Eve opened her eyes, feeling more refreshed and rested than she had in a long time. She didn’t know what time it was, but judging by the dead silence in the courtyard below her room, it must have been well into the night.
She rose naked from the bed and reached for her clothes. Thankfully, everything was dry. After her weapons were secure on her belt and thigh strap, she brushed her hair. When she heard a knock on the door, Eve froze.
‘Milady, it’s me, Lena,’ a female voice called. ‘I’ve come by order of the king.’
Relieved, she went to the door. Had she really thought Drago would come to see her? She opened the entry and stared at a young woman holding a bundle of clothes.
‘Milady, the king asked that I bring you these. May I come in?’
She recovered from her surprise and stepped aside. ‘Please call me Eve. I…I just woke up. Don’t tell me the king made you wait outside my door all night.’
‘Oh no, milady.’ Lena laughed softly. ‘His Highness isn’t an ogre. My chamber is at the end of the hall and my Lycan ears heard you rise. I trust you slept well?’
‘I did. Thank you.’
She stared at the dresses Lena carried to the bed and frowned. ‘What are these?’ she asked slowly, walking towards the bed. She picked up a royal blue gown with silver lace trim.
Lena smiled. ‘The king asked me to bring them to you.’
Eve hid her own smile. She hadn’t worn a dress in over three hundred years. ‘Thank the king for his kindness, but I have no use for them.’
‘Milady?’
‘I said please take them back.’
‘His Royal Highness said your clothes were wet.’
She looked down at herself. ‘As you can see, they’re dry now.’
‘Is there anything I can get you?’ Lena asked, looking a bit confused.
A familiar stab speared Eve’s gut and she froze. Oh God, not now. She gritted her teeth as her gaze dipped to Lena’s neck. Eve could smell the blood pulsing through the young girl’s veins. ‘No. Nothing,’ she managed to say. Please…please just leave, she thought. It wouldn’t look good if she went from saving a life in the afternoon to taking a life in the evening. She gritted her teeth, summoning all her strength to ignore the sweet, tantalizing scent of Lena’s blood.
‘As you wish, milady,’ the young lady said and left.
As soon as the maid shut the door behind her, Eve gasped for breath and clutched her stomach. She could put off her feeding for an hour.
There was something she had to do first.
Drawing the drapes aside, she pushed the window open and lifted herself over the ledge. She stood on the large windowsill and stared down at the courtyard. Thankfully, she didn’t see anyone below and promptly flung herself from the ledge, sailing through the air until she landed on her feet below. Her stomach churned with hunger, but she ignored it. She still had time.
She ran to the well. Quickly, she drew her dagger from her belt and pushed back the hem of her sleeve. With one deft move, she slit her wrist and stretched her hand over the well. She watched her blood spill and when she was satisfied there was enough of it in the water, she drew back her hand and watched her cut heal and disappear.
She heard a growl behind her and spun around. A dark haired woman dressed in a pale green gown stood behind her, her expression unpleasant as she ran a derisive glance over her. The hair at the back of Eve’s neck rose.
‘You must be the new guest at the castle everyone is talking about. The one who saved Becca,’ the stranger said coldly, glancing down at Eve’s wrist. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Nothing that should concern you.’ Eve did not like the woman.
The woman’s face hardened. ‘You’re poisoning our well with your vampire blood, aren’t you?’
Eve narrowed her eyes. ‘It’s not what you think. I’m not trying to hurt anyone. I suggest you leave and forget you saw me here.’
The woman’s eyes shifted to amber and Eve clenched her fists. So she was a Lycan. If it was a battle she wanted, she was going to get it.
‘I’m sure Drago will be interested to know what you’ve done.’
Drago? Did all the villagers address the king in such a familiar manner? She stared at the woman and realised she had to follow her. The last thing she wanted was Drago thinking she was trying to kill his people.
Pursing her lips, she followed the woman back into the castle.
* * * *
Drago’s body went cold and he gripped the armrests of his throne. Nolan was talking to him, but he couldn’t hear a word. It was Eve. He…he felt her. His heart thudded against his chest as he waved a dismissive hand at Nolan and staggered to his feet.
‘Your Highness, are you all right?’ Nolan asked.
Drago wasn’t so sure. He was stunned at the powerful connection he was experiencing with Eve.
‘Your Highness?’ Nolan asked.
‘It’s nothing,’ Drago growled. ‘Leave me be.’
He sensed her approaching the Great Hall and his gut jolted violently. He stared at the door, his heart racing like a thoroughbred in his chest.
He tensed his mouth as he stepped down from his throne’s dais and stood with legs apart, hands clenched at his sides.
She entered slowly behind Gretchen and her wariness ran across the room and hit him. She was nervous. Grim-faced, he strode to her and stared down at her beautiful face. Up close, she didn’t look as wary as he thought. She looked uncertain, almost frightened. The thought didn’t make sense to him. Frightened was a word he would never use to describe her. His gaze ran over her tight, leather garb and he frowned, wondering why she wasn’t wearing one of the gowns he sent her.
‘Drago, I caught her at the well slitting her wrist,’ Gretchen began. ‘She was trying to kill us with her poisonous blood.’
The room grew silent and all eyes turned on them. Drago kept his gaze fastened on Eve. ‘Thank you. That is all, Gretchen,’ he said firmly.
‘She was tainting the well with her blood. The well is poisoned,’ Gretchen persisted.
‘I said that is all!’ Drago thundered. ‘Leave us.’ He shot her a harsh look. Damnation, the wench was getting out of control. He’d known for months he had to break things off with her.
‘But, Drago, she was poisoning the water!’
‘No, she wasn’t,’ he said, turning his gaze to Eve. One drop of my blood will cure her madness, she’d told him. She wasn’t trying to kill his people. She was trying to help them. With every turn of his head, this woman was proving herself to be a champion, a hero. He would have never believed in a thousand years a vampire of her valour existed. He drew in a ragged breath, realising he had done a gross injustice to her, thinking she was evil. She wasn’t. His instinct had been right when he showed her his tunnels. She was honourable, her integrity unquestionable.
Gretchen released a low growl and left the Great Hall. Drago swept a dark gaze around the room and immediately his guards went back to what they were doing.
Grimly, he returned his attention to Eve.
She looked around the room, her expression nervous. ‘I…I didn’t expect so many people here.’
Her expression gave way to fear and he frowned. She looked terrified. ‘Do not fear my guards. They all know you are our ally.’ She nodded, but the fear remained on her face. ‘Let us sit down.’
He saw her nostrils flare as she darted her gaze frantically around the room. ‘Can we…can we sit over there,’ she said huskily, pointing to his throne. It was the only isolated spot in the room.
A dawning realisation struck him and he narrowed his eyes. ‘You do not fear my men,’ he said. ‘You fear your thirst.’
She gave him a look that was a strange mixture of fear, disgust and anger. ‘Yes.’ She released a strangled breath. ‘This is no good. I have to go. I’m sorry, but I’m not used to being around so many people.’ She took an unsteady step back. ‘I haven’t…I have to…’ Her expression flickered with suppressed emotion. ‘I’m sorry. I must go.’ And she turned and fled.
