Page 73 of The Vampire Curse
He looks older now than when I’d first met him. There is no trace of the friendly demeanor I knew.
“There has been a higher demon in our woods for weeks now. It's destroying the ecosystem and poisoning my lands with its foul magic.”
Alaric holds up his hand, silencing further discussion. He lifts his arm guiding the three shifters. “As you may be aware, I havecompany. Why don’t we sit in the drawing room and chat? It is still early in the morning.”
I step forward intending to follow them. Oliver looks up, and when he sees me, a broad, wolfish grin spreads across his face.
He pushes past Alaric and slides over to me. I take half a step back before he grasps my hand in his. Oliver presses a kiss to my knuckles as he bows.
“Hello, my lady. It is not every day that I get the pleasure of meeting someone as lovely as yourself,” he says, straightening.
Meet me? What in the Otherworld is he talking about? I’m about to point out that we’ve already met, but then I look over his shoulder to Alaric. His eyes widen a fraction of a second before I realize why.
Oliver slips an arm around me and pulls me against him. My face heats from having him so close with the weight of Alaric’s stare burning into me. I want to punch him in his pretty face for using me to tease him.
I press my hands against Oliver’s chest, trying to put a little distance between us, but he’s not paying attention, and his hold is too strong. I don’t like how Alaric is looking at us.
This is an expression of his Icanread. He looks ready to rip Oliver to shreds.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Clara
“Will you be joining us today?”Oliver asks, inclining his head. As his face inches closer to mine, I lean back. His eyes flick to my neck then back to my face. His smile slips a fraction, and heat travels up to burn my cheeks.
“No,” Alaric says sharply. His arm slides across my collarbone, separating Oliver and me.
Oliver releases me and steps to the side. Not quite a retreat, but enough to show that he’s not going to challenge Alaric.
“Clara,” Alaric says without so much as glancing my way. “Please excuse us.”
The man and woman that came with Oliver raise their chins in a barely noticeable move. Their scrutiny sears up and down my body as they appraise me. I don’t know what they find, but it is clear that I have been found wanting.
“It was a pleasure meeting you, Clara,” Oliver says. And then he turns, striding into the drawing room, the other shifters on his heels.
I reach for Alaric’s hand. He looks down, then reluctantly he meets my gaze as if it pains him.
“I want to join you.” I keep my voice calm. “There is something going on, and if…” I swallow, stumbling on my words. “If I am to stay with you, I should know what it’s about. This is now my home too.”
His expression softens, and for a moment, I think he might actually consider it. But then he sets his jaw and shakes his head, removing his hand from mine. “No. Perhaps another time.”
Then he closes the door, and I’m left standing alone once more. I’m fed up with him shutting me out. We were never like this,hewas never like this before the first mark.
The murmuring on the other side begins immediately. I tiptoe closer and press my ear to the wood, trying to make out the conversation. But the sound of my pulse obscures most of it.
“Higher… Worse… Urgent…”
“Evesdropping?” a man says.
My heart leaps into my throat as I whirl to face Mr. Harkstead.
“No, I wasn’t… I was…”
His lip curls. “Are you sure? Because you had your ear pressed against the door,” he says, holding out a hand to me. “Come, there is no use lying.”
I shake my head, then take a deep breath and blow it out. “What I meant to say was that I wasn’t trying to intrude. I am worried. That’s all.”
“I’m sure Alaric will tell you what you want to know when he is ready. But for now, you need to trust him.”