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That only confuses me more, this predator with a conscience, this monster with restraint. “Why?” I whisper.
“It doesn’t matter,” he says, standing abruptly, agitation rolling off him in waves. “If I can’t hold out, I’ll go find one of the servants in the hull.” He turns away from me, finally reaching for a robe that hangs nearby.
“Wait, you mean a servant like me?” I ask.
His gaze softens slightly before he looks away.
“Not once have I stated you are to be my servant.”
“That’s not . . . You said anyone you feed on dies, but I didn’t. I’m not cruel enough to let someone die over a little blood loss.”
“There are other ways to feed.”
I blink.
“What?”
“Blood can be collected.”
The words make my face heat.
“Oh.”
“Eagan will find someone and make them bleed into a cup if needed.” He shrugs. “It isn’t as effective as feeding directly, but it will ensure I don’t kill anyone.”
I wait for the feeling of relief.
But it doesn’t come.
Because the collected blood still comes from someone.
Someone who will be hurt because of me.
Kylian studies me carefully before exhaling heavily.
“No one is dying tonight, little mortal.”
I look down at my hands.
“That’s not exactly reassuring coming from a vampire with insatiable hunger.”
A reluctant smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
“I may not kill you, but I am not risking being tossed through a wall if you change your mind.”
With that, he moves to the bathroom and shuts the door.
CHAPTER 24
• Alessia •
THE SHIP ROCKS gently as it settles against the dock of Malachor’s port, but the subtle movement does nothing to ease the tension in our cabin.
King Kylian has been restless for hours, his foot tapping an erratic rhythm against the wooden floor, his eyes fixed on the wall behind me. There is something different about his stare, hungrier. It makes my skin prickle with unease.
Three hours have passed since the servant brought my breakfast. In all that time, he hasn’t spoken a word. He just watched and waited, like a predator sizing up its prey.
I try to focus on the book I picked up, but the words blur together under the weight of his gaze. Every time I glance up, his eyes snap to mine, holding me captive for a heartbeat before sliding away again. The air between us feels charged, dangerous.
