Page 32 of Club Blood

“I am happy you joined us, Warren. I want nothing more than to have years of your service be rewarded once all of this is past us. Please, just get through this with me.”

Her words seemed to placate him, and he dipped his head respectfully before standing up and slinking out behind her. Mercy had dismissed him kindly, which was uncharacteristic of her.

I found myself falling past the brink of fury, once more.

“Mercy,” I said, the fire in my eyes matching hers, our intensity bordering on passion, “Stop thinking about the human. She is making you so distracted—”

“I have been kind, Narcissa, in my attempts to smother your jealousy. I will bed my pet if I’d like to. I will fuck her, make her scream, I will make her cunt ache for me every minute she is awake. I will do whatever the fuck I’d like to do to her, if only to make you see that I am not yours.”

“You drank fromme,” I growled.

“Your blood will be the only thing I take from you now. Do not expect any more from me than that.”

I was her lover, not just a partner to fulfill her needs. I was sure I was more to her than that, or else, what was all this for?

It was the fuckinghuman, the bag of blood she kept locked behind the safety of her room, her wards, that made me boil over with rage. I would not even give her the satisfaction of hearing me say her name. She was not worth it, Mercy would tire of her soon, give her to me to taste. Not in the way she had so obviously done, but in the way that would calm the aching desire in my throat.

My face scrunched up in obvious disgust. Her retaliation, her attack to my loyalty to her, burned me in places I never expected.

I could feel an icy wave cover me, aware that the words I spoke would cross lines neither Mercy nor I had any idea how to navigate.

“You bring in a human that you grovel to,” I deadpanned, “You bring in a vampire that will disappoint you. You toss me the scraps, and you will pay for it. You are becomingweak, Mercy. And your fucking weakness willkill you.”

The words were out of my mouth for no longer than a second when I felt my body slam against the wall, and felt the sharp point of her nails at the base of my throat.

20

CECELIA

“Darling,there’s no need to look so frightened.”

My breath caught at his voice, the seductive lilt of his accent sending an extra beat through my heart. It sounded like he had been English some time ago, his voice now imbued with Californian vernacular.

“Vampire got your tongue?” he laughed, a hearty sound that came from his chest. The playful smile on his lips was revealing of his nature, showing just how funny he found himself.

I took another step back, careful to keep my eyes trained on him. The Known were abnormally fast and light on their feet, which is why I hadn’t heard him approach in the first place, and I wasn’t going to give him the chance to surprise me again.

“Who are you?” I was surprised to find that my voice did not betray my fear, though I knew my heartbeat was another matter.

Tucking a strand of his shoulder-length silky black hair behind his ear, he offered me a grin that had his incisors on full display, before ripping out another chunk of apple and crunching down, letting the juice drip down his chin. I tried to fight against the shiver working its way down my spine, and instead squared my shoulders.

“You must be Mercy’s new little pet,” he purred, dropping into a seat and crossing one leg over the other. “My name’s Warren.”

Sprawled in the chair before me, wearing a pair of well-polished pointed black boots and a cowboy-style shirt embroidered with blooming flowers, he almost looked as regal as Mercy. A knot twisted in my stomach as I imagined them side by side, the true image of a King and Queen.

Feeling momentarily brave, I dropped into the chair opposite him and fixed him with a stare. “I resent the termpet.”

Warren smirked, raising a brow at me. “Ah, but you don’t resent it when dearest Mercy calls you it? How kinky!”

My cheeks flushed at his insinuation which only made him chuckle. Sitting with the garden as his backdrop, the greenery balancing perfectly against his olive skin, I couldn’t help but return his perusal of me. While he wasn’t exactly my type, and possibly was about to murder me, I could still admire his beauty. I was human, after all.

“You’re awfully quiet, love. Won’t you tell me what name belongs to that pretty little face?”

I scoffed at his attempt at flirtation. “You already know who I am, so what’s the point in me telling you?”

“It’s called being polite. I’m just trying to make conversation.”

“Before you eat me?”