I snorted and tilted back to the window, resting my right shoulder against the small window frame. “What were you and your twin talking about earlier in the lounge?”
“You didn’t listen in?”
“No, I was too busy watching for weird animals. Kimber told me about a few that didn’t sound pleasant.”
“We were simply enjoying each other’s company again.” King Belshazzar flopped onto his back and chuckled deeply. “And don’t tell me you’re scared of bugs.”
“Regular bugs? No.” I shook my head and smirked over my shoulder at him. “But bugs the size of my head? Maybe.”
“I’ll stomp on them for you. Never fear.” Bel quirked a crooked, devastating smile. “Come to bed, Gwen. I know you’re tired.”
I unfolded my arms and waggled a finger at him. “I told you, I’m only sleeping in bed with you.”
“I know.” Innocent eyes stared.
“Bel…”
“For fuck’s sake, fine.” He patted the bed and pulled the covers down on my side. “Get your ass over here. You look like you’re going to faint dead.”
“I slept a long time earlier. I shouldn’t be this tired.” I yawned and crawled into the bed, the room intimate—and ancient. I pulled the cover over my shoulder and rolled to face him. “Bel?”
His head tipped in my direction. “Yes?”
I hesitated, and then asked, “You really killed them all?”
The king’s sigh was long and drawn out. “I did. They hurt you, so I hurt them.”
“Why?” I probed. “That’s more than bizarre. You didn’t even know me then.”
My lover lifted a cocky eyebrow, challenging me with one look. “Bite me, and find out.”
That still made no sense, no matter how many times I ran it through my mind. He had not fainted when he’d bitten me the first time. But he did have that damned leather band on his wrist still…
My eyes drifted down to his neck, where his pulse beat a steady rhythm. Thump. Thump. Thump. It was powerful…and all male. I cleared my throat and lifted my eyes to his again. I grumbled, “You are a mysterious asshole that I wouldn’t mind stabbing right now.”
“Ah, but if you did that, you wouldn’t have anyone to put your freezing feet on.”
I blinked and scooted my bare feet back to my side of the bed. “Hey, you said you’d let me on your half of the bed tonight—and this damned bed is tiny. I’ll fall off if—”
He placed a gentle hand over my mouth, stopping my tirade. “I was teasing. Put your icy feet back over here. I’m positive I can take it.”
I shot my feet out instantly, burying them under his legs. “It’s bloody cold in here right now.”
King Belshazzar rolled and wrapped his arms around me, piling the cover over our faces. In the dimmed lighting, he looked into my eyes, his sparkling with naughty thoughts. “That better?”
I snorted and moved closer to him. “Just watch your right hand. It’s dangerously close to my… Bel! Hand. Off. My. Ass.”
Belshazzar snickered softly against my ear, pulling his hand up to rest it against the small of my back. He whispered huskily, “But it’s such a nice ass.”
“One you can’t currently touch,” I griped, wiggling my feet under his legs again. I pressed my palms to his bare, muscled chest, and struggled to keep my groan at bay. “How in the hell are you so warm?”
“I was made for you.” He tipped his head and kissed my temple. “Whatever you need, I can give.”
I grunted. “You still aren’t making any sense.”
“Do you need me to back away?” He pulled his head back to capture my gaze, utterly serious. His tone was quiet and even, none of his emotions on his features—just cool and calm, collected. “You can walk away from me anytime. I’ll wait for you.”
I sighed heavily and thumped my head against his chest, curling my fingers into his skin. “You keep saying that.”
“I’ve waited this long. I can wait longer if that is what you need,” he stated patiently—but gruffly. He didn’t like the words coming out of his mouth. “Like I said, whatever you need. You are still young.”
“I’m almost a thousand years old,” I mumbled. “That is not young, no matter what you say.”
“It is to me.” He kissed my temple again, his supple lips brushing against my skin softly. “Is that what you want? Do you want to walk away?”
I scrunched my nose in annoyance—and pinched his pectoral hard. “Shut up. You know I don’t want that.”
“But you don’t want to bite me, either.” King Belshazzar grunted. “Then you should quit asking me questions until you’re ready for the truth.”
“That’s a little harsh.” I blinked.
“That is how I feel.” He squeezed me, hugging my body tight. “There are two people in this relationship. You cannot think only of yourself, Gwen. I do have feelings, too, despite what I let on.”
My brows puckered. “I know that.”
“Good.” He snuggled his head down into the pillow and closed his eyes. “Go to sleep. You need the rest.”
I shut my own blue eyes and yawned wide against his skin. “I like you, Bel.”
“Hush. We are far past that.”
Truer words had never been spoken.
6
KIMBER
The city was a bit better than when we had left.
Drez and Jallina looked haggard.
Staviz didn’t look much better.
In fact, everyone looked like hell. The city was trying to survive and shelter the residents; the fires were contained but still smoldering, and there were lines for bread.
“What the hell happened here?” King Belshazzar questioned.
“Your vampires,” Dorian answered.
“These aren’t my vampires.” The King’s words were clipped and angry. “The vampires on Earth keep their intrigues to themselves.”
“Well, bully for your vampires,” Dorian snapped. “We’ve been stuck here, apart from them, since you disappeared.”
“I disappeared to find your brat—as you asked—and your demented son didn’t make it easy to get back here.”
“I didn’t think it would take you three goddamned millennia to find him and take his head off. And you didn’t have to lock the gate.”
“I didn’t lock the gate.”
“Funny. That looked pretty damn locked to me.”
“The damned amulets locked the gate! Your brat was the one who swiped one of the keys!”
Dorian scowled. “It still took you too damned long to get back here with them.”
Gwen started laughing, and I couldn’t keep the smirk off my face. Rilen and Roran were also chuckling, and even Aiko was wearing a smirk. Both Belshazzar and Dorian looked downright pissed at us.
Dorian stared at all of us. “What the hell are you laughing at?”
Roran was the only one composed enough to answer at that point. “You fight like brothers.”