“Would you like me to take your mind off it?” Blade said, pushing the shoestring strap of my top down my shoulder. “I can make you think of other things.”
I shook my head, and he slid my strap back in place, taking his long, warm fingers up my neck, around the base of my jaw and over my chest, right between my br**sts. I felt myself go hot—hotter than I should for another man’s touch—and quickly dismissed it as fear.
“You are so lovely and warm.” He pressed his hand more firmly to my chest. “I can feel your heart beating. It feels too fast.”
“It is.” I swallowed, looking at his neck—at the pulsing vein.
“Are you afraid of the pain—the burning?”
I nodded.
“Then hurt me.” He grabbed my hand and positioned it around his throat. “Hurt me while I hurt you—make me feel your pain.”
With a deep, shaky breath, I closed my eyes and wet my lips. One bite, that's all, just one and it will be over.
“Wait?” Blade pulled back. “Not there. If you bite me on the neck, you have to do that with the others—it’s too intimate.”
“You're right. I didn’t even think of that.”
“You can bite me here.” Blade studied my lips carefully, his breath coming through his own with the hope of touching mine, I could feel it, and he slowly pressed his wrist to my mouth…
“So? What do you think?” Mike asked.
“Oh. I, uh—” I blinked a few times and set my coffee cup down.
“Ara? Were you even listening to me?”
“Sorry, Mike. I kind of got a little lost.”
He shook his head and groaned. “Not much has changed, really, has it?”
I shrank into myself, smiling sheepishly.
“In a strange way, though, baby, that’s kind of comforting to know.” He winked and handed me a plate of toast. “What I was saying is, I thought I might film the coronation for David—that way he won’t miss out.”
“Really? That's a great idea, Mike.”
“I know.” He winked at me. “So? You nervous yet?”
“Nope.”
“Liar.” He grinned and sipped his coffee.
“Chief!”
I jumped out of my skin when Ryder burst through my bedroom door.
“Ryder, what’s up?” Mike dumped his cup on my nightstand as he stood.
“Orion detected a vampire—“ Blade said, charging straight to the window. “Somewhere on the border of the manor.”
“Falcon was on it though, Chief.” Ryder came back in from my bathroom and started checking behind my curtains, then dropped to his knees to look under my bed. “He ran before the alarm even sounded.”
“What, he knew?” Mike turned to face Ryder, who stood, satisfied there were no Bogey Men under my bed.
“Dunno, Chief. He just started running. Didn't have time to ask.”
Mike pulled the curtain across with his fingertip and peered outside. “Right. Come on.”
Ryder and Mike fled my chambers, leaving me, half frozen with shock, alone with Blade.
“It’s okay, Your Majesty. They’ll catch him.” Blade stood by my bed and looked down at me, a lustful grin shifting the concern from his eyes.
My mouth dropped open a little, a silent huff carrying my insult; I covered my slinky summer nightdress with my sheet and scowled at him. Somewhere outside, an alarm was ringing, pulsing and howling for all to exercise caution; I could hear the chaos and confusion of the House and guests all over the manor. But in my room it was calm; just Blade and I, and my barely-covered body. “Do you think it’s an attack?”
Blade shook his head and sat down on the bed next to me. “Doubt it.”
“Well, what will they do to the vampire if they catch him?”
“Depends what he's doing here. If he’s here to kill you, they’ll rip him apart—if not, they’ll just smash him up good and bring him to you for questioning.” He laughed. “Let’s hope it’s no one we know, or they’ll get a bit of a bloody greeting.”
I covered my mouth, suddenly realising the vampire sneaking onto the property could be David.
“Stop worrying.” Blade patted my leg. “I’ll stay here—protect you.”
“Not sitting there, you won't.” Mike waltzed in and closed the door.
Blade stood tall, his arms by his sides.
“Mike?” I threw my covers back, happy Blade had distanced himself, and ran over to Mike. “Did they catch him—the vampire?”
He grinned. “Yeah. They got him. No time wasted with my knights, Ara. Got him good, too. Heard he’s lookin’ pretty bad.”
“Mike?” My eyes met his. I needed him to read my mind right now. If that vampire was David, we had a conspiracy to cover up. “It wasn't…?” But I couldn’t say it. Not with Blade in the room.
“What?” Mike looked at me, totally confused.
Erg! So much for higher intelligence. He could practically read my mind any other time, why not now? “It wasn't my old weapons instructor, was it?”
It took him a moment, but then his eyes widened and he shrunk back. “Oh, shit. I dunno. I—”
“What?” Blade placed a hand between Mike and I, forcing us apart. “What are you talking about?”
“David,” Mike said.
“Mike?”
“It’s all right, Ara—he knows,” Mike said.
“He does?”
“Yeah,” Blade said, grinning. “Mike told us all yesterday, while you were being tortured by mystical-woman-with-long-stories.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were telling them?”
“Come on.” Mike grabbed my wrist. “No time for this now. We need to get down to the Throne Room. If that's David, we gotta conceal it quickly.”
“Never mind that,” I screeched. “Blade said the knights will rough him up pretty bad. He could be really hurt.”
“Ara, that is the least of our problems,” Mike said, dragging me—nightdress and all—to the corridor.
We burst through the Throne Room doors and Mike threw the curtain aside, dragging me past the back of the big gold chair to the edge of the landing it was perched on.
Blade leaped onto the balcony at the back of the room, and Quaid flung open the double doors leading out to the forest.
“See anything yet, Blade?” Mike called.
“No, sir. Just trees’n’shit.”