He hears too. Not because she’s careless, but because this is how the bond between mates works. What’s hers is his. No secrets. Nothing. I don’t even blame her for it. But some things—” he paused, “—they are mine to keep.”
And when he saidmine, I felt it in my chest like a second heartbeat. Xavier wasn’t talking about secrets or politics. He was talking aboutme.
“I’ll show you something,” he suddenly said, his voice gentle but commanding.
Before I could question what it was, Xavier had already taken my hand, guiding me swiftly away from the table, away from Lydia’s watchful eyes and Sparrow’s teasing remarks. And as the laughter and the lights faded behind us, I realized I didn’t know if I trusted him completely, not yet. But in that moment, with his hand wrapped around mine like a promise, I wanted to.
Chapter 11
The dinner had been deadly boring, and I had far better things to do than sit through dull hours with some of my father’s indecent and annoying servants. Even if I wasn’t required to attend and represent my people in Carnivalland, I still needed to know what was happening in other parts of the empire. Especially now, withherhere. Gwendolyn’s presence changed everything. I had to move with more precision, speak with more caution, and act with more control, because for the first time in centuries, I had something to lose.
And I didn’t hate Lydia, but my sister being Seth’s mate made many things unsettling for me. Especially regardingher.
My gaze drifted over to Gwendolyn. Too often I caught her nervously tugging at her dress or about to close her eyes. The third time I checked, I had to keep her awake by touching her. Unfortunately, it had a completely different effect on both of us, and I hated all men that were able to smell her desire—a scent that was only made for me. That sinful dress, her curves, her velvety skin, those doe eyes and her long copper hair that was just begging for a pull.
She leaned into me, barely keeping her pretty eyes open. Thenight must have taken her strength. She seemed tired, but yet wanted to stay awake.
I didn’t want to let her go. I couldn’t let the night end like that. She was so good, did so well with all of these vampires. She was the sweetest soul, and I’d give anything to let her know how I feel, without needing to tell her.
