Page 21 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

"I'm sure Leonora was just being nice," Rowan continued and Hayes snorted at the same time that I did.

"See." He pointed to me with a twist of amusement in his eyebrow lift. "Even Leonora knows she's not nice."

I rolled my eyes, tending to agree, except I sort ofhadbeen trying to be nice.

"Maybe she's just not nice to you," Rowan said, a warmth in his eyes that surprised me.

Hayes leaned across the table to peer at him closely. "Oh? And you know her so well, do you?"

Novalie looked as baffled by this turn of conversation as I felt. Her eyes looked wide in her slim face normally, but now they were the size of saucers as she darted her gaze between the two men.

"I just thought you looked a little peaky," I cut in and immediately regretted it when both of their eyes turned to me, the intensity would have made me sweat if such a thing was still possible. "I figured grabbing you some orange juice or something was the least I could do after drinking you dizzy earlier."

Hayes dropped his gaze, picking up his sandwich and chewing lazily as he looked back up to watch me, one eyebrow slightly raised.

Bastard. This was what I got for being nice—scorn.

The most visceral reaction came from across the table though, Novalie glaring at me until I turned to face her fully. I'd resisted the urge to snap her neck once today already, I wasn't sure I'd have the same patience if she tried something else.

"What's your deal," I remarked and she flashed pink and then pale.

"I don't know what you mean."

"If looks could kill I'd be dead twice," I said, reaching onto her plate and munching through a crisp. It tasted like cardboard. I reached for another one and hid my smile when she caught my wrist between her pale fingers. "You want him."

Her eyes slid to Hayes, who was watching with a blank disinterest, before nodding once.

"Have him," I forced myself to say, shrugging nonchalantly even as the bond twisted in my chest, the urge to take back the words and punish her for the thought of taking him was nearly overwhelming, and I remained silent as I battled internally. "If you want him, then take him,” I challenged, raising an eyebrow tauntingly.

Novalie's eyes, a warm brown, flashed with understanding. Sure, she could try to take him if she wanted. But I would crush her. I wouldn't have a choice—there was only so much I could do when it came to pushing down the urges of my new nature. And if she fought me... she wouldn't win.

"Understood," she said, and the tension faded. I smiled at her, a hint of fang on show, and she smiled back as Rowan and Hayes watched in bemusement.

"Women are strange creatures," Hayes muttered and Rowan nodded in agreement.

"What's so strange?" I took an apple slice from Hayes' plate, relishing the irritation that flared across his face. "She wants you, or at least her vampire side likes that you’re strong. I don't want you, but I don't have much choice in the matter. We're cool, it’s not personal." I gave them a shrewd look. “Women do have more important things to think about than men, you know.”

"You do realise I'm not some collectible to be traded at your amusement," he pointed out and I shrugged.

"If the shoe fits."

"Well, now we're all friends," Novalie said and I smirked, "maybe we should all go together to pick out our outfits for the debut."

"We're allowed to leave?" I wasn't sure why that surprised me, but I'd just assumed we would have to stay here for the full two years. LIke well-kept prisoners.

"Of course, but first years have to be accompanied by a professor or second year. Helps keep casualties to a minimum."

I nodded absently and let Novalie carry the conversation as I ran my eyes around the rest of the room. There looked to be about a hundred or so of us in the room, not including the instructors, and I was sure that more students were off elsewhere rather than eating in the large hall.

Just like before, there were a few long looks of either intrigue or distrust aimed my way, but I didn't concern myself with any of that. It was interesting how quickly some of them had formed groups not dissimilar to ours.

"Do you guys remember your past?" I said and Novalie looked surprised, clearly having been in the middle of saying something. "Sorry," I said with a grimace. "Lost in my own thoughts."

"Our past as a human?" Novalie said, clearly willing to cut her own thought off to see where mine would lead.

I shrugged. "In general."

"Yes," Hayes said and didn't elaborate further.

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