Page 28 of Taste of Death

Novak

Ihad never known many brusang. My family didn’t believe humans were worth turning. They were barely people in my parents’ eyes. Humans were too fragile, too short-lived, and multiplied too easily, just like simpler animals. They were good for a quick, emergency blood source and little else.

I used that lack of knowledge as an excuse as to why I was so drawn to Amy. My house staff gave me a better understanding of humans, but Amy, with her mix of human and vampire traits, was so utterly fascinating.

Did she know that she ran her tongue along her fangs while listening to me talk? Like she didn’t know what to do with them. It drove me wild in ways I hadn’t felt in years. I certainly hadn’t felt this wound up while sampling Inessa’s blood. Quite the opposite, actually.

On my ride home, all I could think about was taking a shower. I wanted to wash my mouth and my body, and I hadn’t even lain with Baros’s daughter yet. But the thought of fucking some stranger for the sole purpose of creating an heir make my skin feel coated in grime.

Such an agreement wasn’t even uncommon among vampires. Our long lives meant that offspring were rare, and romantic relationships didn’t always produce children. Sometimes outside arrangements were made. Such things had always been strange to me, even if they were normal to everyone else.

However, those feelings of grime and mild disgust vanished the moment I saw Amy sitting and eating in my kitchen like she belonged there. She was a breath of fresh air and a welcome distraction from Baros’s scheming. She was so petite that her feet gently kicked in mid-air. My chef, Jo, suddenly busied herself when I appeared, but I’d seen that secret smile. She and Amy had been talking like they knew each other.

Amy looked right at home here, and that didn’t bother me in the slightest.

She asked me a question while I was admiring how bright her irises looked set in their black depths. Her eyes looked like distant galaxies, holding infinite worlds within. She was so lucky to not have the boring red irises that all vampires had. It was only after that thought that her question registered in my head.

“You want me to come with you to the Blood ‘til Dawn mating ceremony?”

She chewed her lip nervously. “Well, yeah.”

I pulled in a breath, imagining Amy on my arm while surrounded by the ruling clan who wished my bloodline extinct. Oh, it would be satisfying to see them squirm. Almost as good as seeing her at my side, proud and defiant against their expectations.

On my exhale I said, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Amy’s face fell and I mentally added disappointing her to my short list of regrets.

“It’s not that I wouldn’tliketo. It’s just very likely that I wouldn’t be allowed as a guest,” I amended.

Amy frowned. “I thought all of Sanguine was invited, since blood mates are such a rare occurrence or whatever.”

“It is. The whole territory will be celebrating, and I’m sure Thorne would permit ninety-nine percent of vampires to attend as your plus-one.” I smiled wryly. “But that would definitely not include me.”

“But what if… ” Amy got a devious look on her face that sent a rush of sensation through my fangs. “Do you think they would ask for your name if I said I had a plus-one?”

“Why?” Suspicion laced my tone.

Her eyes flashed with mischief and the tips of her small fangs peeked out through her smile. “What if we just showed up together?”

“I mean no offense, but that sounds like a terrible idea.”

“Or a brilliant one,” she retorted. “Come on, what are they gonna do? Haul you away and cause a scene at the wedding of the century?”

“I don’t know, they might.”

“No.” Amy shook her head emphatically. “They want this to go off without a hitch, right? As long as we don’t cause trouble, why would they? Cyan wants the day to go flawlessly, and so does Tavia, of course.”

“Amy,” I sighed. “You haven’t known them as long as I have. This could go very badly.”

“Listen, I know Tavia and she’s got Cyan by the balls. He worships the ground she walks on. If she lets us come, Cyan will make sure it happens.”

“Cyan isn’t the head of the clan,” I reminded her. “Thorne is.”

“Thorne’s not the one getting married. Mated, whatever.” Amy waved her hand flippantly. “In human weddings, the bride is the one calling the shots. It’sherday. The groom’s job is to make sure she’s happy and that she gets the day she wants.”

“Okay. Fair enough,” I hedged. “But how do you know Tavia will allow us to attend together? As Cyan’s blood mate, she’s fully entrenched in Blood ‘til Dawn, who see me as an enemy. What if she orders to have me removed?”

Amy shrugged and picked at the crumbs of her sandwich before answering. “If she wants to save our friendship, I don’t think she’ll refuse my wanting you there.”

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