Chapter 24: CHAPTER 24

SERA'S POV

He stood there, looking at something outside the ice paned glass for the past thirty minutes, ignoring me. His hands were clasped behind his back, his hair perfectly done as usual. I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time, irritation itching my throat.

“Ehem,” I cleared my throat. “You summoned me in here to ignore me?”

Lucian’s chamber was just how I imagined it. There was a large table, the one he was standing behind now with books all over. All the windows were shut, like he was trying to trap out the cold but it was still as chilly in here. The rest of the room was empty and bare.

Like his cold, deserted heart.

“You are not meant to be here,” he replied coldly. “Not at least, till tomorrow if I can recall.”

I felt a muscle pop. “Well, you should be grateful I am here now,” I said through clenched teeth. “the longer you go unfed, the worse your curse is..I know that much.”

Lucian turned. His eyes were darker than I remembered, almost like blue frost. His jaw was clenched and his posture more rigid than ever.

“Do not overestimate yourself,” he said. “Your importance does not give you power. I have gone years without feeding from a catalyst. I can go more,” he spat.

A soft gasp escapes from my lips. How could he say that? Why the fuck did I even come here, embarrassing myself in front of this heartless man?

This was pointless. He hated me, and clearly there was nothing I could even learn from him. I sent him a death glare, hissing as I turned to leave.

Lucian stood in front of me. “Where are you going?”

“Oh my God,” I grabbed my chest. Fuck their unnatural speed. He just stared at me with those annoying blue eyes. “I am leaving, or do you have any more barbed insults to throw?”

His lips pursed into a thin line. “So soon? I thought you came to feed me.”

“Well clearly you don't need it,” I snapped. “You are so fucking ungrateful, you actually deserve to keep suffering,” I hissed, brushing past him.

Lucian appeared in front of me again, making me jerk. My hands brushed against the blade and his eyes dropped to my sleeve.

Shit, did he know?

Someone knocked on the door at that second and I let out a sigh of relief as he turned. “Who is that? State your business and leave.”

“My lord, the Lady Althea has requested an audience in the throne room.”

I slipped the knife out carefully, pushing it into my pockets.

“Tell her I am busy, and I will see her when I am done.”

His cold eyes returned back to me. “How does it work?”

“What?”

“The feeding,” he explained. “How does he work?”

“Haven't you fed from previous catalysts? I'm sure it all worked the same way,” I frowned, folding my arms

Lucian’s eyes trail over my face slowly, then drop to my chest. The shirt I had on had a low cut, and my breasts were practically spilling out of the cups and I dropped my hands quickly, my face turning warm.

“Each catalyst has a particular preference,” he said, his voice traveling straight to my toes. We were too close now, and I could feel his icy breath as he spoke. “Some of them prefer to be…physically stimulated, before the bite.”

I blushed. The thought of him doing that to me, his hands bringing pleasure to my body flickered in my mind.

No, Sera. This was still a monster.

“No thanks,” I said, standing straighter. “Whenever you are ready, just bite.”

Lucian stood there, his eyes boring into me just as I did the same, refusing to back away from him. My mind reminded me just what this man was capable of but I would be damned if I let him see me as a spineless bitch.

“What do you want, Sera?” He asked, his head tilting slightly. “I embarrassed you. Belittled you just last night. I beheaded a man in front of you, and you ran away afterwards. Why are you here a day early? What exactly is your motive?”

“Maybe I am not a cold heartless soul like you,” I fired back. “I have empathy.”

“Empathy,” he took a step forward.

I instinctively moved back, hissing when he closed the gap again. He was too close, his breath fanning my face. The door was just there, behind him, yet I knew I was never going to reach it.

“Move,” I hissed.

“And if I don't,” he said, taking another step forward. My breath came out faster, my thighs burning. I don't move back, hating, yet wanting something I could not explain from him.

“You know for someone with a lot of bark, you barely have any bite.”

Oh this bitch.

I shifted backwards, and at that exact moment, the sound of my heel snapping made my eyes open in panic as I fell down.

Lucian hands wrap around my waist, pulling me towards him easily. Before I could curse him out, his fangs sunk into my neck.

Holy shitttt.

Warmth spread all over my body, from where he drank to my toes. My eyes rolled in my head, and suddenly, everything fades away.

Why was I so damn angry?

He let out a little groan, sinking deeper, yet it barely hurt. The room felt so hot, and when I felt him reach for my corset, I melted into him.

So good. Desire bloomed at my fingertips as I grabbed his shoulders, begging him for something only he could give.

Lucian finally unlaces my corset and he ripped my shirt away with a snarl, the material breaking free easily. His hands quickly came up, cupping my breasts through the bra as he continued to drink.

He moves us, and my back hits a wall, but I didn't care. I wanted more, more of this.

His fangs retracted from my neck and suddenly, he licked the bite, his hit tongue sending a sharp pain to my clit. I moaned as his kisses went lower, his hands kneaded my breast, his lips trailing down, till he got there.

Just as his hands finally held on to my bra, the door flew open.

My eyes open too, looking at the figure in shock. Althea was standing there, her eyes wide as she took in the scene.

Lucian pulled away immediately, standing on the other side of the room.

“Oh I am so sorry,” Althea cried, rushing and closing the door. It did not help and instead, I was standing alone in my bra, my shirt torn and a hot and very clearly bothered vampire stared at me.

Shit, what did I do?

I grabbed the shirt from the ground, finding a way to put it back on. Lucian was eerily quiet and when I stared at him, his eyes were fixed on his hands.

He flexed them slowly, his lips parted slightly. The window glass behind him was clear, the frost that was there nowhere to be found.

Lucian raised his hand slowly, and placed it over his chest, his eyes dropping close.

I stared at him, confused. He looked darker now, his chest rising and falling slowly. Suddenly, he did not look so…cold.

“Can I leave please?” I asked quietly.

His eyes flew open, frost back in them. He doesn't say anything, just a single nod and I flew out, clutching my torn shirt.

And as I ran out, I saw the window pane slowly get covered with ice again.