Page 79 of The Sins That Bleed
It makes the world around it appear warmer.
“Thank you,” I say to the waitress who places a glass of blood-red wine on the table in front of me.
I’ve been seated with my back to the room, in an attempt to make me feel vulnerable, tucked away at a table in the back of the restaurant as I wait for Alaric to bless me with his presence. It’s the oldest trick in the book to make someone sweat. Unfortunately for him, it’s not going to work.
Arachne is my eyes as she stares out across the restaurant from her hidden corner, and I spot the exact moment Alaric walks in, flanked by his men, in addition to the ones already standing to each side of the table. I fight a smile at the display.
Fucking men.
A hand caresses my exposed shoulder, fingers tracing the outline where there is no material to intercept it. My hair ispulled into an intricate updo with a few loose curls to frame my face and give an air of perfection.
His hand is cold.
I don’t flinch, ignoring the urge to remove his hand and break every bone in it. His fingers slide over the edge of my shoulder to the fabric draped at my upper arms, then going up the side of my neck when the owner of that hand leans in close and whispers in my ear. My mind whirls as it slots the realisation into place, this situation just became so much more dangerous.
Fuck, how did I miss this? How did nobody else notice?
I use my heightened sense to assess him without moving an inch. He’s drenched himself in cologne. A sharp and cloying scent that is trying to be powerful but is actually so pungent, it makes me want to gag. A barrage of dark memories threatens to consume me and I fight like hell to stay in the present moment.
He smells exactly like Kian, my dead husband.
“At last, we finally meetLilith.”
His voice threatens to wrap itself around me, overly sweet and seductive like I’m a prize to be won. I guess to him I am, but I’ll never be someone else’s pet ever again—a vow I made to myself long ago.
“I’m so pleased you decided to join me this evening, dear.” Alaric drops a kiss to my shoulder and it makes me feel dirty.
He takes his seat opposite me, a cosy two-seater intimate enough he can reach across the table and hold my hand like lovers would. He picks up his wine, I notice his hand not much bigger than mine, and holds it in front of him. I watch him closely, trying to gauge if he is nervous or stupid, my ears strain to catch the rhythm of his heartbeat to disprove what I’d already suspected.
He doesn’t have one,fuck.
“To us, to my future wife and our empire that will be written in the history books.”
I let his hand hang there for a second too long before picking up my wine and clinking it with his.
Alaric is avampire.
This is so much worse than I thought, but I hold his gaze and tip my lips up, nothing about me betraying my thoughts, but if I had a heart, it would be thundering inside my chest at this revelation.
“To us, long may we reign,” I purr before clinking our glasses together.
I place the glass to my lips, careful to not actually let any of the liquid in as I pretend to sip it. Alaric watches me intently and it convinces me further that the wine is laced with something.
My mind slots the pieces in place, rearranging everything that has happened since I started pushing Alaric’s buttons. I put everyone I love and care about in danger, their lives at such unnecessary risk because I didn’t take care of it myself.
A pit forms in my stomach,Zyon, I haven’t heard from him for over a week, and I can only hope he and Lorelai have gone underground. I should have never sent them to Alaric’s compound with so little back up.
“Honestly, I didn’t think you’d agree to this meeting, let alone the arrangement. You have a reputation for being fierce and cutthroat, I guess you’ll make for a good wife since you’ve proven you can relent and care about others. You’re more beautiful than those pictures I have of you, so wickedly tempting, I’m going to enjoy taking you to bed tonight.” He licks his lips and I suppress the urge to hurl before ripping him apart with my hands.
He continues, unperturbed. “I’ve touched myself to your photos more times than I can count. No wonder you have men falling at your feet. I bet that cunt of yours is divine and will be worth the torture I have endured.”
I refuse to let his words make me nauseous.
He’s not an unattractive man with his grey eyes and chiselled face, his slim build dressed in luxury materials, but there’s an edge to him. His slicked-back hair has a touch too much oil in it and his eyes, even with the coloured contacts, there’s a manic look to them that has me on high alert.
“How could I refuse such a handsome man’s hand in marriage? Running an empire can be so lonely, and seeing what you’ve done with yours, I can only imagine what you can do with mine folded in. Besides, fooling around with others is fun, but they don’t know what it takes to be successful in business. But you, you’d be the perfect partner, in business and in bed.”
I bite my lip, careful not to expose a fang. “I picked this dress out especially for you, do you like it?”
