Page 17 of Blood Day (Blood Alliance #7)

Cedric

My wrist buzzed as I entered the kitchen closest to my quarters. I glanced down to find a message from Silvano scrolling across my watch.

Of course .

It was like he’d sensed my temporary bout of pleasure and decided to kill it with a summons.

Rolling my eyes, I dismissed the message and started rummaging for food. I’d respond to his request in a day or two. Maybe three.

Not that it would help anything.

The tone of his reply implied he was running out of patience.

Blood Day isn’t acceptable timing. Call me. —S

The words ran through my head a few times as I pulled some ingredients from the refrigerator.

Silvano didn’t typically issue edicts, but when he did, they were serious.

Deadly so. If and when he demanded I accept the sovereign position, I wouldn’t have a choice.

Then I’d be forced to truly embrace this new world .

The university provided a healthy introduction to our reformed society.

And while I didn’t enjoy it, I could ignore a lot of what was happening outside of the university walls.

Being a sovereign meant I could no longer fake the part. I would have to embrace it in full. To do otherwise would be dangerous. Those who refused to assimilate were either ousted or killed.

Those like Cam, the eldest of my kind who’d chosen to fight Lilith. He’d died.

As had all his followers.

And the new world had been born.

A world where Lily wilted more and more every day because humans were no longer allowed to bloom.

I stared down at the items on the counter, frowning at my options. They were my preferred snacks—cheese, deli meats, and a bit of jam. Far more decadent than the meal she’d eaten the other night.

Which meant these items would likely make her sick. Or worse, improve her tastes.

I couldn’t torture her in that way. It wasn’t fair or kind.

But I didn’t have anything else in this kitchen to offer her.

So I pressed a button on the wall that I rarely ever used. A feminine voice came through a mere second later. “Yes, Sire?” The human slaves at this estate were always waiting for my requests, despite the fact that I barely called upon them.

“I need a human-appropriate meal,” I told the girl. “Something with steamed vegetables, lean meat like chicken or turkey, a potato or some rice, and fruit as a dessert. Preferably strawberries, if we have them.”

“Of course, Sire,” she replied without missing a beat .

“Please have it delivered to my quarters,” I added, putting the food away. “I’ll meet you up there.”

“Y-yes, Sire,” she stammered, likely misinterpreting my need for her to deliver the food.

I didn’t bother to correct her assumptions. She’d understand the purpose of the food as soon as she saw Lily and the puncture wounds in her slender neck.

I’d taken more blood than I should have from her, but her sweet scent had made me so damn hungry. I’d wanted to devour her in full while thrusting my cock deep inside her.

Alas, I’d held back.

I wanted her to beg me first, to truly want my touch before I gave it to her.

Of course, I’d done the opposite today.

However, I’d read the cues from her body and had reacted accordingly. She’d relaxed in response, her pleasure warming her very soul.

And enticing my predator that much more.

I hadn’t been able to resist her throbbing pulse, so I’d bitten her. I wouldn’t apologize for it, as I didn’t want to lie. Just as I wouldn’t promise not to do it again. Because I very much intended to sink my teeth into her naked flesh as many times as I could over the next few months.

Hence the need for her meal.

Lily would need her strength to survive my enhanced cravings. I might not have required much blood to thrive in this world, but that didn’t mean I’d stop myself from indulging in her sweet taste.

She was a rarity. A treasure. A beacon of sunshine in a world of darkness. And I wanted her. So I would have her.

Did that make me a monster? To her, probably. But maybe she would understand my reasons in the end.

I’d try to help her .

I’d worship her, too.

If she desired more pleasure, I’d give it to her with my tongue and body for as long as she required. I’d feed her. Bathe her. Give her the resources she needed to thrive.

For as long as this world allowed.

Maybe I would request that the university let me retain her for private lessons. It’d be a good way to keep her safe for her remaining months. Then I could fail her in the end, and her resulting death would be quick.

Perhaps they would even give me the honor of drinking her dry.

It’d be the kindest gift I could offer her in this world, even if she hated me for it. But I’d embrace that hatred over her pain.

