Page 62 of The Depraved Prince
He sighs. His entire body shakes with madness. He turns around, his suit straining against his stiffened muscles. His face darts to the door, and when I think he’s going to flash out of here, he changes his mind.
“All vampires have powers, more that go beyond our natural abilities. It lives within us like a virus that stays dormant unless we suck the blood from a Valkyrie.” His loud voice depletes into a soft murmur, and he palms my chest. I shiver as he presses hiscold, calloused hand into me. “And if their heart stops beating while our fangs are inside them, the virus becomes active, and we find out what kind of powers hide within us.”
“What type of powers?” I elevate my curiosity. There’s a moment of vulnerability in Hayden. He’s letting his armor down, and I need to take advantage of it.
He looks at me with pinched brows and a wall drawn up so high. Seconds pass by, and he tries to withdraw himself.
“Don’t you dare pull away now. I want to know.”
“Millie…” he murmurs with disdain.
“More p-powers?”
God, what other powers could they have?
“More than your speed and strength? You already have immortality. Please tell me, Hayden. What kind of powers and why me?”
He shrugs with unease. “It could be anything. From flying like a bat out of hell, healing, lasers for eyes, controlling the weather, becoming invisible, reading minds.”
I tear my eyes from his tall stature.
“The rule is we cannot interfere in a Valkyrie’s life. These laws were put in place centuries ago to save the human population so that the world will remain balanced. Humans outnumbering vampires. These rules were put in place because innocents were being slaughtered left and right—even children. Immortals became desperate when they learned King Killian had killed a Valkyrie and became the most powerful of all. Thousands of humans were being killed searching for Valkyrie blood, and all the kings of Immortal Country agreed to peace…to stop us from killing each other. For greed.For power.”
He hovers over me in a blip, brushing my bangs from my face, looking at me with glints of desire in his ice-blue eyes.
“But the Southern King has declared war on everything and the law the minute he started slaughtering innocent humanssearching for you. There’s a war. And the only thing that will put an end to this is if someone kills you. Taking the initiative in activating their powers. Because once they do, they’ll be the most powerful immortal that anyone has seen since…since…”
My brows raise at a sight I’m extremely unfamiliar with. Hayden is clearly tormented by inner turmoil and is not composed. There’s a break in his concrete shield, with a hint of remorse.
“Since when?” I pry harder. I scoot closer to the bed until my feet dangle at the edge.
Instead of answering me, he reaches into his pockets and pulls out a cigarette. He sticks one in his mouth, lighting it with the hand that carries the ring with the bat and snake.
I want to scold him for smoking around me, but I don’t want to kill this moment of raw vulnerability.
“My uncle Amos…” He takes a hit, and smoke lingers in the air, his voice painted with grief. “If we’re hard to kill now, it’s tripled once the powers are active. He didn’t go out with a fight. His only crime? Falling for a Valkyrie,” he scoffs, amused like he told a funny joke. His eyes reach mine, and I swear there’s emotion attached to it. “I don’t know why it’s you, Millie. I don’t know why you carry Valkyrie blood, but there’s no use dwelling on something that I cannot change. You’re a target, and you’re a target with a rare, delicious prize that’s caught the attention of all the Immortal Kings. Especially Davenport. Don’t you get it, little Bambi? The only reason why you’re still alive is because ofme.”
He walks closer to me with a pained, beautiful smile, closing the distance until his cold, sultry breath hits my lips like a wind of mint. My own breathing comes to a dangerous halt, blood rushing to my face. Just the ministry of his presence does this to me. It catches me off guard every time, sending me into a mess.
“Now that I know you, I despise you’re a Valkyrie. But you are.”
He closes his eyes and leans in. His gaze is intense, full of a trillion emotions with a hint of pain. He cups my cheek, leaning in for a kiss, but I don’t let him touch my lips. I pull back, and he groans.
“You scare me.”
“I would be a little worried if I didn’t.”
“Please…maybe you’re right, Hayden. Maybe you’re right about everything. But let me go.”
Let me go home. Please. You know that’s what I want.
“No.”
“Hayden.”
He smiles. His red eyes flash, and my pulse quickens. His teeth slowly graze his bottom lip, and he hovers over my neck. He pulls me to him, and I’m bracing myself for him to bite me again. Our hips are pressed together, and I feel the hardened mass of his cock straining his pants.
“Don’t we intrigue you, Millie?” he coos.
