I needed to make sure he fed, even if it was just a little from a volunteer. Hell, I’d even take the canned stuff over his refusal to feed from me.
The blanket of invisibility protected me from being seen going full stalker on my would-be mate, and I relished the freedom in my power. My entire body tingled as I held the invisibility around me, like a cloak made up of sparks that popped and fired the longer I remained unseen. I lived for the feeling—the sense of absolute freedom and the delightful sensation that walked the line between pleasure and pain.
Hawke turned into the Domum, stalking in that way of his throughout the place. I kept him in my sights, but remained as far away as possible, relief coiling inside me as he headed toward the volunteer feeding section.
The receptionist who paired volunteers with hungry vampires took down Hawke’s name and motioned for him to wait in the designated area. He ignored the chairs, instead electing to lean against the wall near the closed double doors that led to a hallway of private rooms where volunteers waited patiently for their vampires.
I held back, watching him from a spot near one of the public studies.
Daphne, Valor’s niece and recent escapee of the Sons of Honor, sat in a chair near a crackling hearth, a book resting against her curled-up knees. Her eyes studied the ancient-looking pages, and I arched a brow as I read the title: A Compiled History of Demonology. I made a mental note to tell my brother to better stock the public libraries in the Domum—at least spice it up with some romance titles.
The receptionist finally called Hawke’s name, and I had to dip into my vampire speed in order to follow him beyond the double doors. They closed just after I stepped past them, and I tried to not even breathe as I stayed on Hawke’s heels. He turned into a small room, the door shutting behind him. My heart was in my throat as I stepped toward that door, peeking through the almost non-existent slat in its center.
The human volunteer was a gorgeous female with shimmering red hair and curves for days. She wore a cream cotton robe and shifted on a little black couch as Hawke approached her. Fear flickered in her eyes as she examined his size, but she didn’t cower or scream or flinch away from him.
He leaned over her, reaching for the wrist she willingly extended him.
I swallowed a mouthful of acid, hating the jealousy biting every inch of my soul. I shoved it down, burying it with my sheer hope that he’d actually feed. He needed to feed. My mate. Or he would die—either by brother because of his own actions after he descended into madness or from starvation. And I wouldn’t be able to survive any outcome where Hawke perished.
His fangs descended, his lips curling as he lowered his mouth toward the human’s wrist—
And he stopped. An inch separated him from his meal, and he froze.
The breath halted in my lungs as I watch and tried to mentally get him to span that distance and fucking eat.
Hawke’s eyes snapped to mine, those dark orbs locking onto me through the slat where I spied on him.
I flinched backward, ducking out of sight as I triple-checked that my power still held.
It did, the tingling sensation rippling over my body as I added more wealth to it.
The door swung open, and Hawke’s eyes met mine again as he stomped out of the room, leaving the human untouched.
It took me more than a few heartbeats to regain my senses. Maybe he hadn’t seen me or felt me. Maybe it was just his aversion to taking care of himself that stopped him from feeding.
Either way, I needed to know.
So, I upped my pace, following him back through the Domum, surprised when he took the spiral staircase leading him into the lower levels of the building. He stepped through the doors holding the rare tomes’ archives, not bothering to close the doors behind him.
My heart was in my throat as I stood just beyond them, every instinct in my soul screaming at me to run. I couldn’t tell if they were yelling at me to run from him in his current state or to him.
But it didn’t matter. All the logic and protective instincts in the world couldn’t keep me from him, so I took a deep breath and stepped through those doors.
5
Hawke
She was committed. I’d give her that. The spoiled little debutante had followed me into the feeding suite. Why? So she could babysit my starving ass? Or did she get some kind of thrill off it?
I waited at the entrance of the archive, and once I’d sensed her enter, I shut the heavy doors, trapping us both inside. It was early in the morning, just a few hours from dawn, and the only heartbeat I detected in the massive, sprawling chamber was Avi’s.