Page 44 of Blood Day (Blood Alliance #7)

Lily

“Strip.”

The single-word command felt like a whip against my senses, causing my heart to skip a beat.

My eyes automatically shifted to Cedric. He dipped his chin in confirmation, telling me to do as Master Khalid had indicated.

Prospect One Hundred and Thirty-Nine, whom Master Khalid had called Emine during breakfast, removed her clothes without hesitation. All the boldness I’d witnessed in her yesterday seemed to have disappeared.

I swallowed, then did as commanded and bowed my head to match Emine’s position.

Which was what I should have done from the beginning.

“First lesson,” Master Khalid started, his voice soft. “I’m a royal, Lily. You obey me, not your mate. When I ask you to do something, you do it without question.”

I shivered. “Y-yes, Master. I mean, My Prince.” I winced. Master Cedric told me not to call him that. But how could I not after that last rule ?

“Don’t,” Master Cedric said, his tone underlined in steel. “You just told her you’re a royal. She’s addressing you appropriately.”

“You realize defending her gives away your feelings for her, yes?”

“She’s my Erosita . My toy. My mate. My fuck doll. Whatever you want to call her. But she is mine . And I will not allow a minor infraction to be the cause of you ending our link.”

Master Khalid sighed. “I wasn’t going to bite her, Cedric. I was merely going to sternly request that she call me Master .”

“If you want her sternly corrected, you tell me and I’ll handle it.”

“Would you speak to Silvano in this manner?”

“I would sooner kill Lily than put her in a room with Silvano,” Master Cedric replied, his words making my blood run cold. “Consider this a gift of my patience, Khalid. She’s naked. She’s bowing. Don’t push me.”

Silence followed, the tension thick in the air.

Goose bumps pebbled down my arms in response. Master Cedric? I whispered.

But he didn’t reply. However, his anger burned my mind. His thoughts were chaotic, his need for violence making me dizzy.

“This won’t do, Cedric,” Master Khalid finally stated. “This innate possessiveness is exactly why society frowns upon this union.”

“It was once revered. Sacred, even.” Master Cedric pitched his voice low, but the words were underlined with power.

Another wave of quiet followed. “Are you saying you miss the old ways?”

Master Cedric worked through how to respond, his thoughts open to mine. He wasn’t hiding anything at all. Which was how I discerned the concept of this word game.

This exercise had nothing to do with training.

And everything to do with testing Master Cedric.

Oh, there may be another purpose to it all, but I’m the primary subject for today’s lesson, Master Cedric mused, his mental voice holding a strange sort of lightness to it. Almost as though he found this humorous.

“The old ways,” he repeated as though contemplating the meaning.

But his thoughts told me he already knew the purpose.

“Some aspects of our lives are meant to be cherished. And finding a mate should be one of those aspects. Yet we’re told it’s a weakness.

Maybe it is. But maybe a weakness is what makes life interesting. ”

“Interesting,” Master Khalid echoed. “An intriguing word choice. Interesting how?”

Master Cedric moved to stand in front of me, his fingers finding my chin and drawing my gaze up to his. “I feel alive in a way I haven’t experienced in a very long time.”

My heart skipped a beat, his words seeming to be for me more than Master Khalid.

“My Lily has breathed new life into my veins. She’s provided me with an air of excitement. Something I’ve missed since having the chase stolen from us.”

He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, then glanced at Master Khalid, who stood near my side.

“You ask if I miss the old ways? Yes. Because I miss feeling alive. This new world may be easier for us to manage, it may put us in our rightful roles at the top of the food chain, but it’s mundane. It’s too predictable. It’s… it’s too simple. ”

He dropped his hand from my face, giving Master Khalid all his focus again.

“She’s mine. As a royal, you can take her from me. But rest assured, I won’t make it easy on you.”

“I could report you.”

Master Cedric smiled, something I noticed because I’d never returned to my requisite bow. “That would require you to admit your presence here. And we both know you won’t report me. If you find my behavior problematic, you’ll handle it yourself.”

