Page 141 of Kingly Bitten

“Ivan certainly has a knack for politics,” I said, still watching her. “He’s also proven to be an expert at the game. I suppose I could reward him with the territory, assuming that’s how all this plays out. For now, I’ll let him continue on with his current task.” Something I might need him to do indefinitely, as it seemed the thought of me having a harem irked myErosita.

Would it bother you if I had a harem?she countered, still not looking at me.

Yes,I answered immediately.

She didn’t reply, her point made with the feelings her question had evoked.

Because if I felt that way about her, then she likely felt the same way about me.

I frowned, considering that for a moment while Darius keyed a code into the exterior door.

A click sounded, confirming our entry.

Then the door whispered open to reveal an entrance that reminded me of the one at Bunker 47, only with functioning lights and clean floors.

Darius stepped through first, his posture telling me he was relying on vampiric ability alone despite the pistol holstered at his waist. I had a similar one strapped to mine, as did Juliet and Calina.

However, I argued that Calina possessed a far superior weapon at her disposal.

Experience.

She studied the corridor, noting the similar pattern and features to Bunker 47. Her mind told me the elevator’s position before we found it, the structure of the building clearly identical to the one she had lived in for decades. This didn’t surprise her since she’d never really noticed any differences when leaving her experimental captivity for her new role.

She took it all in with a note of calmness and understanding, her logical side focusing on the practical uses of her history, not the emotional impact some of those lab tests had on her psyche.

Such as the one with the lycan on her thirtieth birthday.

I could feel those memories lurking outside her thoughts, her psyche blocking them with pragmatic barriers that forced her to concentrate on the here and now. It was fascinating to observe. Most humans would have broken beneath the weight of her previous experiences in Lilith’s “care.”

But not Calina.

She was strong. Intelligent. A fighter. She didn’t dwell in the past, just used her background to bolster her future.

I admired her more with each passing minute, this link between us granting me so much more depth and exposure to her than anyone else in my existence. Which was fascinating. I felt as though I knew her better than I knew Darius, better than even my father or Cam.

Her blue eyes met mine, the green color still nonexistent. She understood my fascination, her mind telling me that she’d never known someone so deeply.

It cemented our connection that much more.

Breaking it would dismantle something so utterly beautiful. So unique. Soprecious.

Did you bring a watch?she asked me, her gaze lowering to my wrist.

I slipped my hand into my pocket to reveal the device I’d taken off one of the Vigils at the server farm. Darius and I had anticipated needing one after learning about their importance at Bunker 47.Darius has one in his pocket, too.

She nodded.You’ll need that to call the elevator.

Calina started forward, then frowned over her shoulder.

We also need to close the exterior door,she added. The surveillance will have shut off upon entering the code outside, and the Vigils would have been made aware of the incoming visitor. Same with whoever is in charge here. Shutting the door and entering the elevator code will prompt the system to reset, with the surveillance coming back online by the time we reach the main level.

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her why the surveillance would shut off, when I picked up the answer from her mind.

The floors were all numbered in an untraditional order, making it impossible for the occupants to determine which level was closest to the surface.

Temporarily turning off the surveillance ensured that no one would be able to discover the entry protocol, thereby making escape impossible because all the doors on each level looked exactly the same.

Some of the rooms had surveillance inside, but not all. Which was how the vampires and lycans had narrowed down which levels and doors to check during their attempted breakout.