Page 10 of Their Blood Rite

‘You can’t bite me. The law. The treaty.’

His fingers grip tighter as he leans in even closer. ‘No law or treaty will help you if you insult me again.’

‘I would be cautious of where you place your fangs, General.’ I slump, my entire body relaxing at the voice carrying over the dingy room. ‘Or you may find yourself in trouble with your king.’

Shaw actually growls. I feel his entire body vibrate, and his hot breath ripples down my neck. When he moves back a little, he glares at me. As if blaming me for the threat.

‘She has broken no laws, and if you hurt or bite her, my father will hear of it. So will the king you serve.’

‘Cole. What a delight.’ Shaw turns to face the man standing by the doorway. His fingers are still encircled around my upper arm and have tightened instantly. ‘What brings a little boy like you to a place like this?’

Cole’s baby blue eyes land on mine. His soft smile is firmly in place, and his blonde hair hangs over his brow. He’s far from a boy. He turned twenty years old two weeks ago, but Shaw is right that he certainly doesn’t fit in here.

Not with his elegant clothes. Blemish-free skin and perfectly groomed hair.

And neither does Thalia, my closest friend, who stands behind him, her hands gripping the tail of his coat. Her head is low and her shoulders high as she tries to remain as small as possible. Both wear the same cloak I do, marking them out as earth witches.

Despite being surrounded by brutes and the formidable vampire general looking at him as if he is to be his next meal, Cole continues smiling his soft smile.

‘Well. I saw my fiancé walk in and had the desire to follow her. She has that effect on me.’ Cole holds out his hand, his eyes remaining on Shaw. ‘Ashe. Come.’

I outwardly gasp as Ronan’s fingernails pierce my skin. Warmth seeps from the crescent-shaped slices.

Ronan, Dorian, and Archwin all sniff, and their eyes glance at me, their heads unmoving.

‘Ashe,’ Cole repeats, a little firmer this time as he sees their primal reaction to my blood’s scent. ‘Come here!’

When I make the slightest move, Shaw keeps me exactly where I am.

‘I look forward to seeing you again…’ he says in an almost seductive promise. ‘My… little pixie.’

The men below with laughter, as does he.

Fucker!

Feeling my cheeks redden, I push past them all and head straight to Cole and Thalia.

Shaw’s laugh carries clear over them all, and each one makes a point not to move aside for me.

I take the whiskey the barmaid offers. Her eyes are full of warning, as are her words.

‘Steer clear of The General and his two men. Girls tend to last as long as pixies around them.’

I pay her, take Cole’s hand, and get the hell out of there without daring to look back.

Outside, the rain continues to hammer down. When the door slams shut behind me, I flinch at the thud.

‘You should not have gone in there alone,’ Cole scorns. ‘What the hell were you thinking?! If I weren’t who I am, he could have kept you for as long as he pleased.’

‘I know. My father told me to get his bloody whiskey.’ I look back as another bout of laughter erupts from behind us. ‘I’ve never met a vampire before.’

‘They’re vulgar, aren’t they?’ Cole says.

‘They are grotesque,’ Thalia agrees keenly, her wide eyes staring at the door as if waiting for it to explode and all of us get dragged back inside. ‘And so frightening! We should go before they come out. I hate the human villages.’

‘Then why did you come?’ Cole asks a little sharply.

I know why she came. The same reason she always comes when he does.

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