Page 73 of Their Blood Queen

A rumble echoes through the room as if I had imagined his response. I’m excited, nervous, and now rather irritated.

Because Lady Eleanor is a problem that needs to be dealt with, and one of her breasts has fallen out.

“Cover yourself,” I command in a voice that would make any servant fall to their knees.

Lady Eleanor is no servant. She scowls at me as if I’ve told her there was piss in her wine.

She reclines along the chaise lounge and inches up her dress. “Why, Edward? Can’t get it up anymore now that you’re spanking yourself because the new girl won’t do it for you?”

Growling, I set one foot on the furniture she’s trespassing on. Leaning in, I yank my knife from the hidden compartment in my boot and point it at her. “Careful.”

A wild gleam enters her bleached eyes. Eleanor isn’t any older than I am, but she’s used every magic tonic she can get her hands on to enhance herself to her tastes.

It’s why she has plump, gorgeous breasts now on full display, because I realize she’s slipped the other one out, too. She toys with one of her pink nipples that are too perfectly symmetrical to be natural.

“Or what? You’re going to use that on me?” she asks.

She wants to call my bluff?

She wants to behave like a whore?

I’ll treat her like one.

Gripping her corset, I pluck at one of the straps with my blade.

Snap.

Her eyes go wide when I do it again, and she realizes what I’m doing.

“Edward, I?—”

Snap.

Snap.

She most likely doesn’t have any magic tonics on her that’ll give her a new dress. She’s going to have to hope one of our servants takes pity on her, or seek help from a stranger.

Or, if she really chooses to piss me off, I’ll leave her for our monster guests.

When she’s naked and used, and everyone can see what she really is.

An icy chill on the back of my neck makes me pause when I have my blade at her thigh, ready to cut off the layers of her dress. The slut isn’t wearing any underwear.

She had hoped I would fuck her.

But I can’t, not if I want Scarlett to be bound to me forever. I remember the terms of my blood contract.

Exclusivity.

Maybe when we’ve been married for a few centuries and have enjoyed the Immortality Sector for a time, Scarlett and I will grow bored of one another and expand our horizons. I have no intention of sticking with one woman for the rest of eternity. To pretend otherwise would be asinine.

The angry lust pressing against my pants doesn’t seem to understand that having toys to play with will come in time. Right now, I am a new creation. I belong to Scarlett.

I can’t belong to her if I am held back by my past.

A masterpiece isn’t created overnight. I have a few weeks yet to work on becoming the perfect husband for Scarlett.

Until then, I need to make sure women like Lady Eleanor don’t interfere. She won’t be the last to try something like this.