Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
SEBASTIAN
Holding tightly to my control, it takes a long moment for me to exit the vehicle.
I’ve kept quiet, not trusting even my closest confidants with my secret.
After drinking the blood from our matron, my powers have doubled, then they tripled.
They kept growing, proving to be challenging to conceal around others.
I have lost control many times in the beginning, gaining the reputation of cruelty amongst our kind.
It serves me well, but that was not planned on my part.
Barely keeping it at bay, it took a long time to keep it at manageable levels.
If the Council gets a whiff of it, there will be a battle.
Eight to one will be the odds, and not in my favor.
“Having second thoughts?” Khan swishes his robes next to the open door. I can feel Marcus’s anger pulsing through our bond.
“Just building the suspense.” Chuckling lightly, I unfold my body from the leather seat. “I’m sure Andrei can feel me being close, informing our runner that her death is coming.”
“You are a fine male, Sebastian.” Excitement comes off of Khan in waves. “I don’t know why you keep refusing to join us permanently here in America.”
Buttoning the top two buttons of my jacket, forcing myself not to wrench the bastard’s head off in front of the hotel, I smirk at him.
“Ah, Khan. If I am here all the time, who will keep you on your toes when they visit?” They want me close so they can keep an eye on me, but he has no idea how close to being permanently in America I am.
“I’m sure you will do that even if we keep you locked in the Council Towers.” Petting my shoulder like we are old friends causes my fangs to throb in my mouth. If he keeps touching me, I might just rip his throat out.
“Shall we?” Pointing my hand gallantly, I encourage him to precede me into the hotel.
Puffing up his chest, he strides through the doors.
Following behind him, thoughts swirl in my mind.
I will have to be more alert, not allowing him to provoke me when April is present.
That’s another problem, as well. I have spoken the truth to her but now to keep her and all of mine alive, she will have to see a side of me that she always expected.
She will see the monster that even the Council fears.
There is no going around it. I’ll just have to smooth things over after Khan leaves.
If everything goes well. If not, I may not allow him to depart this hotel.
That will flip everything I’ve worked hard to build on its axes.
The door chimes before it slides open. We enter the elevator, the four of us.
Khan, his sentinel, Marcus, and me. With a gentle lurch, we start lifting up.
The closer we get to the penthouse, the more agitated I become.
My fist clenches in the pocket of my pants.
Marcus shifts slightly. Sometimes he is too observant for his own good.
When we reach the top floor, I’m of half a mind to slaughter both outsiders before they exit this metal contraption.
Marcus clears his throat. Khan glances at him, frowning, but I keep my focus at the doors. They will open any second now.
With a whoosh, the doors slide to the sides, the three of them exiting. I stand rooted to the spot, intently focused on Khan. When he realizes I didn’t follow him out of the elevator, he turns to me with raised eyebrows.
“Problem?” His voice is even, but the threat is evident on his face.
“You keep asking about a problem.” Moving my legs finally, I get in his face. “I’m starting to think you are looking forward to one.”
“Meh, I’m barely just asking.” Waving a hand nonchalantly, he stays facing me. “I haven’t spent enough time around you for centuries to know your…how should we call it?” Tilting his head left and right he grins. “Mechanics, let’s say.”
It is not a friendly grin. I match it.
“No mechanics, Khan, I assure you.” Walking past him, I stride to my front door. “Just pure instinct.”
I am grateful for the situation that allowed me to have Khan at my back when I enter the apartment.
Six females are in my living room. Five looking doe-eyed at me, batting their eyelashes and pushing their shoulders back.
One is standing apart from them, looking at her feet.
When she lifts her face up, all the oxygen in the room is sucked out.
Everything around me fades away, and I finally understand how humans feel when looking at one of us.
April watches me warily, uncertainty clouding her wide eyes.
She is breathtaking.
Andrei nudges her closer to the others, and she stumbles, sending an annoyed glare his way. Khan steps next to me, breaking me out of my stupefied state. What in the world am I doing? I’ll fuck up everything if I keep acting like an adolescent.
“Ah, I see you have entertainment, as well.”
Khan sounds delighted, as I knew he would.
He focuses on April straight away. My anger comes to a boiling point, and I can feel the control on my powers slipping like sand through my fingers.
Andrei whispers something to April, her eyes rounding in outrage or fear.