“Which is what I’m trying to do, but you’re now allowing me to correct it.”

“Bullshit. You wanted to test my reaction. Now you have it. What’s next?” Master Cedric had dropped all pretense of formality, which fascinated me. He always struck me as in control. But right now, he came off as a bit reckless.

Master Khalid narrowed his turquoise eyes. “Your disrespect is starting to piss me off.”

“As is yours,” Master Cedric returned. “You may be a direct descendant of the Blessed Ones, but I still have status due to my age and abilities. So while I’ll bow to you on most things, the Erosita bond isn’t one of them. Now stop playing games, Khalid, and tell me what it is you really want.”

My blood went cold at the lethality underlining Master Cedric’s tone.

His words swirled in my thoughts, the precision beneath his statement as sharp as a blade.

“Now stop playing games, Khalid, and tell me what it is you really want.”

Ice seemed to frost the air as the two powerful vampires came to a head. I’d experienced their virility and supernatural auras over the years, but not quite like this .

Master Khalid was a royal.

Master Cedric was an old vampire.

While the royal would likely win a match, I suspected Master Cedric would hold his own and do some damage.

However, Emine and I would absolutely die.

I clasped my hands before me, my fingers linking together as the tension continued to grow.

My knees shook with a sudden desire to kneel, the power in the room suffocating my ability to process anything beyond the need to submit.

“It seems you’re not the only one dissatisfied by our current situation, Cedric,” Master Khalid finally said, his words not what I’d anticipated hearing.

Master Cedric’s surprise rivaled my own, his mind confirming that he hadn’t been expecting those words at all. “Oh?”

The prince stared at him, his blue-green irises intent. “There’s a revolution coming. I don’t know when. I won’t elaborate. But I am preparing for that fate. And you should be, too.”

“By doing what exactly?”

“Deciding which side you intend to fight on,” the royal vampire replied.

“That’s hard to determine without understanding the players on the board.” Master Cedric’s mind was already analyzing the royals and alphas, his mind cataloging the potential participants. I could also hear him questioning the truthfulness of the prince’s claim.

This could all just be another game, he thought. A fucked-up political move to test my allegiance.

Just hearing him consider all the angles of this conversation exhausted me.

Vampires were so politically charged. Nothing was what it seemed. And apparently, this entire experience was no different from the rest.

“Yes,” Master Khalid agreed. “That all said, you were right—I wanted to see how deep this obsession with your Lily went.”

“Why?”

“Because she’s a liability, one that will get you killed on Blood Day if you don’t get your shit together.” The royal paused to let that sink in. “And I personally feel that your death would be a waste of talent.”

“I see.” Master Cedric’s mind came alive with more strategy as he started wondering what the prince meant.

“Your skill set may prove quite useful soon. Especially if molded appropriately.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning I want to keep you alive. And if that means I need to remove your distraction, I will.” The royal vampire held up a hand before the other vampire could speak. “But I’m beginning to realize that removing this distraction may have consequences. So I am currently reevaluating my options.”

Master Cedric’s jaw ticked, his mind openly processing every word while I listened.

“The distraction you speak of has provided a new sense of excitement in an otherwise mundane existence. Therefore, removing that distraction would be unwise. Especially if you feel my skill set may be needed for something in the future.”

“Yes. That’s what I’ve gathered from today’s lesson.”

“Indeed.” Master Cedric folded his arms. “What now?”

“Now? Now we begin another lesson.” The prince’s vibrant gaze went to Emine. “I still need her trained. However, I value her life and don’t want to risk you killing her for touching your Erosita . ”

You would do that? I asked, surprised by his comment.

Master Cedric didn’t hesitate. Yes.

Why?

Because you’re mine, Lily. And I don’t want to share you.

But—

This isn’t a debate, sweet flower.

“What do you suggest?” he asked aloud, his focus on the other man.

