Blood Ties (Blood Lust Sequel)--COMPLETED

Chapter Eighteen: Damaged Goods (Audrey's POV)

I woke up covered to my shoulders with a white cotton sheet, and nothing else. Stiffly, I sat up to see Lucius perched beneath his telescope, observing the stars. Cold air wafted in through the opening of the observatory roof, and I shivered harshly. 

"Apologies, my queen." Lucius spoke without looking at me. "I forget you humans tend to be sensitive to the cold." 

He stood from the chair and walked over to the north wall, pushing a big red button next to a light switch. A deep metallic clank echoed from the telescope, and it began to retract. As it retracted, the roof started closing, until it finally shut with a low clang. 

Now no new air was seeping in, but it was still frigid inside the observatory. My teeth chattered audibly, my body shook underneath the thin sheet. 

"Here, maybe this will warm you up." He knelt on the sofa bed to drape a thick comforter around my shoulders. Then, as an afterthought, Lucius planted a feather light kiss on my lips. 

I kissed him back, and before long, I was on my back with him trailing kisses from my mouth to my neck. My heart was racing, breathing ragged, anticipation of another round with Lucius had me squirming eagerly. His stubble tickled as he moved down between my breasts, and I let out a giggle. He stopped kissing me to look up with a grin. 

"I think I'm warmed up now." I chuckled, breathless. 

He was breathless, too. "Apologies...again." He shifted to sit on his knees, allowing me to sit up. "You must be famished. Would you like me to fetch you something to eat?"

I thought about it for a moment. I hadn't eaten since breakfast, but I really wasn't hungry. "I'm fine, thanks. Although I'm not sure that's a good thing." 

I had never really had much of an appetite to speak of, but when I arrived on Lachlan Island, it had only gotten worse. At first, I'd attributed it to all the trauma I'd experienced. But after things had finally settled down, my appetite never went back to normal. When I did eat, it was only to satiate the mild hunger I felt from time to time. What I really wanted wasn't food...and that scared the hell out of me. 

"I see." Lucius replied, studying my gaze. "Well, would you like a shower? A fresh change of clothes?"

I was grateful he didn't pry into what I'd said, and shook my head. "I'd actually like to just talk, if that's okay with you."

He offered a warm smile. "Of course, my queen. What would you like to discuss?"

"You." I looked at him, hopeful. "I'd like to learn more about you; your history with Gabriel and my great-grandfather." 

"If that is your wish." He gave me a slight nod of his head. "What would you like to know?"

I opened my mouth to speak, then shut it. There was hurt in his eyes when discussing the drawing he'd done of himself, and I'd do anything not to see him look that way again. "Anything that isn't too painful for you to talk about."

His rugged face softened, and he reached out to caress the apple of my cheek with his thumb. "There isn't anything too painful to discuss with you."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"Okay." I smiled at him warmly, still unwilling to delve into his past. "Tell me about my parents' wedding. You said the wedding was my dad's idea?" 

He chuckled. "Yes. Yes, Isaac was dead set on making an honest woman out of your mother. And Vanessa, being the free spirit that she was, didn't feel she needed a piece of paper to tie herself to your father. They loved each other--she felt that was enough."