8. Cassandra

CHAPTER 8

Cassandra

" Y ou truly should have been there, Darlene," Reginald, Archibald's prick of a father, said from where he had so boldly claimed the head of the table in the formal dining room. "The king's band of assassins looked positively stretched thin, as if one strong hit would end them all. It was quite glorious," he continued, gazing down at me where I absentmindedly stroked Talon's fur from where he sat at my side at the opposite end of the table. "I was quite surprised not to see you at court," he said, looking directly at me. "You've been such a staple there lately."

I didn't miss the undertones of accusation that lilted in his words. I stopped petting Talon, and raised my hands, wrapping them around my glass and taking a long sip of the blood residing within it. I didn't want to dignify him with a response too quickly, and it was quite amusing to watch him get irritated the longer I took. I gave a slow, almost lazy shrug. "I needed a vacation," I finally answered.

"A vacation from court?" Reginald huffed, casting a curious glance at my mother as if to say can you believe the youth ? "It seems to me that all you did while you were there was wear pretty gowns and waltz around between groups of nobles. Unless there was something else you were working on that we aren't privy to?"

It was all I could do not to bear my fangs at the prick. "No, there is nothing that you need to be privy to, trust me."

My mother arched a thin eyebrow my direction, not exactly chiding me because the Wrights weren't her favorite vampire family, but they did have a certain level of power and prestige that we simply couldn't ignore when it came down to picking allies.

"I did miss seeing you in court." Archibald, Reginald's son, finally took a break from gorging himself on the human blood in the decanter before him, and spoke from where he sat to my right. A strategic choice no doubt approved of by my mother, dangling me like a freshly opened vein in the hopes they would make an offer for me that she couldn't refuse.

"It's true," Reginald said, smacking his hand against the table playfully before he pointed at his son. "The moment he found out you'd fled the king's residence, he told me we needed to make a trip out to this wonderful island."

Archibald didn't even have the sense to look embarrassed by his father's eagerness to spill his secrets.

"Well, you certainly were busy at court," Archibald continued. "Always flitting about. I could never catch you to steal a dance or a dinner. But now here we are, on an island that is nothing if not made for leisure. Certainly, I'll be able to spend some quality time with you now."

Talon growled in his panther form, and my instincts had me stroking down his massive head as he sat up on his haunches, making himself visible over the table where he had previously been lying at my feet.

" What are you getting growly about ?" I asked down the shifter bond.

" Nothing ," he said directly into my mind. " I'm just bored ."

" That would make two of us ," I said, leaning back in my chair and completely ignoring Archibald's continued attempts to make small talk. My mother filled in the gaps easily enough, and even when I'd throw in a casual reference to one of my brothers, nobody seemed to have any other information that would be useful to us.

" I seriously can't stand this pompous ass ," I said an hour later when Archibald continued to somehow move closer to me despite the formal dining sitting. Every time he moved an inch closer, I moved an inch farther away until I was practically off my seat and about to mount the back of Talon.

" Was he this forward at court ?" Talon asked, eliciting another growl as Archibald laughed at one of his own jokes.

" Yes ," I said. " He and his family have had their eyes on me for a while. But his advances have gone up in the last few months since my father's death. They're desperate to solidify our alliance, and are both completely unaware of my mother's dislike for their family ."

" Then why is she even entertaining them at all ?"

" Because my mother will never turn down a potential alliance with anyone who has wealth and power and prestige in the vampire community. Plus the Wrights' own ideologies mimic my mother's. She could do worse, and she knows it. Especially when my suitability to carry on our family's bloodline has recently come into question."

" All because you couldn't... because you and Alek didn't work out ?"

I actually laughed out loud at the way Talon tried to recover, and Archibald's eyes lit up because he thought I'd laughed at something he said. Godsdamn it.

" What's funny ?" Talon asked.

" I find it wildly entertaining that simply because I gave you some blood you're turning into a soft little purring kitten ," I teased him. " Where is the snappy, cocky, Viking vampire I know and loathe?"

