King of the Vampires

Chapter Forty Two

"Hey!" Devlin shouted.

I knew it was cheap, but I couldn't stop myself from grabbing a fistful of his blond hair when he twisted my legs like that. Damn him and his infinite ability to pin me to the ground over and over again. At least the grass was getting greener as summer came into bloom and offered a little more cushioning.

Devlin made quick work of disabling my hold on his hair and flipping me over to pin my arms behind my back. "I hope every opponent you ever come across is bald," he teased, letting out a booming laugh that shook the sky.

When he let me go, I rolled over with the grace of a beached whale and sat up, wrapping my arms around my knees. The sun felt wonderful on my skin, making me tip my head back and soak in the rays. Even when I was sweating. Even when my background noise was the sound of a few dozen men grunting and groaning through their own drills.

"Come on, you're going to learn how to get out of this hold today. I don't care how long it takes," Devlin encouraged. Damn him for not being the slightest bit out of breath or for having a trace of sweat on him.

"You can't force me," I said stubbornly. A grin was on my face, but I wasn't entirely joking. Maybe I was sick of getting beaten over and over again. Maybe I was tired of getting stronger and faster, but somehow never strong enough or fast enough. Or maybe I was just feeling distracted.

"I may be your guard elsewhere, but here I run the show. You wanted to train. I am training you and I am doing it my way. The right way. We will end as soon as you figure out how to get out of the hold, I promise."

It must have been the lunch I had eaten. I knew eating a big full meal like that always made me a little tired. Earlier this morning, I had been bouncing all over. Even Pandora had been sick of my energy, kicking up her heels when I finally turned her out to pasture after two hours of work. But the food had smelled so tempting, the sandwich made to perfection with a garden fresh salad on the side. Now that I thought about it, it was probably the wine I had instead of water. I could have requested for water, a little surprised that the wine was being served already, but I hadn't cared enough.

Now the world had softer edges and fighting seemed so pointless.

"You aren't even listening to me, Lark," Devlin accused.

I fell flat onto my back, lying in the grass. "Sorry, I don't know what's going on today."

"I know you had a busy day out yesterday. If you weren't feeling up to it, you could have told me," Devlin said. He finally relented and sat down in the grass beside me.

It was true, yesterday had been busy. Xion had taken me for a ride through some nearby woods where he found a quiet spot for us to picnic. He told me of his childhood, of his intense mother. I told him about Sampson stealing my first kiss from me. Then it had been watching him in the throne room as citizens came to him with concerns. Daisy had found me eventually and wrangled me down for some measurements, claiming I was putting on weight. My figure did feel a little fuller. Though still slender and slight, I was gaining muscles and a little fat from eating properly.

"It didn't feel that busy," I admitted.

"Everyone has off days," Devlin said. He watched his guards train. I'm sure those intense eyes missed nothing.

He was a handsome man. I had always known that. He would have been a catch for any woman. Even me. Strong in ways that went below the flesh with a sense of humor that could crack a smile out of almost anyone. He was everything I wanted on paper. Farm strong, smart, kind. The way he was easy on the eyes was a bonus.

My gut rolled with discomfort. This was Devlin. Sweet, kind Devlin. I rose to my feet, brushing off the strands of grass as if they stung me. Something was making my skin itch and my hair stand on end. I needed to get out of here.

"Lark?"

"I think I need to be done for the day," I called over my shoulder, already on the move. I couldn't be here, couldn't stand to be around him. Devlin said something back. I didn't listen, didn't care. I just forced myself to keep my pace reasonable, not wanting to raise more alarm than I had.

I didn't know what was going on with me, didn't understand why I had thought of Devlin that way or why my body responded so harshly to it. I wasn't blind or immune to anyone else's charm in this world and after all this time I knew he was a friend, nothing more. He could never compare.

I entered the palace feeling breathless and more than a little wild. I needed to go to my room and lie down, maybe put a cool towel on my forehead until this all passed. My legs refused to carry me that way. In fact, I didn't know where I was going in this damn maze of a building. I just trusted that my body knew the way and moved quickly.

I didn't know I was on the right track until I saw Seraphina exit a room. Her expression should have been enough to send me spinning in the other direction. I didn't care. I stood and waited, watching the others file out one by one. I should have tried to place their faces; I couldn't find the care to do so.

Xion was the last person to leave, pushing the line of people forward. The mate bond kicked in full force when I spotted him and it seemed that I had the very same effect on him. The harsh lines of his face spoke of exhaustion and stress, but as soon as his dark eyes spotted me, his shoulders dropped a bit.

My name had barely finished dripping off his lips before my hand was fisted above his heart, gripping his pristine white shirt. I shoved him back into the room, slamming the door shut behind us. I released him to lock the door.

I had never been in this room before and in that moment I didn't care if I ever saw this room again. All that mattered was Xion. And the way he was leaning against the massive table, watching me with those dark eyes, it made me want to whimper. I could barely label what I was feeling but from the way he assessed me, he knew what it was.

"Little dove, what are you doing?" he asked.

His words were like silk wrapping around me so softly. I wanted to sink into them.

"Looking for you."

"Here I am."

"Here you are," I repeated.

I stepped in between his legs, grabbed a fistful of hair with one hand and a fistful of shirt with the other. And I kissed him. 

~~~Question of the Day~~~

Do you have any unusual or exotic pets?