Blood Trial Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers #1) - Kelly St. Clare Page 0,98
our plates were exchanged for the main and the two women disappeared once more.
Mmm, Khao Soi.
“What doesn’t?” Kyros asked.
“You’re gorgeous. It can’t be hard for you to find partners. Don’t you have a harem?”
He frowned. “Who told you about that? And no. I don’t care for harems.”
My blonde braid slithered over my shoulder, and I tilted my head. His gaze followed its swing. I searched his face, rooting for the reason behind that confession. What man didn’t want a harem? Or woman for that matter. “Because of the uncertainty surrounding your birth?”
Kyros glanced up from his Tom Yum. “Correct. Well done.”
“Gee, thanks, boss.” I settled into my curry, slurping back a mouthful of soup and crunchy noodles.
He settled into his shrimp Tom Yum. It smelled really good.
Dammit.
“Am I allowed to leave the tower whenever I want?” I asked before I forgot.
“As long as you’re safe. I’d prefer that you not go out at night without a guard.”
I was allowed out during the day without a guard when I wasn’t driving? Good to know.
“Is that something you ask of all your employees?” I said after swallowing another mouthful.
“Most of my other employees can protect themselves.”
I thought of his fangs and shuddered. “Yeah, I bet. Is Laurel really powerful?”
He didn’t blink at the subject change. “It’s considered rude to divulge that information about another Vissimo. You’ll need to ask her yourself.”
That wasn’t our deal, but I let it slide. “Being able to mute means someone is more powerful, yes?”
“It does.” He pulled the tail off a shrimp.
Aside from when Kyros drank from me, I’d never seen him or any vampire drink blood. “Where does your blood source come from? You can’t have a blood compulsion over enough humans to sustain the whole population, can you? Everyone would know.”
“When it comes to blood, the clans have treaties. Most of our workers alternate feeding days at blood banks.”
At the blood banks.
I thought back to when I’d donated for the grocery voucher. “Oh my god. The tubes go into the wall. Are you telling me there was a Vissimo sitting on the other side drinking my blood?”
Kyros stilled, lowering his spoon. “You’ve donated blood?”
I pulled a face at the memory. “Last week.”
His fingers curled around the spoon, and I watched as the metal crumpled. He crushed it into a ball and rested it on the table.
Shit.
“So the possessiveness.” I licked my lips. “I don’t know if it’s a Vissimo thing, an alpha thing, a blood-compulsion thing, or a Kyros really wants in my shorts thing. Maybe a mixture. And I need to know.”
His eyes blazed.
“I’ll give you a moment to rein in your control.” I returned to my curry and didn’t look up again until I’d polished off every bit of the spicy tofu and chicken drumstick goodness.
Kyros was watching my mouth when I did.
“Spill,” I said, wiping my lips with the napkin.
“I don’t know what it is,” he said, glancing away.
I leaned over the table. “Bullshit! You just don’t want to tell me. I’m the one you’re sniffing around, Kyros. I deserve to know.”
“I am telling you the truth, Miss Tetley. And I’m not sniffing around you. I’m unsure what’s going on. Vissimo don’t usually feel attracted to humans. I can only say that I want the urge to go away as much as you do.”
I blew out a breath, passing over my used spoon so he could resume eating since he’d destroyed his. “That’s some reassurance at least.”
A growl slipped between his teeth.
Eyes narrowed, I jerked the spoon back. “You’re not going to crush this one, too, are you?”
“It’s always possible around you.”
Yeah, yeah. I was annoying. Whatever.
I passed the cutlery over. “It’s got my germs on it.”
“We’re past that now, Miss Tetley,” he purred.
Mmm. That sound did things to me.
I tossed my braid back. “Why don’t vampires and humans mix?”
“Our species cannot have children together, and children are the priority of most Vissimo. Added to that, you’ve experienced what it is to be in my presence when I lose control. Such fear can kill humans. To be with a human, whether sexually or more, is akin to a dog constantly cornering a rabbit. We can never be sure when the human’s heart will stop.”
Shit. Tell it like it is. I’d been a monkey and a mouse, why not a rabbit too? “I’m a rabbit then?”
“You’re not. What you are is a surprise. A beautiful, hurt, and complex surprise.”
I wasn’t prepared to hear a compliment from his lips. Uncertainty flickered within me and