God, he needed a bath. Clean clothes. A bed. And blood. Especially blood.
The moment the thought hit, his fangs slid down instinctively. His mouth watered at the memory of the rich, intoxicating blood. Just remembering it made something restless stir inside him.
I’m starving.
Alexander rubbed the back of his neck in irritation. Every slow step behind the human tested what little patience he had left. His gaze drifted again and again to the steady pulse beating in Lacus’s neck. He could hear the blood moving beneath the man’s skin. Warm. Alive. So close.
His jaw tightened painfully.
He wanted to bite. To sink his fangs in and drink until the hunger quieted. But killing Lacus now would be stupid. The human knew where the blood he needed was. Besides… human blood tasted terrible now. Alexander grimaced slightly at the memory.
Patience,he told himself as he followed behind.Patience, Alexander.
“Here we are,” Lacus said at last, opening a door with a nervous little flourish.
Alexander stepped past him into the room, forcing down the sudden urge to snap the man’s neck simply to stop the sound of his heartbeat.
Fuck.
Why was he so angry? So… murderous?
“I need to get cleaned up,” he snapped, his voice sharper than he intended.
Damn it. He needed to get a handle on himself.
“Yes, of course,” Lacus replied quickly, practically tripping over his own feet as he hurried toward a door off to the side. A moment later the sound of rushing water filled the room. Alexander followed it out of curiosity and stopped in the doorway.
Well… things had definitely improved over the centuries.
A deep porcelain tub, gleaming white and wide enough to sink into comfortably, sat beneath an elegant brass faucet. Steam curled lazily into the air, fogging the small room.
Without hesitation Alexander tore the remains of his clothing from his body. The fabric fell away in ruined strips.
Just as the last piece hit the floor, Lacus turned around. The human froze instantly. His eyes widened as they landed on Alexander’s chest. On the jagged, wound where the stake had pierced his heart. Heat surged violently up Alexander’s neck, anger boiling beneath his skin, rising so fast it startled him. It felt as though the slightest thing could set him off.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
“Take these and burn them,” Alexander ordered abruptly, shoving the filthy pile of clothing into the human’s trembling hands.
“I—I’ll take care of it,” Lacus stammered, clutching the ruined clothes awkwardly against his chest. “I’ll find you something else to wear.” He practically fled the room, the door shutting quietly behind him. Alexander barely heard the last part. His attention had already shifted to the tub. He stepped into the hot water, lowering himself slowly until it reached his shoulders.
A deep, involuntary moan escaped his throat as heat wrapped around his body, soaking into muscles that had been stiff for too long. He sank deeper into the water, letting it wash over him.
He soaked for a while, then he got to work. He scrubbed every inch of himself, watching more than a hundred years of dirt and neglect cloud the water. His hair took the longest, now so long it brushed the floor when he stood. When he finally finished washing it, he twisted the heavy length into a tight bun on top of his head.
Clean at last, Alexander stepped back into the room, steam still clinging faintly to his skin. A simple robe had been laid neatly across the bed, clearly left there by Lacus.
He picked it up and slipped it over his shoulders, the soft fabric settling against his freshly washed skin as he tied it loosely at his waist.
Crossing the room, he sank slowly onto the edge of the bed. For a moment he simply sat there, staring at the floor while his mind churned.
It was almost as if his grief had been waiting for him to feel remotely like himself again before it rippled through him. Alexander dragged his hands down his face, pain twisting in his chest.
He had left him there.
Left his twin brother in hell.
He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, burying his face in his hands as the weight of it threatened to drag him under.