Page 53 of Fated to the Vampire Prince
“Yes, Your Grace. I’m ready.”
Chapter 25
Regarder
CLAIRE
Ten applicants filed into the room, all wearing long, silky black robes with hoods that shadowed their eyes. They formed a straight line in front of me, and I tried my best not to fidget or appear nervous as Bastien closed the door.
His attention never strayed from me as he made his way to my side, brows furrowed and jaw set. He opened our connection, sliding inside my thoughts.“Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely.”My smile widened until my cheeks hurt, and Bastien finally relented, addressing our guests.
“You have the pleasure of meeting Miss Donadieu, my new sanguine partner.”
“Your Grace,” I said, setting a patronizing hand on his arm, “thank you for the kind introduction, but there’s no need for such formalities with me. I’d prefer for them to call me Claire.”
The muscles in his jaw ticked and irritation curled up one side of his mouth. My attempt at warmth clearly annoyed him. Bastien was incredibly handsome when annoyed.
“I’d like you to know a little about me before accepting an offer. I’m twenty-five years old, and I have very little experience when it comes to intimacy.” I paused, heat flaming everywhere. “However, despite my lack of experience,” I glanced at Bastien, “I am eager to learn.”
He looked like he’d been stabbed. Like he was ready to send them all away. But, instead, he continued with his duty. “I have found Miss Donadieu to be stubborn and hard-headed. However, she is incredibly smart and is a lovely conversationalist. She also has an interest in gardening and books.”
Coming from him, I took that as a compliment.
“Starting on the left,” he continued, “if you would be good enough to remove your hood and state your name, we’ll begin.”
My chest tightened as my gaze wandered to the line of hopefuls. I did my best not to let my nerves show, fisting my hands into the folds of my skirt to keep them from shaking.
Again, Bastien canted his head in my direction, as if to ask if I’d had my fill of this spectacle so he could send them away. And again, despite my anxieties, I smiled pleasantly back at him like I was completely fine.
The first applicant removed her hood, revealing hair as white as Seraphina’s that fell down her back in a long braid.
I had to swallow a gasp. Why was a Witch of the Light in Bastien’s castle? Was she a spy?
“My name is Tansy,” she told me in a cheeky voice.
She undid the sash on her robe, and the folds opened just enough to reveal her slight muscular frame, the swell of her small breasts, and the soft v between her thighs. Her skin was a beautiful shade of brown.
I wondered what coven she was from but held my tongue. There’d be time for questions later, away from Bastien. I knewwithout a doubt she needed to be one of my consorts, if just for companionship. Besides, it would be nice to have someone who reminded me of home.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.
“It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Next!” Bastien called. I got the sense he was trying to hurry this along.
The tall man beside Tansy slowly untied the sash of his robe, allowing the folds to open until his well-honed chest was visible, as well as… My eyes widened, and my cheeks flamed with embarrassment.By Diana. The hard length of flesh between his legs waspointingat me, which wasn’t half as concerning as what I saw when he lowered his hood. His hair was as red as the flames crackling in the hearth. He was a Witch of the Darkness. And he was standing in my room.Naked.
He didn’t have a wand on him, at least not one I could see, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. I moved closer to Bastien.
“I’m Devlinn, Miss Claire. It’s good to meet you.”
“Yes, we can all see that. Thank you,Devlinn,” Bastien said through his teeth.
I was still trying to process how in Diana’s name a Dark Witch had come to be here, when I caught the slightest smirk twisted around the vampire’s lips.This was his doing.He knew I would never take a Dark Witch to bed. I didn’t find his little joke funny in the least.
Bastien could tell I was flustered, and his gaze returned to mine, a question in his pale blue eyes.“Have you had enough yet?”
