Bloodlust

Alone

— VENICE —

My eyes roved the ornate walls of the mansion corridors. The elaborate sculptures, hyper-realistic portraits, and stunning paintings were a considerably better view than what lay before me.

I trailed behind Liam and the blonde witch, watching her continuously try to touch him as he continuously batted her off. The mental visual of them sharing a room set off some dark, deep hurt inside me. I focused on anything but that to keep myself from unraveling completely.

Each time I thought about the word "mate" now, her arrogant smile came to mind and filled me with apprehension. She tainted the entire word.

At the end of the hallway was an elevator. We filed inside, Liam standing between me and the other two. I couldn't meet his gaze.

We rode the lift in silence to the third floor. Normally, I'd try making conversation with the Royal Coordinator but I didn't want to draw any attention to myself. That, and I was exhausted.

Any remaining energy I'd had from the ball was now officially exhausted. Liam kept nudging me, but I didn't have the heart to look back.

I just wanted to get out of this dress and sleep. Maybe I'd get lucky and never wake up.

Kidding, of course.

We stepped out of the elevator and walked down a narrower hallway that looked like a hotel floor. After passing many doors on either side, we stopped in front of one.

The Royal Coordinator faced us with a deep breath. "Mr. Wood and Miss Snow, this will be your room," he said.

He unlocked it with a key card and pushed the door open. Propping it with his foot, he handed the card to Liam.

"I don't want her in my room," Liam said. "Can't she have her own? We're not together."

"I understand, sir," the man said, "but we have limited capacity given the number of guests staying in the mansion tonight."

Liam's face was set hard, his eyes hard like citrine. "Then we can put Eleanor in the other room and Venice can stay with me."

The man's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Mr. Wood, I'm afraid that is not compliant with pack rules. You may not be bound, but you are still mates. Miss Snow must stay with you."

A growl rolled out of Liam's throat. I grabbed his hand to prevent him from lashing out. His eyes flicked down to me, softening considerably.

"It's not his fault," I said.

He inhaled deeply through his nose before he acknowledged the man again. "Can I at least see where her room will be?"

"Of course."

Liam turned to Eleanor and pointed into the room. "Go sit down."

"No," she said tartly. "She might let you boss her around but I won't."

I rolled my eyes. This bitch.

"It's fine," I sighed. "I'm sure my room is somewhere on this hall anyway?"

The Royal Coordinator nodded. "You'll be at the very end on the left."

"See?" I asked, glimpsing Liam's aggravated expression. "I'll be just a few doors down."

His jaw clenched. He grabbed my hands and squeezed them. I nodded while forcing a smile.

"I'll see you in the morning then," he murmured.

My chest ached. The contact was too much knowing our audience, so I withdrew my hands from his.

"Sounds good," I murmured.