Ignoring everyone, it takes two long strides to find myself in front of her.
Snatching her by the arm, I whirl around, walking towards the bedroom.
Khan steps in front of me, blocking my path.
“I have my eye on that one. You can pick another.” He reaches a hand for her, but I push her behind my back.
“I hunger for more than just blood. You are my guest, but I have given way too much and been insulted on top of that. For my troubles, this one will do. You can have her after I am done.” Pulling April back to my side, I point at the scar on her neck.
It’s worse than any of the others have. “It looks like she can handle rough just fine. The others look too pampered. You are lenient in this country.”
Satisfied with my words, Khan looks at April hungrily. My hand tightens on her arm, making her gasp in pain. “Do not break her. I would like to taste this one as well.” With those words, he moves out of my way.
“You can play the guessing game of which one of those five is the runner.” Khan’s head snaps towards the women, malice glinting like a blade in his narrowed gaze.
“What about her?” Suspicion makes him squint at me.
“This one I ordered here. She came highly recommended.” Jerking April around, I shake her in front of Khan. “I can now see why.”
Chuckling gleefully, Khan moves towards the living room.
Not waiting on more interruptions, I walk calmly to the bedroom, pulling April along.
She stumbles, almost trips, but she doesn’t utter a sound.
When I reach the door, yanking it open more forcefully than I intended, I push her inside.
Slamming the door shut behind us, I’m panting like a human.
“Scream.” Words garbled through descended fangs, I hold myself in check so I don’t pounce on her.
“What?” April sounds breathless, her words barely above a whisper, eyes darting around looking for an escape.
“Scream, April. Like your life depends on it.” When she just stares at me like I’ve lost my mind, I snarl at her, baring my throbbing fangs in her face.
A high-pitched scream makes my ears ring for a moment. When she has expelled all the air from her lungs, she gulps. Me reaching for her causes another scream to echo around us, and chuckles from the living room follow the sound. I keep advancing until she is pressed between my chest and the wall.
“I will need you to cooperate, April…willingly.” The blood is drained from her face.
“Are you going to kill me?” A vein is throbbing on the side of her neck, the sound of her thundering heart too loud in my ears.
“What? What on Earth makes you think I will kill you after the great lengths I’m going to in order to make sure that you live?”
“You really need to look at yourself in the mirror when you ask women to scream.” Swallowing thickly, pressing both her palms on my chest, she gives me a shove. “Move!” April hisses.” I’m already intimidated, no need to manhandle me.”
“I need you to take more of my blood.”
As I expected, her mouth opens slightly, and she gapes at me.
It takes her a long moment to blink. In the meantime, I allow myself to feast on the sight of her pressed to my chest. The small amount of blood she accidentally took is already doing its magic on her.
Her hollowed cheeks are not sunken, and the paleness of her skin is replaced by a rosy glow.
April curls the fingers of one hand around the front of my jacket. Unable to pull me down, she lifts herself up, getting in my face. “Humans don’t drink blood. That’s your job. It’s also why we hate you.”
She is so close, I can feel the breath passing her lips, caressing my skin.
Anger burns like fire in her gaze, making the predator in me answer to the challenge.
Taking hold of her waist, I lift her up until we are nose to nose.
Gasping, she stares at me, shocked. Not giving her time to react, I press my mouth to hers, my tongue sliding between her lips.
April stiffens in my arms, but after having one taste of her, I cannot stop myself.
Pressing a thigh between her legs, I keep twining my tongue with hers, an appreciative groan rumbling in my chest. Mindful of my fangs, I don’t plunder her mouth as I would’ve liked.
Expecting her to bite or try pushing me away, my blood comes to boil when a deep sensual moan comes from her.
With great reluctance, I pull back. It’s a night where my control is greatly tested because there is nothing that I want more than to bury myself in her at this moment.
When her eyes finally open and become more alert, I grin at her.
“That was a lot of hate I felt, little one. I think I’m going to enjoy being a hated male very much.
” When her eyes turn to slits, I kiss her again.
When I let her come up for air, pressing my forehead to hers, I can’t help but chuckle.
“Tonight, everything is going to shit.” As soon as I finish talking, a sting on my face blooms at the same time as a loud slap sounds around us.
Never in my immortal life have I been more surprised than right now.
She slapped me.