That was the lesson I’d learned last night—that I could not stand to see her hurting.

It was why I’d reacted in a rash manner and brought her back here to heal her. I hadn’t been able to handle her agony. I’d been irrationally inclined to save her myself.

Because she was mine.

I wanted her to leave this world on my terms, not those set by our society. Because the very thought of her torment killed me inside. She didn’t deserve any of it. None of the humans really did.

But something about Lily made me even more displeased with the situation. I wanted to steal her away and hide with her for eternity.

A completely ridiculous fantasy, but one I idly entertained even as I ascended the stairs toward my quarters.

I’d grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, just in case the servant didn’t bring any with the meal.

It would take her maybe thirty minutes to prepare as well, and Lily likely needed a refreshment now.

My suspicions were confirmed as I entered my room to find her leaning against the headboard of my bed, still wrapped up in her towel. She appeared dazed, her skin pale, her eyes a light green rather than that blue-green shade.

I’d definitely taken too much blood from her. And she was suffering despite the healthy dose of my own essence last night. Perhaps because she’d used most of my supernatural energy to heal her other injuries.

I set the bottles down on the nightstand and joined her in the bed. She glanced at my bare abdomen and gray pajama bottoms and then up at my face.

I caught her cheek with my palm, then leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips. She shivered in response, her skin clammy beneath my hand.

Maybe I should rethink that apology , I thought.

She was too fragile for the amount of blood I’d taken from her, something I blamed society for more than myself. Had she been on a proper food regimen, she’d be fine right now. Alas, my little flower had been marked as a petite delicacy, one likely destined to be destroyed in a royal harem.

A lycan would break her immediately.

As would most vampires.

I would do my best not to follow suit, something I told her without words as I sliced my tongue along one of my canines and slipped it into her mouth.

She jolted in surprise, her eyes widening as I deepened our kiss by feeding her my blood.

My palm slid to her neck, my thumb drawing a line down her throat as a silent demand for her to swallow.

She obeyed.

I fed her more, giving her the essence that would help her heal and make her light-headed with immortality.

So forbidden .

So taboo.

So dangerous.

She wasn’t the only one who could be punished for this. Although, I’d just say I’d wanted to keep my toy alive a little longer. Silvano would forgive it with a smirk, then either see how much her strengthened form could take before breaking or kill her outright.

Both outcomes irritated me, something I accidentally conveyed through my hand against Lily’s throat. She flinched in response, and I immediately loosened my grasp.

“So delicate, my flower,” I whispered, pressing my forehead to hers. “I don’t mean to hurt you.”

It was the closest I could come to an apology, the words meant more as an explanation than an excuse. She was just so inferior, which was part of my draw to her and also a deterrent.

I wanted her stronger. Fiercer. An equal. But that wasn’t possible. To make her immortal would result in an immediate death sentence for her. And Silvano would be forced to punish me in that situation as well.

Vampires could no longer choose their progeny.

Over ninety percent of the human race had been exterminated, leaving us with a limited food source. Creating too many immortals would impact the blood rations.

Hence the need for the Immortal Cup. Only two humans were granted immortality every year, and their placement among the regions varied annually. Next year’s picks would go to Clemente Clan and Jace Region.

My choice would be Jace in a heartbeat, and not just because of his vampire lineage. He ruled his territory with an air of fairness that most others in his position lacked.

Others like Alpha Walter of Clemente Clan.

Silvano, too .

The very concept of “fair” didn’t apply to them. Let alone the notions of choice or equality or the desires of others within their regions. Rulers like Walter and Silvano only cared about their own needs.

But Silvano’s penchants were a concern for another day.

I kissed Lily again, giving her more blood and sighing as I felt the power trickle through her being. By the time I pulled away, her eyes were brighter and widening with wonder.

“Vampire blood heals,” I said, stating the obvious. “Which is why this is forbidden.”

“A secret,” she replied, echoing our conversation from last night.

“Yes.” I brushed my lips across hers before leaning back to grab one of the waters. I twisted the cap and brought the bottle to her lips.

