Page 83 of Treasured

She lied.

The moment I bit her, her free hand traced imaginary patterns on my chest. All the while, she took great pleasure in telling me how nice it was to hear me admit she was right. Luna had much to say on the topic, and she talked until I felt normal again.

I withdrew my fangs, licking her arm clean before kissing her. “Thank you, darling.”

She smiled. “Always.”

I raised a brow and tilted my neck. “Now it’s your turn.”

This time, I wouldn’t be taking no for an answer.

She pursed her lips, studying me. “I have a better idea.”

I barely tamped down a growl. Whatever this idea was, it had better involve her feeding. “Oh?”

“You’re feeling alright?”

“I’m fine.” I was a three-hundred-year-old vampire. Healing was not difficult. “You need to feed, Luna.”

I wasn’t going to let this go.

“I will.” Instead of biting me, though, Luna stood. She took my hand and tugged me off the bed. “Come with me.”

Confusion ran through me as I followed Luna out of the room. The hallways were empty and curtains were drawn over the windows.

“What are you planning?” I asked as she led me down the vacant corridor.

“A quick excursion.”

“Princess,” I growled.

She chuckled. “Don’t worry, oh protective one. I’ll still let you take care of me. But Odette mentioned this place when we were running our experiments. Since it seems like we have a while before anyone else wakes up, I thought we could explore a bit.”

“You will feed,” I told her.

“I promise,” she assured me.

I squeezed her hand. “Then lead the way.”

* * *

I didn’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. Luna led me down two sets of stone stairs before she pushed open an unmarked wooden door. The scent of salt reached my nose as thick tendrils of steam crawled toward us.

Grinning, she stepped aside to reveal a massive bathing room. My jaw fell open. I had no idea this was beneath the abbey. The bath itself was the size of a lake. On one side was a small waterfall; on the other, the water disappeared into what I assumed was an underground river. Thick clouds of steam hovered above the water, making sight difficult.

“According to Odette, Lightriver Abbey was originally built here because of this space,” Luna said, gesturing around us. “It’s connected to the cave she uses as a laboratory. The waters are rumored to have healing qualities.”

I drew her close and nuzzled her neck. “Is that so?”

She glanced over her shoulder, her twinkling eyes slowly undressing me. “Very healing,” she said. “Since everyone is sleeping, this seems like the perfect moment to conduct… research.”

My body tightened at the suggestiveness of her words. “Say less, darling,” I growled. “Let’s go.”

This seemed like the perfect way to spend a few hours alone before the world fell apart. Something told me we wouldn’t have an opportunity like this for a while.

“I’m glad you approve,” Luna smirked. “This wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun without you.”

I pulled the door shut behind us, turning the lock so we wouldn’t be disturbed. “I assume your research involves several steps?” I asked, blatantly eyeing Luna’s backside as she moved ahead of me.

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