Valerie“I suppose all of this boils down to whether we believe him or not,” Lucas was saying. It seemed like no matter the predicament, he made it a point to stay amused through the entirety of the situation.Even now, he sipped his tea with a coy smile creasing his cheeks.Sebastian shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. Do you?”Lucas relished the question for a moment, setting his tea cup back onto its glass. “He’s suspicious. But I don’t take the man as a liar—not about this. Not to his Lord. Either it truly is a wolf, or he believes it to be one.”“But a wolf from the Silvermoon Pack?” asked Sebastian. “Prestige is one thing, but loyalty is something entirely different to the wolves. And the repercussions of such a thing…”“That’s why I’m reluctant to believe he’s lying,” Lucas returned. “To frame a Silvermoon wolf is a dangerous game.”Sebastian nodded. He had been supplied with a pair of slacks, but I still tried terribly hard not to let my eyes linger on his chest. The anatom

ValerieIt was well past sun-down when we left the castle.The streets were cold, and I was still donned in the dress I had worn to the auction. Lucas had acquired a cloak for me from Lord Mueller’s servants, but it didn’t do much to ward away the chills coursing over my skin.At this point, I wasn’t sure if they were caused by the cold or the dozens of hungry faces passing us by on the streets. There were more vampires out now than in the day time, which made perfect sense—however, I had not been expecting it. Once we had reached the market district, the streets came alive with the shapes of moving bodies and the sound of laughter and conversation.I had hoped the city was quiet at this hour. That we could go about our business without worrying about the blood in my veins and the strangers passing by who might smell it. After all, the upper district had been mostly sun-proofed. With the large sheets strung above, blocking out the skies, there was nothing to detere them from walking t

Valerie“What a frustrating night,” the host was saying. “How dare she come here asking for a trade. And someone’s pitiful pet, no less. I pay fine coin for your company, I expect to leave satisfied.”“Oh, Jeffrey, my love,” cooed a female voice from inside. “You worry too much. Everything’s alright. I’m all yours for the night. And I always make sure you leave satisfied, don’t I?”There was a beat of silence, like perhaps the host’s temperament was beginning to cool. A smile laced his voice as he said, “Of course, my sweet. Always satisfied.”Then came a low, sensual chuckle. The sound of giggling and kissing. And then all those noises slowly devolved into deep gasps, and lingering moans.I pinched my nose, feeling the rise of heat on my face again. The overwhelming urge to giggle uncomfortably was itching at my throat. I had never been in a situation like this before, and I didn’t know how to handle it gracefully.They were having…sex. And we were just listening to it.It was so str

Valerie I was exhausted. The efforts of the day crept over me like a shadow the moment we arrived back at the castle. I curled up on a soft satin couch, watching the empty bed across from me where Lucas was to sleep for the night. He wasn’t in the room, and the bed looked awfully tempting. I half-considered crawling into it myself. The moment we had returned to the castle, Lucas had been stopped by Marvolo, who insisted that they needed to talk. I assumed he was still busy with that, and I was thankful for his absence. I didn’t want to face him before I fell asleep. It had been a long, grueling day and I could barely keep my eyes open. And every time I thought of Lucas, I felt the ghost of his breath on my neck. The sound of his voice in my ears—pained and full of want. I shivered and rubbed at my nape, trying to shake the memory of him away. Heat beat against my cheeks just at the thought of what had happened. It was so embarrassing…and a bit confusing, too. I knew biological

ValerieMy face felt burned by the blood rising to my cheeks.I had never kissed anyone before, and I wasn’t sure if I had done it right. Lucas’s lips were soft, and though the kiss was chaste and I didn’t linger there long, I could feel them pull into a smirk.He did not kiss me back, or initiate a second kiss, and I was grateful for that. I didn’t know what I would have done if this came off as anything but what it was: a grateful response to his offer. He would save Ava. And if he saved Ava, I would kiss him a thousand times more.A part of me doubted it the moment it had happened. Lucas was never serious. There was a huge possibility it could have all been a game. A way of making fun of me. This entire ordeal could have simply been one of Lucas’s fun charades. But I didn’t think it was.If Lucas wanted to make fun of me, he could have simply done it. No need for the theatrics back at the brothel. No need to dangle Ava in front of my face. He would have simply…made fun of me, the w