“I suggest we alter our course and teach Emine and Lily how to behave around vampires. If your flower is to remain your Erosita —something I could help facilitate for you, if you choose to work with me—there will need to be an understanding between us.”

And there it is, Master Cedric mused. The real request. “Work with you,” he repeated. “Meaning?”

The royal grinned. “Meaning I may have a need for a new sovereign. And perhaps I would like that sovereign to be you.”

“Is that what all this is about? You want me to join your region and leave Silvano behind?”

He lifted a shoulder. “As I said, there’s change coming. I would like the right players on my side.”

“Change that you can’t elaborate on.”

“Not until I trust you.”

“So is that the real reason you’re here? To recruit me?” Master Cedric asked.

The royal scoffed at that. “No, you’ve been auditioning for me for years. Why else do you think I allowed you to be a Master at the university?” He arched a brow. “A vampire as powerful as you, near the borders of my territory? Come now. You know it required special permission.”

“And so, what, I finally passed your test?”

“Not exactly,” the prince replied. “When I received word of your departure, I came to handle the turnover of your classes. Which is how I met Emine. She is the reason I remained. But it ended up rather fortuitous overall, as it allowed me the opportunity to properly evaluate you.”

“Evaluate me… for a sovereign position.”

“Yes. One I know you don’t want. Which is what makes you perfect for it.”

“Silvano will never allow it.”

“Silvano doesn’t intimidate me. He can pitch a fit all he wants, but there is nothing tying you to him other than your loyalty. Which, ironically, I admire. But I would much prefer that loyalty be directed at someone who deserves it.”

“Someone like you?” Master Cedric guessed.

The prince’s lips curled again. “As I said, I could help you with this problem. If you agreed to help me. But don’t decide today. Think on it. Perhaps my training methods will persuade you.” He sauntered over to Emine and ran his thumb along her jaw, tugging her chin up until her eyes met his.

She gazed up at him without displaying any emotion, something that seemed to appease him greatly.

“Isn’t she a beautiful actress, Cedric?” Master Khalid skimmed his knuckles down her neck to her breasts. “Her body reacts to my touch, but her face gives nothing away. Even though I know she’s dying for me to lick her between her thighs. Isn’t that right, princess?”

“Yes, Master,” she replied, her voice devoid of emotion.

“Answer me like you would in private and maybe I’ll reward you,” he told her, and her expression immediately shifted into one I recognized.

It was the kind of look I knew I gave Master Cedric regularly .

“I’m soaking wet for you, Khalid,” she informed him, her voice breathy. “Please fuck me.”

“Such a good little mirage,” he replied, his lips briefly meeting hers. “She’s learning how to behave in public versus in private.” He brushed another kiss against her cheek before stepping around behind her, his hands going to her hips as he bent to nibble her neck.

My nipples tightened at the display, mostly because I thought of Master Cedric’s mouth against my own throat. His mind went to a similar place, his thoughts shifting from analytical to aroused in an instant.

But he maintained his distance, that strategic part of him still evaluating every word the prince had said to him.

“This is the training I wish to continue, Cedric,” the royal murmured, his palm gliding along Emine’s torso to palm her abdomen. “I think it would benefit your Lily as well.”

Emine arched back into him as he slid his fangs into her throat, his palm remaining against her belly as his opposite hand moved upward to cup her breast.

She moaned, her eyes closing as she gave herself fully to him.

I swallowed, my skin flushing at the sight. A vivid image of Master Cedric holding me in that way flashed inside my mind, making my knees go weak.

However, he didn’t move. He merely watched, his expression giving nothing away.

If I couldn’t hear his yearning in his mind, I would have thought this meant nothing to him.

Except I could hear his desire as loud as mine, his need to claim me in a similar manner making it difficult for him to remain still.

“I know you’ve already begun training Lily,” the prince said after a long drink.

“But I think it would be mutually beneficial to combine our lessons for a common goal. We could show them how to be sexual with each other without truly being intimate.” His gaze lifted to Master Cedric.

“After all, this society requires games. So let’s play together on the same side. ”