Page 80 of Love Bites
Wouldn't that be sweet? If Zenon's arrogance would finally be his downfall.
"I've been doing fine," Talon said, making himself smile. "Thank you for asking."
"It's come to my attention that you make a lot of trips out of town."
"I'm taking care not to let my trips interfere with my work," Talon assured his sire, hoping that would be all he wanted to hear. After all, he hadn't given Zenon any reason to care what Talon did during his off time as long as he still completed all his jobs.
"Is that so?" Zenon propped his elbows on the desk and laced his fingers together. As he spoke, his fangs seemed to glint even in the low light of the room. "Tell me, what are you doing during those trips?"
"I've taken a human lover," Talon said, keeping his face as blank as he could, which was hard to do when he was thinking of Collin.
Collin who he loved more than anything.
Collin who might still be mad at him.
"A human lover?" Zenon raised one of his eyebrows as if this was news to him, but Talon had known the vampire lord long enough to know when he was faking an emotion. Zenon wasn't surprised in the least. Someone had already told him that Talon was seeing a human.
Even though Talon kept his expression neutral, his stomach churned. If Zenon already knew about Collin, then he might knoweverything.
Which meant that Talon might be the one running into a trap, not Zenon.
Which also meant that his only chance to act wasnow.It was all or nothing.
In a flash, he pulled his stake, jumped to his feet, rounded the desk and was at Zenon's side, aiming the stake at his chest. If Zenon had been anyone but a vampire lord, he wouldn't even have seen his own end coming, Talon moved so fast. But Zenonwasa vampire lord, and he managed to grab Talon's wrist before his weapon could hit home.
"You would betray me, child?" He asked, looking into Talon's eyes. "Sit down."
Talon felt the weight of the command as every part of him that was vampiric wanted to obey, but he fought it off, remaining right where he was—and what a triumphant feeling that was. If the situation hadn't been so dire, he might even have smiled. "I'm not your slave anymore."
"Are you not? I would reconsider that stance if I were you." Zenon gave him a cruel smile, even as Talon managed to free his wrist from Zenon's grip and readied himself to finally plunge the stake into Zenon's heart.
Before he could, though, the door to the throne room opened.
Talon's eyes darted to the newcomers and spotted Aldrich—Aldrich and Collin.
Aldrich had Collin's limp body slung over his shoulder, but Talon would recognize that backside anywhere. "Collin!" he called out before he could help himself.
"He's only sleeping," Aldrich said. "He's fine. I'm... sorry." Aldrich snapped his fingers, dispelling one of his famous glamour charms that he must have cast on himself. Barely healed bloody gashes revealed themselves on his face. Talon had no doubt what had caused them. He cast his gaze aside, knowing that everything was lost.
He couldn't attack Zenon if it meant risking Collin. It didn't matter what Aldrich wanted, if Zenon ordered him to kill Collin, he would.
Talon exhaled and let his stake sink to his side.
It was over.
He'd failed worse than he'd ever thought he could.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Iwoke up feeling sick, hanging over someone's shoulder. What the hell?
"Collin?" Aldrich's voice.
Memories came rushing back to me. Aldrich had kidnapped me! I pounded his back with my fists. "Let me down, you asshole!"
"Sheesh, just wanted to make sure you're actually up first." He set me down. I glared at him, then stopped. He lookedawful.What had happened? How long had I been out? I whirled around to take in the rest of the room, the movement making me feel a little dizzy.
My eyes landed on Talon, but also on the vampire next to him. Zenon. I recognized him. He didn't look much different from the way he had in Talon's memories.