She swallowed greedily, confirming my predictions about her thirst. However, she winced a bit after a few gulps, so I pulled the bottle away and arched a brow.

“Cold,” she said, wincing again.

She was probably used to room-temperature water, or worse.

I considered her for a moment, then took some liquid into my mouth to warm it before pressing my lips to hers. She jolted in surprise but opened her mouth and swallowed eagerly.

I repeated it, adding a little blood to it as well and giving her the nutrients she required to feel truly alive.

Her expression held so many questions when we finished the bottle, the blue in her multicolored irises glowing once more.

“You can speak freely,” I said when she remained silent. “I won’t punish you. ”

I set the empty bottle aside and settled next to her against the headboard.

She still had her towel clutched around her like a shield.

It’d be easy to demand that she remove it and converse with me naked, but that would lead to distractions.

And I very much wanted her to voice some of the thoughts dancing behind those beautiful eyes.

“Why are you healing me?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Because I can. And because I want to.” Because you’re mine .

Well, not really.

But for now, I considered her mine.

“But why me? You… you hate me.”

My eyes widened both at the statement and her bluntness. “I don’t hate you, Lily. Quite the opposite, actually.”

“But you keep failing me.”

“That doesn’t mean I dislike you,” I replied, surprised by her correlation. “I told you why you’re failing. That was the purpose of last night’s lesson.” It wasn’t her fault. She just wasn’t meant to be a Vigil.

She nibbled her lower lip. “I’m too small.”

“Yes. However, that doesn’t mean you’re weak.” I might call her delicate and fragile, but those words only applied to her physical form. “Strength isn’t just about size.”

“Are you saying there’s another way to fight?”

“Not as a Vigil,” I replied. “Not even really as a human.” Which was perhaps what enthralled me about this situation. Lily possessed a fighting spirit, yet there was no outlet that allowed her to shine.

I wanted to give her an outlet with me. I just didn’t know how to do it or what that desire even meant.

“Then what’s the point?” she asked, a flicker of anger darkening her expression. “Why do any of this at all if there’s nothing I can do? Why not just leave me alone and let me fail?”

I studied her. “Is that what you want?”

“Does it matter what I want?”

“In this world? No, not really.” But in a past life, yes.

“Then why am I here?”

“Because I want you here,” I answered unashamedly.

“But why?” Her cheeks were no longer pale but pink, her nostrils flaring in a clear sign of agitation.

It fascinated me to see so much emotion on her face, mostly because she normally controlled her features so flawlessly. But that facade was breaking now, and I wanted to force it to shatter.

“Do I need to have a reason to want you here, Lily?” I reached out to tuck one of her damp strands behind her ear. “Do I truly need to explain that decision to you?” I’d already told her I’d done it because I wanted to. What more did she need?

“No, I guess you don’t,” she replied, her voice holding a hint of bitterness that floored me.

“I don’t,” I agreed. But I would if she clarified her questions.

She grunted. “Right. Because you’re the superior. If you want to play a game with me, I have no choice but to participate. And since you’re the one making the rules, I’ll inevitably fail like I always do.”

My eyes widened at her little rant.

But she wasn’t done.

“Which leads me back to wondering what the point is for all of this. Maybe you want to mess with me before you kill me. I just wish you’d tell me exactly what to do to expedite the results so I could get it over with.” The last part came out in a grumble.

“My blood has made you quite bold,” I mused .

Her jaw clenched. “You healed me just to fuck with me. This is all probably some test you’ve designed for me to fail, too.”

“I am not fucking with you,” I bit back, not at all pleased by her accusation. Mostly because it made me wonder whether or not she was right. It’d been so long since I’d entertained a female that I really couldn’t define my intentions anymore. Not in this world.

“Yes, you are!” she screamed, shocking the hell out of me.

Which, of course, was the exact moment that two other things happened at once.

Someone knocked on the door—likely the servant with her food.

And my wrist started buzzing with an incoming call from Silvano. Apparently, he wasn’t waiting for my reply.

Fuck .