“I’ve seen so little of such a beautiful world.” My fingers sank into the snow, relishing the stinging cold.
Roman squeezed my shoulder. “Someday, we’ll travel the world. I promise.”
I nodded, pushing myself to my feet. I couldn’t afford a meltdown in the middle of the snow. Roman kept hold of our luggage as we trudged toward one of the larger buildings. He spent the walk cluttering my mind with information about Countess Ylva.
The cabin’s interior was simple yet immaculate, the perfect backdrop for the lady seated at its center. Roman had told me much about Ylva, but he hadn’t mentioned how striking she was. She wore furs that revealed her décolletage and abdomen, and I wondered if they truly kept her warm. The exposed skin was adorned with swirling tattoos that snaked over her muscular body.
Her most remarkable features were the fuzzy white ears and tail draped over the side of her wooden throne. I gawked a moment too long before snapping back to reality and remembering to curtsy. To Ylva’s right sat a smaller vampiress with short gray hair, and on her left sat a gray-haired vampire whose eyes locked onto me with that disgusting evaluation like he was stripping me with his gaze.
“Your Highness, to what do we owe the pleasure?” Ylva’s voice was raspy and accented, her ‘W’s morphing into ‘V’s. Her gaze held a wild obsession that made my skin crawl.
“Unfortunately, it’s business-related, my dear Ylva.”
“A shame. But I’m sure it’s necessary.” Her eyes drifted to me. “Are you going to introduce this darling little morsel, Roman?”
All four vampires turned their attention to me. Under their burning gazes, I found myself pathetically checking my proximity to Roman. There was something about Ylva and her entourage that set every nerve in my body on high alert. Roman tugged me closer to his side. “This is my acolyte, Estrella.”
“Might this be the acolyte I’ve been hearing whispers of?” Ylva leaped to her feet, strutting forward in a strangely animalistic manner. She stopped close enough that I could smell pine and musk. Roman’sgrip on me tightened.
They know about me?I asked incredulously.
Word travels fast in the vampire community. A bunch of busybodies with far too much time on their hands,Roman replied curtly.
“Indeed, she is,” he said to Ylva, his voice smooth yet underscored with tension that radiated through me.
“Does this surprise visit have anything to do with her?”
“Nothing nearly as cute, unfortunately. I’m here to request the aid of your army. Traitors have gathered in Molvon.”
The room’s energy shifted immediately. Ylva stiffened, and the two vampires behind her tensed. “You must be exhausted. Let us have a small breakfast in the morning to discuss this. For now, Erik will take you to your cabin. I hope you find it acceptable, though it hasn’t been prepared.”
Roman’s body was rigid, but he didn’t argue. “Let’s go, Estrella.”
I followed him silently, grateful to leave. Erik led us into the snowdrifts, his eyes flicking to me with a wild smirk, as if I were his next meal. Roman must have noticed because he remained tense as we walked.
We were halfway across the clearing when Erik glanced at Roman. “I can see why there was such a fuss over her.”
Roman’s tendrils tightened on my calves. “Careful, Erik.”
I could tell there was history here I didn’t know. We just needed to reach the cabin, despite the male’s disgusting remarks. Erik continued, “Hey, hey. I’m just complimenting your girl. Hell, if I had the chance, I’d probably steal her too. She’d be a lot of fun.”
There wasn’t even a breath to register the threat. One instant Roman was beside me, then he wasn’t. A blood-curdling snarl tore through the clearing as Roman lunged at Erik, throwing him to the ground. Erik scrambled back, blood dripping from his brow but asavage grin on his face. “I knew it, fucking human lover.”
“How dare you threaten me, pig?” Roman snarled as he lunged again. The pair rolled through the snow like wild animals, snapping at each other. Typically, vampire fights weren’t this savage, but that’s exactly what this was—savage. Roman managed to get on top of Erik and began pummeling his face. By the time he stopped, Erik’s features were a bloody pulp.
“Apologize to her.” His voice was more threatening than anything I had ever heard.
“I’m sorry,” Erik paused, a savage smile spreading across his face, “that I didn’t get a turn with you, sweetheart.”
Disgust flooded me as I looked upon the vampire. He didn’t know me, yet he felt entitled to my body—my very existence. He hurled words like projectiles, as if I were property to be defiled. I barely felt the sharp cut of my own nails digging into my palm as my hands tightened into fists, a scream welling in my throat.
Before I had the chance to voice it, Roman’s growl vibrated through the ground, tearing the air from my lungs. A shriek followed, like claws scraping against my bones, as Roman dug his nails into Erik’s skin and pulled him to his feet.
I watched, frozen, as Roman thrust his arm through Erik’s chest with disturbing accuracy. Erik’s face contorted with pain, but all I could focus on was the actualheartgripped in Roman’s bloodied palm. “I will feed this to her for fucking dinner, you pig.”
Horror welled within me, accompanied by something darker—an insidious satisfaction at the sight of the vampire tsar bloodied for me, destroying those who felt entitled to me. It was a cruel thought best left buried deep. He yanked his hand back with a slurping sound that turned my stomach. Tossing the heart aside, he seized Erik’s hair once more. The male closed his eyes.
“Make it quick,” he whispered pleadingly.
