Page 11 of Hunger in His Blood (Brides of the Kylorr #3)

CHAPTER 11

ERINA

I woke from a deep sleep to someone breaking into my room.

With a sharp gasp, I flew up to a sitting position on the bed, my heart thundering in my chest. There was still the haziness of a dream pressing onto my mind, but it cleared suddenly, like fog being stabbed with sunlight, when I saw it was Kaldur.

He was wearing a loose long-sleeved shirt tucked into black pants. His clothes were pressed, not a wrinkle within the folds, but his hair was wild, as if he’d been running his hands through it, and he wasn’t wearing any shoes.

“Why are you in here?” he asked, striding toward me. His massive presence made my small room seem all the tinier. Had it always been this small? Or…had Kaldur grown larger ?

I frowned, still blinking bleariness from my eyes. His eyes dipped down, his nostrils flaring when he spied the hard points of my nipples against my sheer nightdress.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice husky from sleep.

“I couldn’t find you when I returned,” he said, his tone mildly accusing. “You were meant to stay in the South Wing.”

Low light trickled in through the window. It must’ve only been after dawn. “I hadn’t moved my things yet…and you left, so I assumed…”

I felt surprisingly good , now that sleep was leaving me.

That baanye really helps, I couldn’t help but think, impressed.

Kaldur’s jaw tightened, and he looked away from me, inspecting the details of my small room in the keepers’ hall. But I had the impression he wasn’t truly seeing anything. Then his eyes landed on the vial of perfume on my dresser. His eyes strayed over it and then sharpened, doing a double take on the glass.

He went over to it, lifting it up to take a small sniff. He chuffed, his mood dark, before he replaced it. “From your lover?” he asked, spearing me with a unreadable look.

I nearly reared back, my lips parting though no sound came out. If I didn’t know any better…it seemed as if he was jealous ?

And why did that small realization fill me with hope and a dark feeling of glee?

“I’ll have all the contents of your room moved to the South Wing today,” he informed me, pinning me with his gaze. I watched it stray down to the side of my neck. Was he remembering last night?

I touched where he was looking, and he went utterly still. The wound was healed, like magic. He’d done that for me.

A rough sound came from his throat. I realized…well, he’d said twice a day in the contract, hadn’t he?

“Would you…would you like to feed now?” I asked, suddenly shy but aching all the same. I remembered the wild pinch of hunger and desire last night, an unexpected gift. I found, surprisingly, that I wasn’t ashamed by how I’d acted in his arms. I’d given in to the sensation and experience of the feeding. What was there to be ashamed of in the end?

It had been exciting and new, a memory I was thankful to have.

Kaldur approached, every booted step thrumming in my chest. There was a predator-like intensity that suddenly shot through him, one that made anticipation rise in my belly.

I’d always imagined that he would look at me this way.

“Would you want that?” he asked. One knee pressed into my bed, his other coming to cup the nape of my neck as he lowered himself. “All I can think about is last night. About you. About when I can have you again.”

Wonderment burst through me. A thousand fluttery caresses traced through my veins.

He pressed closer. “I shouldn’t. I took too much last night.”

So why were his fangs already elongating?

I tilted my neck to the side, and the low groan that escaped him felt like a small victory. He came close enough that I felt the hot exhale of his sigh across my skin. He smelled good. Clean, like new parchment. And he radiated heat like a furnace, the heat of a male’s body that called to some baser instinct within me. One that I’d never known existed, one that made me open up to him, one that made me press closer, my hands sliding up the wide berth and strength of his shoulders. I felt sensual . I felt like an earthly creature who wanted .

And gods, did I want Kaldur.

It was an addicting feeling.

“Please,” I whispered.

“ Vaan, ” he cursed, a thread of disbelief in his tone. I felt his lips trail across my flesh, and I had the sudden longing to feel them on mine. He’d made me come, had held me tight in his arms, and sated himself on my blood last night…and yet I’d never felt his kiss. “I thought I could resist this. I thought it would be easier.”

