Blood Trial Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #1) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,136
until he returned. The vampire prince sat on the couch and I shifted my gaze to him.
His hands curled to fists. “I’m trying to remain calm, Miss Tetley. You aren’t yourself and it’s tearing at my control. How can I make you feel better?”
He couldn’t.
Scratch that. “Do the blood exchange.”
“You didn’t meet with anyone today,” he asked, eyes heavy on me. “Anyone outside of this clan.”
I’d expected that to be his first suspicion downstairs. “No. I told you why I’m upset. Can you please drop it?”
His hand remained clenched, and I got the sense he wanted to destroy the entire room.
“My blood will break any compulsion on you, regardless,” he murmured. “Unless it has been placed by King Michael or my father.”
Why would his father compel me?
I stared at his white knuckles for a moment longer and just gave up the fight.
Kicking the cushions away, I crawled to the sofa edge and onto his lap. There, I curled into a ball, placed my head against the firm expanse of his chest.
His arms slowly came around me.
Cradling me, Kyros moved us deeper on the sofa. He stretched out his legs, clutching me against his body. I bunched the front of his shirt in both hands, stealing what comfort I could from being in his arms. He wasn’t the person I needed, but he satisfied something within me.
Only the bed lamps illuminated his lair and we sat in silence in the soft light and quiet. I fully relaxed against him and listened to the purr rumbling in his chest. My eyelids grew heavy at the sound.
He dragged his thumb up and down my upper arm in languid lines, and I released my legs from the tight ball I’d formed, curling them behind me atop of Kyros’s legs. My hand inched up to his shoulder, and I turned my face into his chest, inhaling deeply.
The purr came again, deeper this time.
Kyros pressed a kiss to my temple, and while part of me longed for the simple gesture, the rest of me shrivelled inside.
The door to his lair was flung open.
A shriek lodged in my throat and I wrenched upright. Kyros held me to him until I registered the row of his brothers.
“Ooo, romantic,” Gerome said, waggling his eyebrows at our position.
I exhaled and tried to slide off Kyros’s lap, tugging down my skirt at the same time. He clamped me in place.
I returned my gaze to the row of brothers. Rory was there, looking uncharacteristically subdued. The one with the shaved head was Lionel, who was in charge of the agriculture industry. Which left Neelan who, while not the tallest of the brothers, was certainly the most muscular. Unlike the others, his skin more olive than golden. The shape of his eyes showed the almond curve I expected from Clan Fyrlia.
His mother or father took a dip on the wild side at some point.
“She agreed then,” Neelan said, stalking into the room as if he didn’t quite know how to be in Kyros’s lair.
“She did,” I said with a bite.
He cast a veiled look at me and returned his attention to Kyros over my head. Hmm, had I just discovered my least favourite sibling?
“Plan?” Lionel walked to the sofa, and the others followed his lead, creating a circle around us.
I glanced up at Kyros despite myself.
“I’ll put up a fight,” he told them, green eyes on me. “I want her.”
Rory snorted. “At least you’re finally admitting it.”
Kyros didn’t acknowledge him, and Rory’s face fell.
“Why are you playing the game?” I asked, touching Kyros’s arm.
A wrinkle appeared between his brows as he glanced up at his brothers and back to me.
“Exactly.” I tilted my head to Rory, brows arched.
Amusement flickered in the depths of his gaze. Not removing his focus from my face, Kyros extended his hand to his brother.
Rory cast me a look as he took it.
They shook hands.
Fuck me. I was sorting out Vissimo quarrels now.
One mess down. Time to fix another.
I removed my blue cardigan. The white two-piece outfit wasn’t ideal for the occasion. The crop top was sleeveless with a collar that fastened tight around my neck. The tulip skirt was tight at the waist and extended to mid-thigh.
Lionel smirked at me. “You’re keen.”
I didn’t have the energy to form a witty quip. His smile faded when I didn’t answer.
“What happened to her?” he demanded.
The vampire beneath me stiffened.
“None of your business,” I forced myself to reply before Kyros could. “I have a request.”