Kane grows annoyed with my silence and storms out of the room. I take my time cleaning up and dressing into something I packed in my bags. The flowy, clingy fabric of my gown is quite comfortable despite how sheer the fabric is. I pin the front of my hair back to frame my face and leave my waves loose about my shoulders.
The natural blush of my cheeks looks healthy in the candlelight. I exit our bedchamber and head toward the sound of pleasant conversation. Kane looks up and the room goes quiet. Every pair of eyes turns to stare as I walk toward him. He sends a threatening glare to the man beside him and I take a seat without needing his commands or expectations. I sit because I wish to and not because I am invited to do so. Elluine smiles kindly, but I can’t bring myself to return the gesture. I reach for the goblet beside the fresh plate of meats, cheeses, and crusted breads. The sweetness of the wine is surprising, but I down half the contents before Kane has time to stop me. He shakes his head and mumbles something I can’t hear.
A wonderful warmth spreads through my belly.
Willem joins the others in conversation as a nymph plops down into his lap. He smiles and trails a finger along her impressive cleavage. I finish the wine in my goblet and pick at the food on my plate, licking my fingers clean. A pair of black eyes follow the path of my tongue and I giggle drunkenly, leaning against Kane. “Do you think she’s pretty?”
“Who?” he asks quietly.
“Elluine, silly.”
“Briar, I think you’ve had enough to drink. The wine has vampire venom in it. How much did you drink?” His hand lays flat against my forehead. My skin feels like it’s burning.
“All of it,” I laugh with a hiccup.
“All of it!” Kane stands and yanks me against his chest. He wraps an arm around my waist and holds me up as he all but carries me back to the room.
“Do you find Elluine pretty?” I ask again, this time an irritation in drunken mumbles.
“No. Why would you ask that?” he grumbles.
“She’s beautiful. Like the way Lilith is beautiful.” I feel him pull me through the door of our room. He lays me on the bed, but I lock my arms around his neck. “Kiss me, Kane. Make me feel like I’m beautiful. I want to know what it feels like.”
I curse myself as tears begin to fall from my eyes, slithering down the side of my face before disappearing into my hairline.
“You are beautiful.” Kane’s lips are on mine before I can call him a liar. Because he is. He’s a liar. He thinks Elluine is pretty. I’m not beautiful, not in the way they are. Not the way Rose and Delphine are. I’m just Briar. The taste of Kane blocks the rest of my thoughts from ruining the moment. His thumbs swipe my tears away and his tongue tickles the roof of my mouth.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispers against my lips.
“You’re my soul, Kane. Or I’m yours...I don’t know.”
He pulls back. “What are you talking about?”
“I feel like I’m not me. Well, not all the time. Sometimes I feel like I’m you. Or like I’m part of you and you’re part of me.” I feel myself babbling, but Kane kisses me quiet.
Chapter 10
Kane
I awaken to the sensation of Briar’s arms holding me tightly. The warm puff of her breath against my neck causes me to shudder. Tiny hands trace patterns on my chest and I smile in the darkness of our room. Her nose scrunches in her sleep. I place a kiss on her forehead and wonder what dream has her looking so disgruntled. Her drunken confessions and slew of questions still rattle about my brain.
Briar’s confusion is potent and I feel like a traitor. She can feel the bond as strongly as I can if not more due to her untapped powers. The way she describes it, like our souls are melded together, is accurate. She feels like she’s part of me and like I’m part of her, two halves of one soul, and in many ways, I think I would feel this way if we weren’t bound by blood. But it’s still too early to tell where this path will lead us. Briar’s beauty and her intelligence intrigue me, but is it enough? I can no longer lie to myself about feeling something for her.
Just one look into those steel grey eyes causes a wild wind to stir in my chest.
I’m to the point where I can’t handle the look of disappointment from her any longer. The thought of seeing the same amount of hatred in her eyes as when she called me a demon makes me want to never leave this room. I deserve all of her hatred and more. Though the circumstances that led to her harsh feelings has little to do with me in general, I still feel responsible for her emotions. The small acts of kindness I’ve shown her over the past few days isn’t enough to erase the bad memories or the nightmares caused by my stupidity.
But I can’t tell her about the bond, not when she can barely wrap her mind around the fact that what Lilith and I have -or had- is purely platonic. Lilith loves with teeth and claws, harsh fucking that leaves her lovers feeling bereft of any emotions at all. With Briar, it’s different. We’ve been intimate, but I won’t claim her until we’re both certain it’s what we want. Though the the memory of her lips on mine causes my erection to swell with interest, I can’t allow us to take it that far. Even marking her with my fangs is something I only dare to do in dreams.
Briar’s insecurities are not unfounded, though. I see the way she stares at the exotically beautiful vampire women.
