Page 27 of Bite The Power That Feeds

“Some of your people tried to kill you, not all. Others still follow you. Others respect you for speaking the truth. You’ve killed your enemies, and now you stand tall. Show them that Queen Clara can’t be stopped by blades and fire. This is your chance to show your strength and remind people why you’re the one on the throne.”

After a couple breaths, I let the sadness disappear. There was no time for self-pity. No time for doubt. “We’ll leave for the obelisk at first light. But truthfully, I have no idea how to destroy it. It’s made of solid stone.”

“Viper has explosives.”

I turned to him. “And why has Viper brought explosives into our forest?”

“He always has them on hand, just in case we come across an obstacle we can’t cross or we need to block the path of an oncoming enemy. Nothing personal.”

After they’d defended me against my own people, they were nothing but trustworthy, so I let it go.

“How long is this trek?”

“My father and I made it there and back in a single day. But it will take us longer because I don’t know the path as well as he did. I know the general route, know what markers to search for, but there will definitely be some mishaps along the way.”

He gave a nod. “Then we may need to put this trek on hold.”

“Why?”

His eyes avoided mine for a moment. “We didn’t anticipate our stay lasting so long, and it’s been a while since we’ve eaten.”

My heart dropped into my stomach. I’d never seen him feed, so it was easy to forget that he was a vampire who feasted on the life-force of others. His fangs were never visible, and other than the paleness of his skin, it was hard to tell that he was undead.

“We’ll honor your rules and fulfill our needs outside the forest.”

“How long will this take?”

“A couple days, probably.”

“And…you’ll just grab someone and take what you want?”

“That’s not really how it works.”

“Then how does it work?” I asked.

His eyes faded, like the question was unwelcome. “It’s offered freely.”

“And why would someone just do that?”

He looked away for a moment. “You’re asking questions when you don’t want the answers. So let’s just leave this conversation unsaid.”

Enthusiasts lived everywhere, obsessed with vampires, the beautiful, immortal beings. Most humans worshipped us, but many worshipped them too. “So you find a pretty girl who wants you and lets you go to town?”

He shifted his weight but held my eyes all the while. “Your heart is racing so damn fast…”

In embarrassment, I looked away.

“Not because you’re excited. Not because you’re nervous. But because you’re angry. So damn angry. So drop the conversation.”

“Why don’t you feed from a man—”

“Because I’m not going to.” His voice was clipped and hard. It held no room for negotiation. “I feed, and then I leave. There will be nothing else, Clara. I’ve been faithful to you since the moment I laid eyes on you. You’re mine now, and I’m not going to fuck that up with a lesser woman—”

“Why haven’t you asked to feed on me?”

He stilled at the question.

All the jealousy and anger made my tone change, made it deepen.