I tried to muffle my small cry, mixed with a moan, when his fangs pierced my skin. The strength of him was unparalleled as he immediately pressed closer, trapping me against the stone wall where my bed was abutted against. The sensation of the cool wall against my back coupled with the heat of Kaldur at my front felt sublime.

And when he started to feed, my belly quivered, heat and pleasure beginning to bloom. My hands squeezed at his shoulders, holding him to me, my head lolled to the side to give him as much access as I could.

I had the impression he was trying to go slow, to be mindful of how much he was taking especially after last night…but there was a wildness to this that I hadn’t expected. A spiraling of brief insanity and need on my end that just wanted to surrender . To submit.

I wondered if this was how blood givers felt. Now I understood the appeal.

Tighter and tighter the pleasure wound. My clit was fluttering between my legs, and I squirmed against him, pressing closer. He ground against me. I felt the unmistakable hardness of his thick cock, scorching even through his clothes. There was a sense of relief that I wasn’t the only one who felt this madness.

A choked gasp sounded.

Kaldur lifted his head, whipping it to the door.

My face burned when I saw Velle standing outside in the hallway. Kaldur hadn’t shut the door fully when he’d barged in, and she must’ve pushed it open when she’d heard the noise.

“I-I’m sorry, Kyzaire ,” Velle stammered. It was the first time I’d ever seen her flustered and certainly the first time she’d ever tripped over her words. “Forgive me—I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Leave us,” he growled, his chest heaving, his voice nearly unrecognizable.

With a small sound, my friend flew down the hallway, out of sight. Dread spread in my belly, replacing all the warmth I’d felt before. Everyone would know now. Of course, it was only a matter of time until they all did, but I had hoped to at least speak with Velle before. So she didn’t find out, well…like this.

“Fuck,” Kaldur cursed harshly, pushing away from me quickly .

A stray thought crossed my mind. I’d interrupted him with Lydrasa just a couple days prior. He’d told me to leave, dismissed me just as easily as he had Velle, and then he’d gone right back to fucking Lydrasa. Only with me, he shot up from the bed as if it were on fire.

Because a keeper had spotted us? Or because I was a keeper and not some noble female with high connections in even higher Houses?

It was an ugly thought. One I wished I could erase from my mind.

He’s in a precarious position, I reasoned. Kaldur was well-known as being a male with…amorous attentions. But only outside of his own keep. He’d never been involved with someone who worked for his House. Or else the gossip would’ve spread like fire throughout the kitchens and every single soul would’ve known about it.

That realization softened me toward him. He just didn’t want others to know about me because it blurred the line he’d always drawn between himself, as Kyzaire , and his staff.

My nightdress had slipped off one shoulder, and I tugged it back into place as Kaldur glowered. His ire wasn’t directed at me—I knew that. But it was more than clear he hadn’t wanted to be caught in the keepers’ hallway at dawn.

“I’ll talk to her,” I offered. “She’s my friend.”

“With a careless mouth, from what I’ve heard,” he returned.

I…couldn’t argue with that as much as I wanted to. Velle had never been able to keep a secret, and her eyes glittered and gleamed at the very mention of gossip. And this? This was a prime secret.

There was still some of my blood on his fangs, and I couldn’t help but shiver when he licked it away. Then he bit down into his thumb, approaching the bed again. He swiped his blood across the mark on my neck before backing away.

“Maudoric will show you to your quarters in the South Wing this evening. All your possessions,” he began, his eyes straying to the perfume vial, his lips downturning even more, “will be sent there today. As stated in our agreement, you’re free to do whatever you wish with your time.”

There was a clipped coldness to the words, but I told myself it was because of Velle. This wasn’t about me.

“Will I see you today?” I asked suddenly when he turned to the door. “Maybe…maybe we can take the evening meal together?”

“If I need you, I’ll find you,” he rasped, pausing at the threshold. The words pinched, but I tried to ignore it. He stayed at the doorway and then added, “Remember what I said, Erina. This is an arrangement. One that benefits both of us.”

His tone shifted. It became a little gentler when he turned to regard me still sitting in the bed. His eyes were watchful, careful.

