Page 182 of Plug and Drain

They fell into a thoughtful silence. Susie was a little girl when the Vampire King and Queen had ruled a neighbouring kingdom, and vampires had been few but not unwelcome here in Wolf King Bakker’s kingdom. The Capital had been full of wolf shifters and humans; Wintermaw Keep had been the royal wolf family’s ancestral home, and Volmasque Academy had not been an academy at all. Before Henrikk. He’d played chess against multiple opponents and won, toppling over queen and king. No one had seen him coming.

Arken left for his walk.

Susie thought about her conversation with him. She analysed it because that was all she had to do. Replaying every smile, every mannerism, the way he was careful not to look at her or stand too close, the way he was smiling more, even when he looked at her, and it lit up his eyes so they glowed.

It did not seem like he didn’t care about her.

The opposite, in fact.

He seemed to care very much.

Had she been able to wipe the past from her memory, she was certain she would have felt quite differently about him. Maybe these past few weeks would have been quite nice. Pleasant, even.

It was a well-appointed room, with more luxury than she was used to. Everything was elegant; from the metallic brocade wallpaper to the embroidery on the silk pillows, with a floral theme that was still undeniably masculine in greys and blues.

Arken had promised she could leave when it was safe. In a few days, she would be recovered enough that she could manage the steps down to her dorm room, as well as the several flights of steps in the castle.

Well, maybe a few weeks. One and a half weeks.

It occurred to her that Arken hadn’t said she could leave once she was recovered. What he’d actually said was that she could leave once it was safe.

Safe.

Susie didn’t know what that meant. Volmasque Academy was never safe for a wolf, and from Sarah’s account, things had gone from bad to worse. The collaring of all wolves had shaken the dynamics of the wolf packs and had led to infighting and hierarchical restructures. All but the strongest of packs had disbanded, and many wolves had deliberately sought out vampires and begged to become their pet in exchange for protection and social perks.

“Not us, though,” Sarah had been quick to reassure her. “Our pack is stronger than ever. Barnaby from the Poplarin Pack has touched base with us a few times to make sure we’re all right. Isn’t that nice? And Harry swears he’d rather wear a ‘mangy mutt collar’ than be a vampire’s pet. ‘They can get fucked’ were his exact words.”

Susie was reassured, but she was still anxious to return to her pack. Harry had never had to lead without her, and she was worried how he was managing amidst the upheaval. He never hesitated to speak his mind or stand up for the pack’s members, but he lacked a finesse that had a tendency to get him into trouble.

Once I’m physically better, I’ll leave. If Arken lets me.

Susie felt a pinprick of doubt, wondering whether he would try to stop her.

She sank into her pillow, the fantasy sequel clutched against her chest. She wanted to read it to find out what happened next, but the candle had burnt low, and she felt too sleepy and comfortable to sit up and light a new one.

Despite the burning fireplace, the bed felt empty and cold, and she pulled the covers higher over her. The bed was far too large for just one person. When Sarah had gone back to sleeping in her own room, Susie had half-hoped, half-dreaded that Arken would join her.

He hadn’t, and she’d realised she wanted him to, as confusing as that was.

She thought about him a lot.

She wasn’t sure if Arken had ever shared the bed with anyone. She felt bad that she was taking up his bed. He was still dozing in his armchair every night, and though he never complained, she could tell by the way he rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck each morning that he woke sore and stiff.

Susie had grown accustomed to his presence and slept better knowing he was in the room. She slept best when he read to her in the evenings.

She sighed contentedly as her worries faded from her mind, hugging the book as she thought of Arken’s golden eyes. She was dreaming about magnificent dragons, high-flying battles in the sky, and heroes with golden eyes when Arken returned and roused her from sleep.

“Can you come with me?” he whispered. “Are you still in pain when you walk?”

“No, I can walk just fine now—for a while, anyway.” Susie regarded him in confusion. “Why? Where are we going?”

Arken offered her his hand. “I think it’s time. There’s something I want to show you. It’s not far.”

“All right.” She placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her out of the bed.

Chapter 43

Blood Magic