Page 32 of Blood Bought

“Okay, okay! You can’t tell me. Got it, sorry I asked. You could’ve just said no.” I rubbed my scalp as she finished up and walked away without another word, then resolved to figure out what the hell all that was about. I had a feeling Azel would tell me if Kellian wouldn’t, but I didn’t have time to find either one of them.

It was time to go condemn some poor girl to a life with Ciro.

~

This time, I was toldnot to go to a bar. Ciro was extremely particular about where his bloodwhores came from, so instead of a place where I could get a drink and try to forget what I was doing, I was dropped off down the road from a shelter.

To say it was already leaving a bad taste in my mouth was an understatement, but I kept going until I was walking up the entrance steps to the old stone building and letting myself in.

“Wow,” I whispered, rubbing my chest as an overwhelming feeling of sadness overtook me. The struggles that the people in that room had gone through were tangible, visible things... and I nearly walked right back out. But as horrible, morbid, awful, selfish, stupid it was of me, I couldn’t deny the fact that someone making a lateral move from one bad situation to another was better than dragging someone in a good position down.

God, I hated myself for it.

“Can I help you?” a young man asked, stepping in and eying me exactly as suspiciously as he should. “My name is Kiev. What’s yours?”

“Adalind.” My chest burned with the desire to apologize for something I hadn’t even done yet, but he seemed to just... know.

“You here on behalf of Alpha Dregan, or Heir Ciro?” he asked. “I wasn’t expecting anyone for another week at least.”

Oh, hell. They come here a lot. He knows exactly why I’m here.“Heir Ciro. Technically, I’m here because Heir Alaris made me, but I don’t think it makes much difference.”

“No, it does not.” He stepped back and held a hand out. “We have two newcomers who might be interested. No one else here is.”

I couldn’t blame them, so I said nothing else as I was led to a bedroom on the second floor.

“Tamsin?” Kiev called gently. “There’s someone here to see you.”

Based on the small advice that Azel gave me, Tamsin was exactly Ciro’s type. Mid-length natural blonde hair, long legs, curves that would make most women jealous and a contagious smile that had me wanting to relax, but also warn her to run.

She made her way over and held out her hand for me. “I already get a visitor? Lucky me.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Kiev said, bowing slightly to me like I was anyone to bow to. “If you need anything, I’ll be out front.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, turning back to Tamsin. “I’m Adalind.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m pretty new here, but Kiev is always like that. Can I ask what brought you in?”

I really, really wish you wouldn’t.“I belong to the vampires,” I said, surprised at how good it felt to just be honest about it. I didn’t work there, they owned me. He owned me. “Do you know anything about our Alphas?”

“Yes,” she said warily. “Haven’t had the pleasure to meet them but based on your expression... I don’t want to?”

It was still a question, like she was looking to me to make her feel more confident about our entire exchange.

“It’s complicated. For example, I was sort of claimed by Heir Alaris. Sometimes I’m scared to death, sometimes I’m eating food I’ve never heard of and moaning from how good it tastes, and sometimes... I want to kill him because he’s stubborn and ridiculous. It’s been a process.” I sat down, patting the spot next to me. “Can I ask why you’re here?”

She joined me, a million questions obviously on the tip of her tongue but she didn’t bombard me with any yet. “I’ve been struggling to keep a job. It seems like each one I try, I hate, and I’m just not good at it and I get fired or I just quit. Makes keeping a home hard. I’m just trying to get on my feet and figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do with my life. Can I ask how you got to where you are? Did Heir Alaris simply claim you and that’s it?”

“Not exactly. He saved my life when I was a baby, and apparently there’s some super obscure, secret vampire rule that says if you’re saved by one, they own you for the rest of your life,” I explained. “I basically just bring him his food and watch him fuck other people.”

“That sounds kinda hot. He doesn’t feed on you or fuck you?”

I raised my eyebrows. “No, but not for lack of trying on his part. I just haven’t said yes.”

“And he hasn’t forced you?” She seemed surprised. “Huh. I always thought they didn’t understand the word no, but maybe I was just being judgmental. I’ve never actually met an Obsidian vampire.”

“Well, I can’t speak for all of them. Alaris and Kellian definitely seem to understand... they told me consent makes blood taste sweeter, and so does happiness. But Ciro, I’ve sort of heard the opposite about, and he’s who I’m here for.” I braced myself for her to shut down or make me leave, but she just sat there weighing her options.

“Not the best selling point. What are the perks?”

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