Of Blood and Downfall

Chapter 29.

Karden's POV:

My fangs dig into my bottom lip as I watch Calen and Mavis walk to the dance floor. She twirls around in his hold then falls into his arms. He places one hand on her waist and the other threads through her fingers. They laugh and sway from side to side then in circles. His stupid fire sprite sitting on his shoulder.

"And she rejected me." Damien says to the group, shaking his head.

"She's playing hard to get." James, another friend of ours jokes.

"Maybe she doesn't like vampires." Jack interjects mostly to himself.

"She's afraid of our bite." Lou answers with a grind of his teeth. I give him a threatening look.

Ryker returns to our table and sighs, sweat beads on his forehead.

"Any good?" Damien asks.

"I guess?" Ryker lets out, his hands shaking. "She's so scary."

"Our sister isn't scary." I tell him and he gulps, loosening the tie around his neck.

"She denied my offer to dance. The human—Mavis actually helped me."

"About that." Aiden chimes in and adds, "I told her about you two being mates."

Ryker slumps in his seat and his shoulders drop, "Well... I don't know how to feel about that."

Aiden winces, "At least she helped."

"Let's hope she doesn't spill the news to Issy." Lou adds, slouching in his seat with boredom.

"She won't." I answer confidently, watching Mavis continue to dance with Calen. Sadness was whispering in her orbs when she walked past me, her arm gentle like a feather against mine.

Damien does a double take when he realizes my fangs are exposed.

"Are you hungry?" He asks me and my stomach clenches.

"I'm starving." I growl, my body heating to the closeness of her body against Calen.

"Get some blood over there." James suggests, pointing at the thermals on the table beside the buffet that hasn't been touched for a few hours.

"I want something warmer." My predatorily instincts kick in and even though I'm aching for Mavis, I find a brunette servant two tables away from us.

"Karden," Aiden warns, "Don't make a fool out of yourself."

I stand, watching her place empty glasses on a tray.

"Relax, I'm not Aria." I hiss, feeling even sense of modesty escaping my body.

"That's your fiancé." Ryker mutters at the insult, his attention on Issy. Her long, black hair covering her face as she laughs with her girlfriends.

I walk to the servant, her hum to the music thudding at my insides. As her blood pulses, it flushes her cheeks to a peachy rose. She gasps when she looks up and finds me hovering beside her.

"Um, Karden—uh Mr. Du Pont." Her thick accented voice stutters.

"Karden is just fine." I huff out, one of my hands dancing on the white tablecloth. I can feel my brothers and friends eyes on me.

"What can I do for you?"

"I-I need blood." I force out, her eyes on my teeth. I don't even hide it from her.

"Um, I can get you a thermal."

"I need from the vein. I'm very famished." I hear Mavis's laugh echoing from afar. Aria questions the group if I'm okay just for Aiden to answer that I need blood.