“There will be no ridiculous fantasies of a courtship or of love, do you understand?” he asked. I nearly flinched. “You’re young, but you’re not that young. Don’t romanticize this—or me. Certainly not me. I’ll only disappoint you.”

And before I could say anything, he turned down the hallway and disappeared. I heard the heavy thump of his stride as I stared at my open door. I still felt the heat of lingering, unsated desire threading through my body, holding me together.

I sighed and then got out of bed, his parting words like boulders sitting on my chest.

I needed to find Velle.

When I poked my head into the kitchen, my gut churning at what I might encounter, I knew I was too late. The sudden hush and the weight of a dozen pairs of eyes on me was palpably tangible. Even Maudoric turned to regard me, the spoon of porridge poised just before her lips when I stepped inside.

Damn, I thought, feeling my cheeks burn as I adjusted and plucked at my dress—not my keeper uniform, and I’d left my apron hung on the back of my door. Instead, I had an old satchel looped over my shoulder, holding my notebook and my longest pencils.

“Good morning,” I greeted, trying to keep my tone upbeat, only it came out like a strangled plea. I nearly sighed in defeat, my eyes seeking out Velle. Sitting right in the middle of the table, her stare was stony. “Can I speak with you a moment?”

She took her time getting up from the table, the screech of the bench over stone jarring.

A piece of jammed bread was pressed into my hands, along with a satchel of dried nuts, marinated laak eggs, and crumbly cheese, which I slipped into my apron. When I looked over at Saira, she gave me a gentle smile. “Here, lovely. Baked fresh this morning.”

“Thank you, Saira,” I said, the small gesture of kindness against the quiet kitchens breaking the spell. People began to talk again, though lowly. Maudoric continued eating her porridge. I munched on the bread in the corner, my cheeks hot with the scrutiny, until it was gone. Only then did Velle stride toward me.

There was a small grief in realizing that I wasn’t considered one of them anymore. I’d spent nearly two years with all these people. I’d been part of something, part of a group with similar complaints and worries and dreams of bigger things. And in the span of two days, it was clear I was being iced out.

I’d known it would happen though, hadn’t I?

“You summoned me?” Velle asked.

“Velle, stop,” I pleaded quietly. Sometimes I couldn’t help but draw a comparison to Velle and some of the children I’d grown up with. But if there was one thing living at Wrezaan’s had taught me, it was how to deal with all kinds of tantrums. “Can we talk in private?”

She sighed. “Fine.”

We went out to the hallway, away from pressing ears .

“I’m sorry about what happened this morning,” I told her, taking her hands in mine. She pulled them from my grip, and my shoulders dropped. “I didn’t want you to find out about…about it that way.”

“And what exactly is it ?” she asked. “Are you sleeping with the Kyzaire ? If I didn’t know you, Erina, I might even be a little impressed.”

“No!” I said quickly. “Of course not.”

“Then what is going on? He’s calling you to his office at late hours, you disappear all day yesterday and Maudoric’s lips are sealed, only saying it’s not our business. And then I walk in on that .”

“The Kyzaire asked me to be his blood giver,” I said, licking my dry lips and watching how she would react to the announcement. “I accepted. I’ll no longer be working as a keeper.”

“What?” Velle breathed. She was smiling, but when she realized I wasn’t joking, that smile slowly died. She looked like she’d just been struck. “You’re his blood giver?”

“Yes,” I said. “As of last night, officially.”

“What do you mean officially ?”

“We signed a blood contract,” I told her. “The terms are very clear. It’s all very…um, official.”

She shot me an exasperated look. “For a storyteller, you sure do have a way with words.”

I frowned. “Why are you upset? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I was going to talk to you today, but Kal—the Kyzaire came to my room this morning when I was still sleeping. It all happened really fast.”

“Oh, it’s Kaldur now, is it?” Velle asked. She smirked. “Wow. I really misjudged you.”

My brow furrowed. “Velle, I don’t?—”

When I reached for her hands again, she pulled them away like I was a disease. “I never expected you of all people to open your legs to a Kyzaire if he so much as looked at you twice. ”

My jaw dropped. “That’s not what this is!”

