Ten years? I give him a cursory glance. Although his complexion has waned since I last saw him, there is no doubt of his aristocracy. A crimson-embroidered vest accentuates his waist, with white ruffled sleeves and an open collar at his throat. “I see that your tastes haven’t changed.” Even his dark hair has been loosely knotted at the base of his neck and tied with a satin ribbon, as was tradition two centuries ago.
“And yet, I believe yours finally have. A wolf shifter?” He tuts. “The council will not approve.”
I track Sienna’s movements as she sits at a table nearest the staff. The shifters already seated there immediately depart, leaving her to eat in peace, which she doesn’t seem to mind. It’s easier to turn someone whose ties with the living are already tenuous, so I’m delighted to find that the only creatures in the way are her two persistent mates—both of whom are staring at her from opposite ends of the hall.
I suppose I’m now the third unwelcome suitor in her life.
“The council can go fuck themselves.” I smirk, and Dmitri flinches. As nobility, he’s always been on a short leash, but I would have thought distance from the crown would have loosened him up. I squeeze his forearm as I step past him. “Be sure to tell them I said that.”
Snatching a piece of untouched fruit from someone’s plate, I cut through the chattering gulls and approach Sienna. This time, her eyes track my approach.
Good girl.
She appraises me silently, and I do the same to her, my gaze lingering on the still-tender bite mark on her neck. It’s uncovered, which is a bold choice in a school of potential mates. Everyone will know that someone either tried to mate with her, turn her into a vampire, or kill her. Maybe that’s what she’s craving: attention. But she doesn’t seem like the type to flaunt for fun.
I nod toward the injury. Its scab has barely formed. One wrong turn of her neck, and it’ll reopen. “You need to be careful, or someone might think you’re a midday snack.”
Her gaze lingers on my fangs. “Someone like you?”
I smile and enjoy the way her pulse trills. I like her already. “Most definitely.” Sitting opposite her, I quickly conjure a red rose and place it on the table in front of her. It’s not real—merely a trick of the light that will fade the moment she touches it. To my dismay, she doesn’t bother trying and turns her nose up at it.
Not accepting a gift is rude, but pointing that out won’t win me her favor. I fiddle with the fruit in my hands. A pomegranate, its flesh tender when I squeeze.
“If you’re here to convince me to mate with you again, you can leave. I’m not interested in getting bitten, thank you.”
Tilting my head, I study her tight lips and wrinkled brow. “Had enough of that last night?” I click my tongue. “His technique is poor, or you’d be in a state of euphoria. Utterly lost to the world.” I wave my hand in dismissal. What a damn shame that her wild wolf’s performance was lackluster, if only for the sake of Sienna’s pleasure. I have everything to gain from her partner’s inadequacy. “Vampire bites are much more . . .” My gaze lingers on her neck. “Satisfying.”
Sienna purses her lips. “For you or your partner?”
“Both,” I answer immediately. “Of course.”
Her glowing eyes darken. “Of course.” After a beat of silence, she stabs a sausage with her fork. “You’re kind of an asshole, you know that?”
I keep my smile even. “I’ve been called worse.”
“Whatdopeople call you?”
“Callum.” I pierce the skin of the fruit with the tip of my thumb, and its juice drips down my wrist. “Of the Navarro bloodline. Have you heard of us?”
She shakes her head. “Not until yesterday. I’m afraid vampire lineage isn’t taught in the wilds.”
“We are one of the oldest families yet fewer in number than most.”
Her eyebrow lifts. “Surely not because of your unparalleled charm?”
No, not for that.
Sienna sighs, her fatigue showing in the slope of her shoulders. “What do you want, Callum Navarro?”
“A mate,” I answer honestly, “or I would not be here.”
“Where would you be?” She stares at my fingers as I peel the skin off the pomegranate in a single curling strand. “Somewhere cold and dark?”
“Do not assume to know me,” I warn her, puncturing the fruit’s flesh for the second time. My irritation flares, and I clear my throat. “Or you will be disappointed in what you find.” I do not enjoy assumptions, especially incorrect ones. Tilting my head, I crack my neck and breathe through the sudden tension in my body. “If you have a question, ask it, but wait for the answer.”
Sighing, she pushes her plate to the center of the table. “Look, I don’t need more controlling men in my life. If you want to be friendly, fine. If you’re looking for a mate—” Her cheeks flush. “Look elsewhere.”
I rise when she does, ignoring the flicker of annoyance on her face as I follow her to the bar where she pours herself a fresh drink. Leaning close to her ear, I breathe in her delicate floral scent and whisper, “I can keep your wild wolf at bay.”
