Grave Sight | A Reverse Harem Romance

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕚𝕧𝕖

When I got home, only Lucian followed me inside. The other wolves remained in their vehicle, waiting for their alpha.

I tore out the wire and handed it back to him, to which he just stared down at it like I just gave him an unrequested high five.

"Pissing Kieran off probably wasn't the best course of action," he finally said, sliding the wire into his pocket.

I threw my purse on my dining room table. "Trust me, he wasn't pissed off."

Maybe to someone who wasn't there, it seemed like he was angry. But the glint in his eye when he spoke to me was anything but angry. He seemed excited.

It freaked me out.

"So," I turned back around and crossed my arms, "it might not be my place to ask, but what's up with the female werewolf you brought here?"

"Kenna." It wasn't a question, and it seemed like he got questioned about her often, if the sigh was any indication. "I allow my wolves to do what they want, which includes who they want to be with. I'm not a tyrant alpha. I keep them in line, but they don't have to cower every time they want to say something. She's a bit outspoken, though."

I nodded. Outspoken was definitely a word for it. To me, she had absolutely no filter whatsoever from brain to mouth. I had never been so blatantly flirted with in my entire life, nor did I ever have someone actively ask me to suck their blood when I needed it.

A normal vampire could release endorphins that make the bite not hurt, as well as make the brain think it felt like you were having an orgasm. I didn't have those abilities. I bit, and it hurt. Badly.

"She is pansexual," he continued, "and has no racial preference. Vampires, wereanimals, fae, witches, wizards, humans, zombies" - he eyed me for my reaction, and when I didn't give him one, he chuckled - "anything, really."

I wouldn't judge. Someone asked me to raise their husband from the dead once just so she could have sex with him one last time. And I had to stand outside the door so he didn't suddenly pass out dead - or would it be more dead - in the middle of it from lack of power.

That was an experience.

I hummed.

"I brought them here because those are the few in my pack that don't mind vampires," he said. He shrugged one shoulder. "Half vampire or not."

Hey, at least he remembered I wasn't a full vampire.

"Back to the matters at hand." He leaned against my wall and watched me. "You said he wasn't mad?"

"Quite the opposite," I said. "More like he wanted to eat me, but force me to enjoy it."

Lucian's eyebrows raised. In interest or shock, I wasn't sure. But he chuckled a bit and tilted his head, eyeing me a lot like how Kieran did before I left.

"Then that's good," he said. "I don't know if it was one of his vampires who took Jason, but if you can get close enough to him to ask and get a real answer, it'll help greatly."

"And if it is one of his vampires," I asked.

"Then I'll be willing to start a war," he replied coolly.

I nodded as if I understood pack politics. "And if it isn't?"

He thought for a moment before he answered. "Then I'll have to find out who did. But at that point, you'll be off the hook. I won't get you involved in a war, or anything outside of Kieran's clan."

I appreciated that. I'd help him to an extent, but after that, I either wouldn't be much help or I'd refuse. I could talk a big game, but I had never killed another living person, nor would I ever want to. A war was out of my comfort zone, and no other vampire clan would talk to the likes of me.

Lucian walked over to me and knelt, placing his lips on my cheek. The feel of his heat against my cold body made me shiver, and I hoped he didn't take it as anything other than me reacting to his warmth. Wereanimals - wolves especially - were big on skinship, and I knew it didn't have any deeper meaning than a thanks.

He turned his head slowly and locked eyes with me, his slightly widened.

"You're warm," I explained. "Big temperature jumps are like a shock to my system."

Why I felt like I needed to explain, I wasn't sure. But there it was.

"Kenna was right, you know." He pulled away, but didn't step back. "If you ever need blood-"

I covered his mouth with my hand and immediately regretted it, but pretended I was fine by narrowing my eyes.

"Number one," I said, "I only drink blood twice a month. Number two: I get the blood delivered to me by a blood bank. Number three: My bites aren't pleasurable. Mine hurt. Like hell. So don't offer something you're not really willing to give."

He wrapped his fingers around my wrist and pulled my hand away. "Have you ever had blood straight from a vein?"

"Yes," I said, trying, and failing to shake my hand free. "That's the reason I buy blood."

"Have you ever had wereanimal blood?" He still didn't let my wrist go.

"No." I shook my arm to try and free it again, but his hand only tightened. "I've had human blood, and only human blood."

He looked at my lips. "Does it hurt because your fangs aren't as big as most?"

Why was he so curious all of a sudden?

"My fangs are the same size as any other vampire." When I spoke, his eyes raised to meet mine again. "The only time a vampire has their fangs elongated is when they're about to feed, they're doing it for show, or they're about to rip your throat out. The ones at the club do it for show, because the humans that go there get a thrill. Mine hurts because I can't secrete the endorphins needed to make it pleasurable."

He blinked back down to my lips, like for some reason he wanted to see my fangs.

So I showed him.

I opened my mouth, and watched him as he watched my fangs lengthen and sharpen. It didn't hurt to let them out. If anything, it tickled my gums as they grew, like all the endorphins I was supposed to be able to give out, tickled my gums instead.

He reached up and poked one, which immediately drew blood. I didn't lick the blood off of my tooth like a normal vampire would. I reached up and wiped it off before allowing the fangs to recede back into my gums.

"You didn't lick it," he said, almost absent-mindedly.

"Obviously you don't know basic vampire etiquette." I stepped away from him, escaping that heat that seemed to radiate off his body like he was some sort of portable heater. "Don't touch the fangs. Any normal vampire would have tasted that and went straight for a vein."

"Why didn't you?" He continued to hold his finger up. The wound was closed up, but there was a drop of blood that slithered down his skin.

Why the hell did he sound so disappointed?

"Because I don't need blood currently." I looked at the door, trying to get him to catch the hint. "Also, the taste is disgusting."

Since when did the conversation turn from my finding his sentinel to my fangs and his astonishment that I didn't suck his blood? I knew some wereanimals didn't mind vampires, but most tried to steer clear.

At least, that's what I thought.

He smiled slightly and turned to leave, finally getting the hint. As he walked away, he felt the need to throw something back my way.

"You'll never know if wereanimal blood tastes bad if you don't try it." He opened my front door and stepped out. "Call me next time you need some. We'll be in touch."

My lips curled down into a grimace as the door clicked shut behind him.