“I don’t know,” he said, then disappeared into thin air. He reappeared in his room, his chest rising and falling hard, the pounding of his heart echoing loudly in his ears.
He stared down at himself. The outline of his thick cock visible in his pants. He’d been getting hard lately when he fed, his body reacting to the werewolf in ways he never thought possible.
He’d always told himself it was just adrenaline. The rush that came from taking something that wasn’t his.
But tonight had been different. He hadn’t slipped into the werewolf’s cabin. Hadn’t used his powers to bend him to his will. Boaz had known that he was there.
And still— he’d grown hard. He’d wanted more than just blood.
Alexander shook his head, cutting the thought off before it could take root. He had a bride.
He was slowly courting her. That was what mattered. Not this… whatever this was.
He forced his body to calm, pushing the lingering heat down. Then he stepped out of his room and followed the noise to the family room where his vampires spent most of their time.
Inside, a few of them sat around a table, cards spread out between them. Others were gathered in front of the television, shouting and laughing as they hacked at each other in some sword-fighting game.
The sight stirred memories from a long time ago. Back when his clan was bigger and the nights were spent outside under open skies.
Alexander drifted toward the window. The glass was fogged over from the cold outside, a thin layer of frost creeping along the edges. He wiped a small patch clear and looked out.
The courtyard was blanketed in virgin snow.
And just like that, he was back there. Him and Drago— their breath cloudy in the freezing cold, muscles tight as they clashed, swords ringing with every strike. Their laughter echoed in his head so clearly it almost felt real.
The ache in his chest was so sudden, it took his breath away.
Alexander turned away quickly, forcing the memory down. His gaze landed on the younger vampires, still caught up in their game, yelling and shoving each other as they fought.
“Do you want to try that with the real thing?” Alexander said, his voice loud cutting through the noise.
Darius and Micca turned immediately, excitement lighting up their faces.
“Come on,” Alexander added, already heading for the door without waiting for an answer. He could hear them scrambling after him seconds later.
A faint smile tugged at Alexander’s lips at the thought of stepping outside.
“Where are you all going?” Greer asked as they passed him in the hallway.
“To the armory,” Alexander tossed over his shoulder.
Behind him, the younger vampires broke into excited chatter, their voices bouncing off the walls as they descended deeper into the bowels of the castle. The air was cooler here. Thick dust coated nearly every surface. Cobwebs hung low from the ceiling, stretching across the walls and draping over forgotten weapons.
Alexander coughed under his breath as the stale, damp air filled his lungs.
When was the last time anyone had been down here?
“I haven’t seen this place in years,” Greer said quietly behind him, as if answering Alexander’s silent question.
“Why not?” Alexander asked, glancing back at him.
Greer shrugged. “After the war… we focused on surviving. Keeping everyone together.”
Alexander studied him for a moment, then reached out and slapped his back firmly. “You did well.”
Greer blinked, caught off guard.
Alexander turned away and moved deeper into the armory, his gaze sweeping over the walls until it landed on the rack of swords. He reached up, brushing aside a thin layer of dust before unhooking one. The metal gleamed faintly beneath the grime.