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While Blaire had gotten used to seeing them all drink blood, it still came as a shock to her when it first happened. She had never seen Lukas drink; she assumed he had blood when she wasn’t around. There was no way he was some sort of blood vegetarian.

“Well, yes. But what else do we do? Die? Because that is exactly what will happen if we don’t drink blood. At least this way we’re not acting like the uncivilized monsters from your fairy tale books,” Kai said derisively. “I do not mean any ill-will toward you, but it has always bothered me the way species similar to ours are depicted in the media.”

Blaire nodded quietly and shook the thoughts from her head. As she moved to sit in the seat next to Lukas, he reached out and grabbed her around the waist, startling her as he pulled her into his lap.

She landed with a gasp, and he buried his face into her hair at the side of her neck, closing his eyes as his breathing came out unsteadily. Her stomach roiled with the overwhelming feelings of distress radiating off him. She squirmed in his lap as she tried to get back up, unable to handle the onslaught of his emotions, hoping if she put distance between them, it would stop.

“Let me go.”

Lukas tightened his arms briefly around her and whispered, “Just… let me have a moment.” He shifted her in his lap, pulling her as tightly to his body as he could. “Please…”

Blaire stilled, swallowing hard as she looked at everyone at the table who stared at her as if she had grown an extra head. She picked at the hem of her stockings in embarrassment.

“You did look really bad this morning… I’m not surprised he’s unsettled,” Aiden said quietly.

Blaire had no idea he would act like this considering how angry he seemed with her this morning in the hallway the last time she saw him, but it was stifling. The same tension from this morning. She took a deep breath, and his unique apple, citrus, and spice scent eased the discomfort his emotions brought her. She could let him have this.

She relaxed back against his body as they sat in silence until his breathing evened out. He dragged his hands up and down her arms as if to self-soothe.

This was the Lukas he had been for days now, the same Lukas she remembered from when she had the nightmare about Caleb. The Lukas her heart was about to leap out of her chest for. If he stayed like this, then she would try to get to know him more, to connect with him on a deeper level, to see what this might be. There was still the hurdle of the whole Vasirian and human thing. She still didn’t think she could let him drink her blood, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to drink his. She shuddered.

Lukas slowly lifted his head, glancing up toward Blaire’s face.

“Are you feeling better?” he whispered.

They were so close to each other that if she moved forward, even a couple of inches, their lips would meet. Goose bumps rose on her skin as she recalled the kiss they shared when he confronted her about Aiden. His eyes dropped to her lips and his nostrils flared as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

“I… yeah, I’m doing much better now. I’m just tired…”

Lukas dropped his head against her shoulder once more and sighed in apparent relief, taking one last inhale of her hair before finally loosening and releasing her from the cage of his arms.

“You need to eat,” Lukas said before dragging his hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair, and letting out a long exhale. He hung his head back as if utterly exhausted.

Blaire moved into her seat and opened a bottle of peach tea, taking a long pull from it before she poked at her chicken with a fork.

“Your mood swings are starting to give me whiplash,” Riley quipped, but Lukas didn’t even entertain her with a response as he closed his eyes, remaining still.

Blaire twirled noodles onto her fork, before stabbing a piece of chicken, and taking a large bite, moaning as she closed her eyes. The food was either really amazing or she was definitely starving. This was the most delicious thing she’d ever had.

At a clatter next to her, she opened her eyes to find Lukas sitting up, staring at her with his jaw clenched.

She swallowed down the bite and stammered out, “W-what?”

“I think it’s…” Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. “You didn’t hear yourself.” A forced laugh slipped out of him. “You must be pretty damn hungry.” He cleared his throat.

Kai let out a loud laugh, and Blaire’s face burned. She had no idea she sounded any different.

Lukas turned his gaze from her quickly, snatching up the blood pack from his tray and stabbing a straw into it before taking a long drink.

Blaire stared at him with wide eyes. She had no idea what to make of his sudden change in behavior.

Mera spoke up, noticing Blaire’s confusion. “He’s just a bit hungry, that’s all.” She cleared her throat, and her cheeks tinged pink. “Just not in the way you’d think.”

“What?” Blaire looked at Mera in confusion.

Kai sighed. “The sounds you made as you enjoyed your meal… you likely stirred him up. Please don’t make me spell it out for you. I gather you are naïve, but not that naïve.”

Blaire thought for a moment before her eyes went wide again. Kai laughed at her reaction.