Talon growled again. " Oh, don't you worry. He's right here. Excuse me for trying to practice a little civility in return for your generous donation."

I pressed my lips together, mostly to keep from smiling at Talon's tone. It was easier to focus on that, to think about the common ground that we'd started on and not where we were actually at, which was confusing as hell.

It'd been four days since I finally forced the grumpy old vampire to feed.

Four days since we'd exchanged blood and he'd given me the best orgasms of my life.

I didn't know if it was because of the close proximity, the mission we'd been chained together on, or if it had simply been the chemistry we couldn't deny, but it had been world-shaking.

I'd been ready to do much more than just what he offered, but he had made it absolutely clear that he wasn't as affected by me as I was by him.

His quick departure and even quicker shower had been a blaring rejection of all things intimate. He showed me he held all the power, as he always would. The hunter who hated me.

Drinking from me and getting me off was one thing, but he wouldn't dare let me return the favor.

And that was fine.

That was fair.

It was clean and brutally honest, at least, though I couldn't deny the sense of hurt that swelled within me every time I thought about it. You'd think I'd be used to rejection by now. Used to not being enough for anybody, intimate or otherwise.

I'd spent my whole life never measuring up to what my family wanted to me to be, and then when they forced me to go after Alek, a near impossible situation, he hadn't wanted me either.

I understood why. Not only were Alek and I inherently different, I also hadn't been preforming as myself. I'd been the daughter my family wanted me to be. Forced and pressured to pursue the king.

But it didn't change the fact that I wasn't sure if there was a vampire alive who would like me for… me . And that was a dark place to be, not that I was a stranger to it, but I was growing weary of living in shadows.

For a moment, when I'd locked gazes with Talon's arctic blue eyes, when I'd been trapped within his embrace, his blood still fresh on my tongue and him drinking from me, I'd felt something . A sense of camaraderie and hope. For a moment, I wasn't alone in this wretched world.

All it'd really been was a vulnerable moment on my part.

An exchange of needs.

A basic transaction where he'd done me a kindness by not leaving me on the edge after drinking his blood. Honestly, I shouldn't have expected or wanted more than that.

The memory of his hands on my body, his lips on mine, and his blood in my mouth set my veins on fire, and as quickly as I tried to shut down the sensation, it flooded me. My instincts ached for more, to chase that high. To be so completely alive in the moment with someone that all other grievances of our current situation disappeared.

Archibald stopped talking mid-sentence, and Talon gave a low warning growl at the same time.

Both males likely scented my desire, and if Archibald's disgustingly hopeful face was any indication, he thought it was in regards to him .

Godsdamn me.

Sometimes I really hated being a vampire.

I glanced down the table at my mother and Reginald, wondering if they scented it too, but neither paid any attention. And after a few more moments, they retired from the formal dining room saying they were going for a walk on the beach.

She'd probably fuck him out of boredom, and likely expected me to do the same with Archibald. He probably expected the same, but I would do no such thing.

I did him the courtesy of listening to him prattle on about himself and his achievements and his aspirations for the future, which involved things our king would definitely not approve of, for another hour.

"I'm finished," I said with no preamble, unable to take another second in his company. I backed away from the table, heading down the hallway where my chambers resided. Archibald followed me every step of the way as if I invited him.

I stopped at the edge of the hallway that would lead to my bedroom, turning around to face him. "Are you lost, Archibald?" I asked.

"Not at all," he said, stepping closer to me.

I retreated, my spine hitting the wall as I looked up at him.

He was a good head taller than me, and certainly pudgier around the middle, not to mention he had at least a hundred years on me. He was no doubt stronger, but I knew if I had to, thanks to Talon's training, I could fend him off.

Talon was still in his panther form at my side, hackles rising as he watched the exchange.

Archibald leaned an arm against the wall, half caging me in. Anxiety clawed up my throat. "I think I'm exactly where I need to be," he continued, sliding one finger boldly toward my face as if he was going to trace my jawline.

