“Depends on your sober level,” he answered honestly. It was that honesty that threw me off. Bryon definitely wasattractive and contemplating a night with him was something I had done before, but one thought remained.
“We’re friends. Could I really ruin our friendship for this?”
The words escaped my mouth before I could process what I was thinking aloud. Bryon took two strides to cross the distance. His gaze had become so intense that the stirring I had felt earlier had returned even stronger. I was left motionless as his hand raised to cup my cheek, the warmth of his touch flooding my body.
“This would be worth the risk to me.”
“What if I decide to stay friends?”
“A risk I would gladly take. I’ve been in love with you before I knew the concept of the word. If I don’t make an attempt then I will be as pathetic as the rest of the guys in this town.”
“Then you accept the risk for the reward?” I asked with a frown.
“Gladly,” he replied before his lips fell on mine. That night there were no fireworks or tingles like others had described, but there were also no complaints from me towards his skills or stamina.
When I woke up the next morning, the awkwardness of the situation was not something I wanted to go through again. Even the kiss goodbye felt weird. I had watched him leave, knowing I would most likely avoid the Saddleback for some time. Unless I wanted to trap myself in this town even more.
Chapter Six
Lucien and Erie
Erie had enough of Lucien Dumas by the fifth hour spent together in the mundane vehicle he had rented. Gritting herteeth, she tried her best not to growl at him as she spoke. “Why is everything you do have to be by the book? Those laws were written ages ago by vampires that were too afraid of their own reflection to write sensible enough laws.”
“Well, at least my father has the respect of many by following those rules. I’m going to be the next leader of the coven and if it has worked for him then I will do the same. There will be many that support him still during my leadership and I want to gain their respect as he has.”
“If that were the case then I would stop bringing those Seelies and Unseelies into your bed. They already garner enough rumors that would dampen your reputation. If that’s what you actually care about. Maybe find a mate and break that cycle of political matches.”
“I can bed who I want,” he retorted. “It’s what makes me equal to everyone else. Besides, they are best at what they do. Once you’ve gone Seelie, you can’t go back. As for a mate, I would prefer to never find them.” Gravel crunched under their shoes as they exited the car and headed in the direction of the convenience store. Erie was less than amused at his words.
“That’s not how it works with mates. You’re pathetic, Luce,” Erie directed at the blond vampire, “You swore off a mate, taking whatever creatures you want into your bed and yet you say you want people to approve of you by the person you are. At the rate you’re going, people are going to only support you based on your eye color and lineage only. You won’t garner their respect.”
As the last word tumbled from her lips, she felt a blunt force strike her torso and the world flew past her in a flurry of neon lights and starry skies. She managed to land on her feet, but it would take a moment to heal her broken ribs from Lucien’s kick.
Such a baby, she grumbled through the mind link. It was moments like this that the others were lucky Ambrose took her magic. If she had even a drop, she would’ve used every bit of it to beat some sense into their future leader.
“Are you done talking bigger than you are?” Luc’s voice sang from the other side of the parking lot.
Mortal ears would’ve only been able to pick it up if they were standing near him, but Erie’s hearing caught it with ease. She bristled at his smugness while dusting off her skirt from the debris she had gathered in her landing.
“You know, beating up a weak pureblood like me is a bad look for a future coven leader,” she fired in his direction. “What would the coven think?”
“Their thoughts don’t matter. As you said, I’m getting in either way.”
“I guess we’re already used to a tyrannical abusive leader. What harm could another—.”
His hand wrapped around her throat as Lucien’s snarl gave a promise behind his wordless threat. Erie knew she went too far this time, but Lucien had brought her there by his own actions.
Some words needed to be said, but Erie could have chosen a better moment. Lucien could kill her and no one would bat a lash because she had already been dubbed as useless by their coven. A pureblood vampire without a drop of magic in her blood. It was a travesty that could have had her family removed from their sect. It was only due to Ambrose’s abundance of magic that the coven continued to support her family.
“I. Am. Not. My. Father,” Lucien spoke slowly, but with enough malice in his words that Erie began trembling in fear under his grasp. “You ever make the comparison again, Erminia, and I will not be so merciless.”
“You made the comparison first, forgive me.”
“This time,” Lucien agreed before releasing her from his hold. Lucien turned around, looking out at the disgusting mortals that loitered drunkenly before them, unaware of what had happened. The mundane world had zero decorum. “Let’s find someone who knows where Burrow Hills is. We’ll grab the directions from his memories and leave him here to be found later. Make sure to heal the fang marks before his heart stops.”
“I know the drill,” Erie grumbled before following Lucien inside the convenience store that concealed a small casino and diner inside. The smell of cigarette smoke, deli meat and money wafted around the pair as they struggled to refrain from gagging at the rancid scent. Erie went for the register, putting on an innocent mask as she donned the aura of the child she appeared as.
“Aren’t you adorable?” the cashier gushed as Erie skipped her way. “How can I help you?”
