People grouped up with him, accepting it was his show, and worked together to survive. He had kept them all safe when so many others died, and with his system of keeping people arriving in quarantine—which was how the other fences had also started—they were over a million strong, surviving as best as they could.
Except things change and people were starting to forget all he had done and were focused on what they didn’t have. People were tired of surviving and wanted to live, and unfortunately, they had too many groups that would pick completely different paths of how.
“In other words, you’re maybe a few weeks from a coup,” James said bluntly when he was done. “Assuming one isn’t already in the works as people will always think they can do better once they take over without any idea of how to do that. It normally leads to the settlement falling apart.”
“So we’ve heard,” Chris sighed. “We’re not open like other settlements that have stuff to trade, and that random truck now and again between them is armed to the teeth for driving overnight. It was one thing to have a melting pot when it was surviving and we were doing better than others, but now we’re almost out of food. Honestly, I think it’s not happened because we’re so low on ammo.”
“Oh great, and we just gave them miniguns,” Tyson worried. “You’re not going back in there, Chris. I lost you once and I won’t—please don’t make me risk you again.”
“There are a lot of good, innocent people in there, Ty,” he said gently. “I can’t just walk away from them either.”
“No one’s saying that, but how to handle it isn’t easy,” I interjected.
“I might have part of the solution, but I would like to speak in private first, please, Princess,” Petre said.
“Alright,” I agreed after studying his pretty hazel eyes. He was very sure it was something I needed to know and would like.
And he was worried to tell me.
We went back to my tower but only the first floor. I realized we weren’t alone as my nobles came with understanding something was going on.
“I know this is out of line, but I would ask for a kiss before I tell you,” he told me quietly, his eyes full of too much to sort through. “I’ve not hid my interest for you and I need to see if there is any sort of spark. I beg your indulgence on this as it’s hard—”
“It’s his gift,” Kristof surmised, and I nodded, having picked up on that as well. “You’ve smelled her blood. Did it sing to you?”
“Yes, and she does, but that could be one sided,” he answered, his eyes never leaving mine. “I know you have been through too much, and I would wait patiently forever for you to look my way if I knew you would want to look my way.”
I nodded I understood. We’d about locked me away during my last period since there was a whole new coven of too much and even from before them with Tian, Moon, and Sisay. Basically, it seemed the smart play given how crazy strangers could react. That was also why I thought having guests during that time insane, but I understood it was a powerful statement.
The dangerous ones normally were.
But he hadn’t been around me then, so it was only what he’d sniffed when others bit me. That wasn’t the same.
I bit my finger and ran it along his neck. My heart raced as my nipples pebbled and I got wet at his reaction. It was intense, the gentle and kind Petre giving me a look that was anything but and definitely included gobbling me up.
I took his hand and brought it to my mouth. I shook my head when the other objected. “Just a drop.” That was all I took, his nostrils flaring when I poked my fang into his skin and licked the one drop off my fang.
It was quite the ride and two drops might have knocked me out, his blood was so powerful. I did want more but it was too much, I knew that.
“Are you hard for me?” I panted, knowing my eyes were just as glazed over as his.
“Yes. Are you wet for me?”
“Oh yeah,” I moaned, seconds from getting naked and begging him for everything fun. “Anyone object?”
I about thanked my lucky stars when they all agreed. I reached up and ran my fingers through his dark, gelled curls that always seem to hang wherever was sexiest. Cerdic had tight, unruly ones, but Petre had larger ones with their own attitude that knew they helped make him hotter.
He was taller than me, six feet about, and filled in, but not too bulky. Muscular for sure. The coven referred to him as a Greek god in a jesting way, but I understood why. Especially after seeing him in only swim shorts when we went to the beach.
He lowered his head slowly, giving me time to change my mind, but I didn’t, wanting to feel his lips against mine. It was gentle and sweet, but it wasn’t a quick kiss, longer than any first kiss I’d had and growing in intensity fast.
“Sparks?” he breathed when he pulled away slightly. “What do you feel, Princess?”
“That you will be mine,” I admitted. I’d felt the same with Branko and Moon, and while I’d hit the brakes on all of that, it was how I felt. Sisay was more friends, like Eddie—or to me, at least—and Tian didn’t like me.
Vitor was maybe interested, but he scared the shit out of me in a way I didn’t think I’d get over or risk getting involved with. But Branko, Moon, and now Petre, I wanted as mine.
