Chapter 79 Your vampire
LYS
“There was no cause for alarm after all,” My eyes swept over every last detail of my reflection in the mirror, and I turned around.
Hale’s hand was hanging on his loosened tie, which he had wiggled free while watching me fuck myself.
His eyes hardened, “There wasn't not nothing to worry about.”
“Is that English?” I closed the distance between us, oddly not afraid of him at the moment. “Your former college student would be disappointed.”
I leaned close till I could smell his aftershave, refreshing mint, and stared right into his eyes as I gently pushed his hand off to fix his tie for him.
He stood still, our faces so close that I could see the area those blue irises darkened around the corner, as my fingers pushed the knot snug against his throat.
So much for promising myself never to be alone with just one man anymore.
“You’ll be shocked at what I would do to a student who insolently interrupted me.” Hale's whisper matched mine, tone cold as ice.
Our bodies were moving now, he was backing me against a wall.
“We cannot be in here much longer.” My heart started to race, my eyes still glued to those blue pools, unable to tear my gaze away.
“Tell him, Lys. Tell him you do not love him. Tell him today.”
“Hale.” The impact of my back against the wall knocked an exhale out of me. “It doesn’t matter if I tell him or not. I’ll not marry Fentone.”
“It matters to me, Lys,” he shot out. “Do you understand how difficult it was to sit through all that downstairs, to watch your parents show you off to the district leaders like their bloody livestock. Here, she is in good health, ready to mate, and we won’t be taking a cent less than previously bargained.”
I bit my lip hard as my gaze dropped.
My cheeks were heating up now, embarrassed at the truth of his words. Embarrassed that he got to witness my family treat me this way.
He learned about the marriage arrangement between the Grunders and Mullers because of this same meeting.
Puppet Alpha, in yet another bid to humiliate Dad, had called a meeting to verify my health. A physical reassurance to the district leaders that I was back on my feet even though their children and employees had already seen me return to the academy.
The meeting was pointless, more an excuse to dine the supernatural creatures, but it was just like him to rub Dad's face in the mud, in public, especially after the news of the silver cage “breakout” spread.
I slipped away from Hale and started to hurry towards the bedroom, my heart thudding.
“Seems I'll be having my first experience of home alone over the next few days.”
Hale stayed quiet, and even with my back turned, I could feel the frustration rolling off him at my abrupt change of topic.
“You’ll find that Daine is quite the company when he isn't pinning over his late queen.” He breathed finally.
I stopped at the doorway, turning back. “Hale, I…”
He covered the distance in two strides, kissed my forehead, and was gone.
I sagged in relief against the door frame as the bedroom door clicked shut several feet away, and stared down at the blood in my palms.
In the last few seconds when Hale had me pinned against the wall, my claws had extended on their own, pushing into my flesh no matter how much I willed them back.
Why was I surprised? I was breaking the only rule that could save my life, indulging in warm hugs and heart-to-heart conversations.
My hands trembled as I stared down at my claws, waiting, sweating and struggling not to panic.
It has happened before, Lys. Breathe.
The fangs extended, and snapped back in place.
My skin glowed, and returned to normal.
This would stop too. It had to.
And finally, after what felt like an eternity. It did.
I washed the blood off my hands, scrubbed it from under my fingernails, grabbed my purse and half ran out of the bedroom.
“Lys Astre Grunder.”
I halted.
Then I spun around to stare at Grandma, leaning against a wall, two steps away from the bedroom door.
“Is it him?”
My heart stopped. She had seen Hale leave. I told him we had to be more caref…
No. She was talking about something else.
She knew Hale. Who he really was. So it was only normal that I would be sneaking off into closed bedrooms with him when that was literally the agreement.
“What are you talking about?”
“Is Cedric Clair your vampire?” Her voice was cold. She pushed off the wall, moved, and stopped just a hair's breath away from me.
“What?” I blinked.
My face scrunched up at the image of me and Cedric Claire.
I paused.
This would be convenient, take her attention away from Finn for good.
“No.” I said.
As tempted as I was to grasp onto that cover, I had no desire to add to Gianna's long list of reasons why she hated me.
Every creature in Silver Summit District knew that the billionaire vampire had the biggest crush on my sister, even though it terribly infuriated her.
Still… I shivered.
“Why did you steal the Silverpass?”
The change of subject was so sudden, so direct it had me choking on air. “I…”
“Don’t insult my intelligence by trying to manufacture a lie, granddaughter,” she snapped.
I pressed my lips shut.
“Do you understand the significance of what you did?” She whispered, her voice fierce, eyes hard. “This meeting,” she pointed downstairs. “is technically a humiliation ritual for the Grunders and Bells.”
My hand tightened on my purse, jerking.
“They heard the rumors. The evil witch who was scheduled to be executed somehow broke out of the famous silver cage. A cage I built.”
She paused, and her eyes narrowed into slits.
“You, Lys, caused me my first embarrassment before your father.”
A hot itch started in my throat. I tried to speak, but she silenced me with a head shake.
“Don’t apologize. It changes nothing.” She placed one hand on my arm.
Her touch, usually soothing, unnerved me now.
“Tell me why you did it.”
I swallowed.
Admitting the truth might bring Gianna that much closer to returning to that rehab. But lying was pointless too.
Anyone who knew us, our history could easily tell why I did something so dangerous.
“Gianna.” I whispered finally. Grandma nodded.
“Quite Original."
We stood in silence. And then she sighed, her eyes widening an inch in sudden realization, “That vampire smell…”
My stomach knotted.
“It’s almost gone. It’s still there, but only just.”
I pressed my lips flat, forcing myself to think of something else, anything at all to stop this spread of heat on my cheeks.
Suddenly, her hand tightened around my arm, “Have you consummated the marriage?”
“What?” my jaw fell.
“Have you shared a bed with them?” my innocent-faced grandmother repeated, and my cheeks were on fire now.
I have to fuck you before I leave for Japan.
“No,” I whispered.
“Good.” Her face broke into a full smile, her eyes shining with delight. “I found a solution, I told you I would.”
She linked her arm through mine, and I could feel her love for me radiating off her again as she led us towards the stairs.
“You'll not be returning to that house. We will break off your marriage to them tonight.”