14. Bricriu
Chapter 14
Bricriu
TUESDAY
I was a fucking idiot.
With a frustrated groan, I leaned back, slamming my head back against the wall. I wished that I could just backtrack the last twelve hours. Between talking to Isla in the library and class, there was no way she was going to want anything to do with me.
There was something about her that drew me to her. Pissing off Ambrose was just a fucking bonus.
Sitting beside her in herbology, all I could smell was a blend of vanilla, jasmine, and almonds. I wasn’t some fucking teen boy to get so distracted by a girl that I lost sight of what I was doing, but damn… She was temptation incarnate.
“I’d say a penny for your thoughts, but I think I can guess.” The soft voice made me jolt.
I didn’t bother to open my eyes. I didn’t need to look to know it was Julian. He glided closer and sat down beside me on the bench outside the library.
“You’re up early,” I whispered.
“It’s my day off,” he replied. “There are a few things I needed to take care of today.”
“Meaning you need to feed?” I opened my eyes then, rolling my head to the side to focus on the vampire beside me.
I had been Julian’s donor for the past year after a spontaneous encounter escalated beyond what either of us had expected. We weren’t lovers, per se, but I was a blood source, and we fucked occasionally—nothing consistent and no emotions involved.
Or at least that was what I had thought until yesterday.
Julian and Isla being so close together had made the apology I’d prepared become ashes on my lips. Their proximity, the warm desire I could smell from both of them… I had shut down.
I had thought I needed space, but it seemed that had just given me even more of an opportunity to let my thoughts run wild. Overthinking was a fucking bitch.
Part of me wanted to blame Ambrose for somehow orchestrating this since he knew about my and Julian’s situation. Logically, I knew that was highly unlikely since subtlety wasn’t Ambrose’s go-to reaction for things, but it wasn’t impossible.
“I do,” Julian finally responded after a full minute of silence, “but I can find someone else to feed from if there is an issue. Or I can wait until tonight. I’m old enough that it wouldn’t make such a huge difference.”
“No. I’m fine,” I told him, trying to shrug off the tension that was still lingering after talking to Isla in class.
The other man didn’t contradict me, but he didn’t agree either. Silence fell between us, and I looked away, unwilling to meet his stare since I couldn’t see it anyway. I had never hated my photophobia from my albinism more. It affected every aspect of my life, from my useless eyes, my body in both forms, and even my fucking magick.
My eyes couldn’t filter out light. On top of my low vision, that made it impossible to see beyond a general blur unless I was right on top of something. One day, I would probably lose my vision completely. That was the day I knew my family would kill me outright.
I was the bane of their existence, and only my ruthlessness when it came to collecting my bones and the fear I inspired in others had kept me safe so far.
The acrid stench of weakness got on my nerves… but there were a few people that were a refreshing respite. Julian, Isla, and, annoyingly, Ambrose. Our frenemy interactions certainly kept things interesting, and there was never a sense of fear from the professor. He wanted to make me cower as much as I didn’t want that from him.
“Come back tonight,” Julian said as he stood up. “I can?—”
“What were you and Isla discussing yesterday?” The question rushed out before I could stop it. “You seemed… close.”
Julian stopped, but the blur of him didn’t turn to look in my direction.
“I merely asked where you had gotten to,” he answered. “And if she needed help with something. Are you jealous, Bricriu?”
“No,” I denied, barking out a harsh laugh. “Why would I be jealous? There’s nothing between us that would result in me being jealous.”
“You’re lucky we are in a public place, Bricriu, or you’d be pinned to the wall with my cock so far down your throat you wouldn’t remember what air tasted like,” Julian purred, laughing tauntingly at my shiver in response. “My room tonight, or the next time I see you, I’ll take you out in the open so everyone here will realize just how weak you really are.”
Julian had never cared that I was a student and he was staff. Anything sexual was technically against the school’s policy, but it never seemed to be strictly enforced. Everyone here was an adult, so the only times it caused any kind of ruckus was when Thatcher had an issue with it.
“Strong enough to take you. Since you’d never be able to handle me,” I rasped as a retort, heat blazing in my veins as I watched him walk away.
Fuck.
Topping Julian would never happen. Hell, taunting him wasn’t a good idea either. He was a man with dark proclivities that even I was shocked by, and that was saying something since I was fae.
A shudder ran down my spine as I tried to center my thoughts on anything besides what was going to happen to me tonight.
“Oh, and Bricriu?” Hot breath on my ear made me groan. Julian had snuck back, and I hadn’t even noticed. “If you even think of coming or touching yourself before you see me tonight, I’ll know, and you’ll regret it. Deeply.”
I whimpered when he ran his fangs along my neck, and then he was gone.
My cock was throbbing, and I couldn’t stop the thought that having Isla there would make things even more interesting.
Would she be beside me as Julian orchestrated everything, or would she force the vampire to his knees?
I honestly had no idea what I wanted the answer to be.