“Isn’t it?” she asked. “Did he mention sex?”

I floundered. “Well, it’s…it’s complicated.”

She laughed, the sound echoing in the hallway. This was a mistake—to talk to her when she was already pissed off. I could only imagine what she’d tell the other keepers after this conversation.

“Velle, please,” I said quietly, taking a deep breath. “You’re my friend. You know I’ve always…I’ve always admired him. For years. Are you telling me that you wouldn’t say yes if he asked the same of you?”

“Oh, I would,” Velle replied without hesitation. “I would get on my damn knees right there and then because unlike you, I know what an agreement like that really means. And I’m not so high and mighty that I’d tried to sell it as anything different than being his paid whore.”

I flinched. Silence dropped between us. My temper—if it could even be called that—wasn’t stoked often.

I knew what was happening. The realization hit me too late.

“I mean, I’m just assuming he’s paying you. If you’re not working as his keeper anymore, you have to make your credits in other ways,” she continued, twisting the dagger.

This wasn’t the first time Velle had lashed out at me. The last time had been four or five months ago. We’d both been assigned to a dinner party that Kaldur had been hosting. One of the guests, an older noble from a House I didn’t even bother to remember, had asked about me. We’d spoken briefly, and I could tell he’d found me attractive, though it hadn’t been reciprocal.

The male in question had apparently been very wealthy, from a very old House—everything my friend valued in a potential suitor—and Velle had been cold to me the rest of the night. The whole rest of the week, truthfully, until she’d bottled it up so tightly that she’d ended up exploding at me .

Shortly after, she’d apologized and we’d smoothed things over…but I couldn’t say I was surprised by this reaction.

She was jealous. Pure and simple. Not about Kaldur, specifically, but about the entire situation. A wealthy Kyzaire was taking me away from the life she herself despised. It was what she wanted for herself, and it likely hurt her to see it happening up close.

That realization dulled my temper. And while it was in my nature to let smaller things slide for the sake of keeping the peace, I still knew when to stand up for myself. That was one of the most valuable lessons I’d taken from growing up the way I did.

I kept my voice even as I said, “I don’t appreciate that. You know me, Velle. I’m no whore. I’m untouched, for Raazos’s sake.” Her brow quirked. Maybe she hadn’t known that. “The situation is what it is. You know how I feel about him, how I’ve always felt about him. My answer was always going to be yes, and that’s my choice to make. You can judge me for it if you want, but it doesn’t change this.”

She stared at me. I thought, maybe for a moment, she might soften. But she only gave a huff, laced in condescension.

“Sometimes you really need to grow up, Erina,” she said. “And I’m saying this as your friend. Stop living with your head in the clouds…because males like that will only hurt you if you expect too much. You want a great romance—I know you do.”

My lips pressed together when she laughed.

“You’re way out of your element here,” Velle finished, smiling. “I’ll be there when you need someone to cry to when you get your heart broken. But since you’re no longer a keeper and now a blood giver, I think it’s best if we don’t interact from now on. Not like I’ll see you if you’re being moved to the South Wing anyway.”

And with that, she pushed past me, jostling my shoulder hard, and stalked back down the hallway, toward the kitchens, where I was certain she would tell everyone what she’d learned. At least once Maudoric left.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let a single one fall.

Standing in that hallway, I felt alone, like when Luc had left Vyaan for Laras. I’d watched his caravan until it had disappeared into the depths of the forest road, praying to all the gods of Krynn to keep his traveling party safe.

I’d cried myself to sleep for weeks. Missing the only family I’d ever known.

This isn’t as bad as that, I tried to tell myself. I took in a deep breath, drawing on the strength of that small, somewhat comforting knowledge.

I hope you’re happy, Luc, I thought. A plea or a silent prayer, I couldn’t be sure.

Then I tightened my satchel on my shoulder and made my way toward the gardens, eager to lose myself in Kavelyn’s latest adventure, an escape I desperately needed.