I easily deflected his touch, which only ignited a fire in his eyes. "Don't touch me."

His smile was sickening, and rolled my stomach. "You want to play hard to get? That's fine by me. I'm a fan of those games. But I scented you earlier, I know you want me."

"Trust me, I have no interest in you," I fired back. "What you scented was because I'd retreated into a delightful memory out of sheer boredom."

Talon chuffed at my side, pacing back and forth slightly on his paws.

"The lies you tell yourself," he said, shaking his head. "I don't need the games. I've made my intentions known with you and your family. It's time you made good on all that you've been dangling in front of me for months."

My lips parted in shock. How could he interpret me leading him on when I did everything to avoid him at every encounter? "You're delusional," I said, attempting to move, but he stopped me by slamming another arm on the other side of my face. "Let me pass," I demanded, my pulse spiking with adrenaline.

"No, I don't think I will. You see, I'm quite tired of chasing you. I'm all up for role-playing, but this is getting old. You know what my family can offer yours. This is a basic exchange of wealth and power. We'll only complement each other. So now it's time to take this to the next level."

He dipped his head, his mouth aiming for mine.

I snapped my hand against his chest, stopping him, but just barely. I tried to shove him off of me, but those hundred years between us definitely made it difficult.

"You can fight it," he said. "I actually like it when they do. It makes the blood taste so much sweeter."

His hands flung to my shoulders, gripping me in place hard enough to hurt.

Panic filled my mind, slowing my reactions as I battled between the suffocating feeling of being trapped, and the undeniable need to get free.

"Let me go," I said, but he didn't budge. "I'm warning you?—"

"You're warning me? You're younger than me and much less powerful. You will do what I say. You will give me what I want." His fangs punched out, and he bared them as he moved toward my throat.

I grabbed his face, using all of my strength to hold him back. "No," I yelled through my struggles. "No!"

"Yes," he said, pressing his body flush against mine.

My heart raced, my entire body shaking as I tried and tried to fight him off?—

The weight of Archibald's body jerked off of mine, his fangs coming nowhere near my neck as he was flung to the other side of the hallway.

It took me a few seconds to realize what was happening. Talon's panther form leaped atop Archibald, his impressive teeth sinking into Archibald's throat and tearing.

Blood sprayed over my body, and Archibald barely had time to scream before his body went limp, his head detached from his body.

The panther turned his head to look up at me, his eyes practically glowing yellow and the fur around his teeth soaked with blood.

I didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do, as I looked down at myself. "You ruined my dress," I said out loud, the only thing I could think of to say.

"And you've made a mess," my mother's voice sounded from the end of the hallway, and I cringed. She glanced at Archibald's lifeless body, then at my panther, and then at me. "I never liked that pompous ass," she said. "But gods, this will be hard to get out of the marble." She snapped her fingers and Joffrey appeared. I had the decency to flash him an apologetic look.

"Please see to it that this mess is cleaned up," she said to her talem, then she smoothed the folds of her elegant ball gown. "I suppose I'll have to drink a little more of Reginald tonight than usual. We can't have him trying to enact any form of justice." She seemed completely delighted by the idea. "I'll give you one thing, my darling, you certainly have made this place less boring." She gave me a sinister wink and disappeared.

I nodded toward my mother's talem again before hurrying to my bedroom, Talon on my heels, before locking the door behind us.

He shifted instantly, yanking on his sweats like he always did, just angrier than usual this time.

"What the hell was that?" I snapped.

Talon wouldn't turn around to face me, instead he flexed and unflexed his fingers into fists at his side, his muscles shaking.

"Talon, what the fuck was that?" I asked again.

"He touched you," he said, his voice scraped raw.

"He's not the first vampire who has tried to take something from me that I didn't consent to. I would've eventually gotten away?—"

"He was about to drink from you!" Talon shouted, whirling around to finally look at me.

