Page 126 of Vampire so Virtuous

“I know you never cared much for rules,” Antoine said, his tone pointed, “but there are customs to observe.”

“Yes, yes,” Belle said, waving her hand dismissively as she rattled off her next words. “Your trust is met with solemn commitment.”

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“Why shouldn’t I be,mon amour?”

Did she keep calling him ‘my love’?

Cally flinched as Belle’s hand closed around her neck, her thumbnail tracing a line down her nape. She couldn’t suppress the shiver this time, and beside her, Belle hummed as she felt it.

“I love it when you tremble,” she said. “Do it again.”

Cally wanted to pull away, to fight, but even the smallest movement felt like a risk. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but there was nowhere to go. She clenched her jaw, hating the way stillness felt like surrender. The imbalance of power in the room pressed against her, suffocating. Antoine had to have a plan. Hehadto.

She searched his face for some clue—reassurance, defiance, anything.But his expression was deliberately blank. A cold dread settled in her stomach.

“Why don’t you have a seat,” Antoine suggested in the same flat tone, and gestured toward the chair Belle had been sitting in. The wave of his arm was stiff, lacking his usual grace.

“If I do,” Belle replied, her warm breath caressing Cally’s ear, “will she come sit on my lap?”

Hell no.

“I don’t think you’re here to play with my—” Antoine stopped, taking a breath. What words would he have called her if he’d finished that thought? Food? Marked chattel?Diversion? “Whyareyou here, Belle?”

“I came to see you, of course,” she said, her tongue flicking out, trailing up the side of Cally’s neck and over her ear. Instinctively, Cally tried to pull away, but Belle’s strength was far greater, and her hand kept her from moving even an inch.

“I love the smell of her fear,” Belle said dreamily. “It mingles so pleasingly with her lingering arousal. Is that for you,mon amour? Did I interrupt something…excitante?”

Cally froze.Could Antoine smell me too?Of course he could. Vampires were apex predators. He’d known all along, whenever she was… Her cheeks burned with a sudden, intense heat.

“So innocent,” Belle said in her throaty voice. “No wonder he likes you so.”

“Belle,” Antoine snapped. “Un peu de décorum, s’il vous plaît!”

She laughed lightly, a musical, carefree sound, as though the only joy in the world was Antoine’s irritation.

Part of me can relate.

“How long has it been since you first said that to me?” she said, stepping away from Cally, who had to fight not to sag in relief. Belle ignored her, advancing on Antoine, her steps slow and deliberate. Her feet crossed like a model on a catwalk, her hips swaying with a grace that Cally knew she could never match, no matter how long she lived. Antoine didn’t move, and Belle didn’t stop until she was pressed up against him. He remained impassive as she reached up, using a fingernail to flick the top button off his silk shirt. It flew in an arc and landed silently in the thick carpet. “I like you in silk,” she murmured, her words barely audible to Cally. “I’ve always liked you in silk. Do you remember that time in—”

Antoine grabbed her wrist, forcing it behind her and into the small of her back. “I’m past the point of letting you touch me.” His eyes flashed red, andthere was barely restrained anger in his voice.

Belle gave a delighted gasp, as though he’d hurt her and she liked it. She didn’t fight him. “So,” she breathed, “the spawn thinks he can better the sire?”

He released her as though he’d always intended to, taking a step back with a strained composure. “Of course not, my lady,” he said, his mask sliding back into place, erasing any trace of his anger in a heartbeat. “But may I remind you that you stand within my domain now. I am no longer your—” He cut himself off, his gaze flicking past her to Cally, his eyes shadowed with something unreadable.

“Your what,mon amour?” She closed the space between them, standing so close she’d feel his breath, but this time, she only rested a finger on his chest, trailing it over his shirt as she circled him. “Are you too shy to admit to your chattel that you were mypet?”

“I’m no longer your pet.”

“Of course not. All this power you’ve gained. Perhaps you mean to make me your pet now?” She had moved behind him, and Antoine clenched his jaw, staring at a point on the far wall behind Cally, as if avoiding looking at her. But Belle had no such qualms, watching Cally as she spoke. “Did he not tell you, sweet girl? Do you not know who I am?”

“You just told me,” Cally said stiffly. “You’re his sire. You made him.” To her surprise, her words came out firmer than she expected. Anger had always been her defense, and watching her treat Antoine with such disdain pissed her off. But was he any better than Belle, or was it just the devil she knew?

“Foolish and courageous,” Belle said, a sly gleam in her red eyes. “A perfect match for each other.” She rose onto her toes, leaning in until her lips nearly brushed Antoine’s cheek. “Is she virtuous, too?”

“No,” Antoine replied firmly. “You cannot have her.”