CHAPTER FOUR

—SEBASTIEN:

The girl was feistier than I’d given her credit for. Lena Moreau, the bane of my existence, and the one thing I should stay far away from. I moved to the floor-to-ceiling window and watched as she stalked through the pavements and stopped for a cab.

In all the centuries I had existed, no human had ever unsettled me the way Lena Moreau did and that frightened me more than hunger ever could. I watched as she climbed into a cab, her shirt buttoned haphazardly, and her hair a spill of chestnut-brown waves. As the wind blew just right, I caught sight of her neck, porcelain–pale and delicate.

The smell of her blood was intoxicating, sweet, and dangerous but it was the way her presence unraveled my restraint that truly threatened me.

It was a relief to let them free after hours of being cooped up in the same room as Lena, listening to the whoosh of her life in her veins, smelling the sickeningly sweet scent of her blood and beneath it all, the unmistakable awareness that she knew exactly what she was doing to me.

She was a spitfire, that one, and as much as I wanted to sink my teeth into her soft skin, I also wanted to bend her over my office desk and show her just how dangerous it was to tempt a predator.

Lust and hunger. It was a dangerous combination. If I knew what was good for me, I’d have her fired. That was the lie I told myself. One that I no longer believe. But I was weak. And based on how close I’d gotten to almost biting her earlier tonight, my restraint would not last much longer. Keeping her close was the sweetest of punishment.

My head throbbed, the pain getting worse with each second. I glanced up at the clock in the corner and realized I hadn’t fed in the last 24 hours. No wonder it felt like my skull was about to crack itself open. I pushed myself away from the window with maximum effort, crossing my office to open the secret compartment behind my bookshelves.

The storage vault slid open with a soft hiss and a vapor of cold mist. It was convenient that I couldn’t feel the icy chill as I reached in and pulled out a pouch of blood.

I sunk into a chair, head tipped back as I drained the contents of the blood bag in under a second. I was hungrier than I’d thought. I sat there, eyes closed, just letting myself relax as that edge of bloodlust was satiated. It wasn’t enough. It would never be. But it was good enough to keep me in check.

These pouches were the only thing stopping me from pulling Lena close and sinking my fangs into her neck. When I opened my eyes, I found I was not alone.

“Hello Sebastien.” The woman perched on my desk purred, leaning forward enough that her cleavage practically hung out of her low-cut dress, “Am I interrupting anything?”

I narrowed my eyes at her, taking in the unusual pinkness in her usually pale pallor. “You seem well fed, Sienna.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, smiling wide. Her teeth were stained red.

“There is nothing more refreshing than the warm lifeblood of a human. Feeling their pulse beat beneath you as they’re reduced to nothing but food?” she shuddered, “It’s simply addictive.”

She glanced down at the empty blood bag in my hand, and her lips twisted into a sneer. “Of course you wouldn’t understand, not anymore. Satisfied as you are with your measly bags.”

I sighed, rubbing at my temples. “Is there any particular reason why you are here tonight, Sienna? As you can see, I’m quite busy.”

She grinned again, sly and knowing. “Oh? is that what you were doing earlier?"

I stiffened. “How long have you been watching?”

She tsked, sliding to her feet and sauntering across the room. “You’re losing your edge. This diet of yours is making you weak. You didn’t even realize how close I’ve been the entire night. What happened, Sebastien?” her nails, sharp as needles, stroked over my chest, slow and sensual. “You used to be so powerful.”

“What happened,” I spat, pushing her away and getting to my feet. “Is that I grew a conscience and realized that humans are more than just livestock.”

She titled her head to the side, her hair, black as ink flowed over her shoulders like silk. “I have known you for centuries, and you lie to me? You and I both know it has nothing to do with conscience. You’re riddled with guilt,” she purred, “Over something you cannot change.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I growled, “Leave me, Sienna. I have nothing for you.”

I shoved her away, rougher than needed, and stalked across the room to stand by the window. If I ignored her enough, she’d find her way back out.

“That girl you couldn't stop wanting.” She said finally, after a long beat of silence. “I can see how much you want her. She bears a striking resemblance to her. Your Eloise.” She said, like a blade slipped between my ribs.

That name, spoken aloud for the first time in centuries, had my blood running cold. I froze where I stood, and in a fit of blind rage, my hand closed around Sienna’s throat, pinning her to the bookshelf with calculated force.

“What the fuck did you just say?” I growled, voice low and deadly.

She raised her chin up, eyes a deep red. She was human fed, much stronger than I was, and we both knew it. She wasn’t the least bit intimidated, so she laughed, high and breathy.

“Oh Sebastien,” she practically moaned, arching into my grip. “As predictable as you’ve always been. You’re frolicking with humans, forgetting you are a creature far beyond their imagination. You will bury this girl, just as you buried Eloise, and when you finally break, I will be there to pick your pieces up.”

I gripped her harder, and she gasped, biting down on her lower lip. She was stronger, yes, but I was older, and I was furious.

“I could end your life before you finish your next breath,” I snarled, fangs low and gleaming, “I’ll shove you through this wooden shelf and watch you disintegrate into nothingness. I tolerate you Sienna, and you are slowly testing my restraint.”

Sienna gasped again, fear flashing in her eyes for the first time. “I didn’t come here to fight with you Sebastien.” She struggled to say.

“Then why are you here? Tell me the truth or I swear, I will throw you through those windows.”

“I came…” she gasped, fighting for breath, “because you have a summons from the Covenant. You’ve run too far from your destiny.. from your bride,” She said and the word settled in my chest like a curse I had spent centuries outrunning.