I went wholly still. He was every inch the Viking hunter that I'd heard stories about.

His pupils were fully blown out, his fangs bared, the evidence of Archibald's blood caked to his chin even in his vampire form. He looked like an animal. More like his shifter self than vampire in that moment.

I spared half a thought as to why I wasn't afraid when I absolutely should've been. The vampire had joked about killing me no less than a dozen times, but for some reason, all I could feel was sorry .

I stepped into his space, slowly, deliberately, arching my neck as I looked up and up at him.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'll be faster next time," I assured him.

I hated that he'd had to kill for me. I hadn't expected him to, but of course, it's what Shadow would've done. She would have ripped Archibald to shreds without a second thought. But Talon wasn't Shadow. Talon wasn't an animal that viewed things in black and white.

He was a hunter who was used to carrying out justice , not killing in cold blood.

"Don't be sorry," he said, leaning down so close that I could smell the blood on his breath. "I'd do it again, only I'd make it last longer. You said no . You told him no and he didn't listen."

"That's not exactly new for me," I said.

Talon bared his fangs again, every muscle in his body flexing like he had too much energy trying to escape his body.

"Talon," I said, unable to form the string of words I needed to. I had too many emotions flying around, and I couldn't tell which were mine and which were his thanks to that connection he'd fashioned between us. I was being catapulted from anger and possession and desire and fear.

I had no idea where I would land.

I reached up, gently gliding my hand along his cheek, almost petting him like he was still in the panther form. His eyes instantly closed, and he leaned into my palm like he would do when he was intimidating Shadow. He let out a long, heavy sigh that had some of those coiled muscles un-bunching.

I'd never seen him as vulnerable as he was now, and I didn't have a clue how to handle him like this. When he was throwing insults my way or accusing me of being a spoiled rich vampire, it was normal, expected. This?

This raw exposed side of him?

We were in uncharted territory.

"It's okay," I said. "It's okay." I tried to be as soothing as I could, using my free hand to slide into his and guide him toward the bathroom.

To my utter surprise, he followed me and let me situate him in front of the sink, guiding him down upon a cushioned stool where I could reach his face while standing. I wet a cloth, and timidly approached him, gauging his reaction as I started to wipe Archibald's blood off of his face.

He let me.

He sat perfectly still, his eyes locked on me as I gently cleaned the blood from his face.

I continued to hold on to his chin even after I'd finished, some aching part of me unwilling to let this side of him go. I knew I likely only had seconds before he returned to the hunter who hated me, so I clung to the one who was letting me take care of him. Something I highly doubt he allowed very often.

I set the cloth on the counter and turned back to face him. I was only slightly taller with him sitting, but we were damn near eye to eye. His pupils had gone down, but only a thin ring of blue showed.

He shook his head. "No one touches you without your consent," he said, and it sounded more like a threat than a suggestion. "No one can touch you," he said again, sounding like he was speaking more to himself than me.

"Okay," I said. "No one touches me."

He sighed, and then, countering everything he'd just said, he slid his hands around my waist and dipped his forehead down to lean against my chest.

It took me a moment to return the embrace, shock rippling down every inch of my body.

Every time we touched prior had been during training or after fighting. But this?

This was different.

This was gentle.

And even though I knew it was only a small facet of the many that made up who Talon was, I went with it.

I stroked my fingers through his hair, standing there holding him like that until every one of his muscles unclenched and his breathing evened out. And after some time, he looked up at me, his eyes completely blue again. Riddled with confusion, but perfectly blue.

"We should sleep," he said, breaking away from me and walking out of the bathroom and to his side of the bed.

I stood in the bathroom, completely flabbergasted before shaking my head. I didn't bother telling him I was going to take a shower, instead just stripped down and stepped underneath the hot water. I couldn't help but mourn the loss of gentle Talon, but considered myself lucky I'd seen it at all. I highly doubted anybody ever did. And I was quite certain that when I stepped out of this bathroom, he'd be back to his normal self...barely tolerating my existence.