Alaric resisted the urge to reach for her with superhuman speed that his vamp nature allowed.
He leaned back in his seat instead, and spoke softly. "Salviana, I've never kissed anyone—nor done anything more. Not a single soul," he confessed, his eyes never leaving her face, hoping she would see the truth in his words.
He caught the brief flicker of disbelief in her eyes, and for a moment, A pang of regret stirred in him for whatever had caused her to question his loyalty.
He reached out, brushing a strand of her fiery hair behind her ear, and felt the warmth of her breath as she looked up at him, both surprised and uncertain.
The silence between them stretched, charged with emotions neither had voiced before. "Salviana," he murmured, his voice like a promise.
"For all that they say, no one has held my heart. No one has been close enough." His gaze deepened, a vulnerability flickering in his dark eyes that she'd never seen before. "Until now."
She blinked, her heart pounding as his words sank in, fragile hope mixing with her lingering doubt. But the moment shattered when he added, almost reluctantly,
"Except, of course… for Rose." His voice faltered, and he seemed to instantly regret mentioning it as he watched her face change.
"Rose?" she echoed, her voice …tightening as she struggled to mask the wave of hurt that washed over her.
'The Rose from the library?' she wailed in her thoughts, her eyes widening, the name tasted bitter on her tongue, she couldn't pronounce it and she could feel the fragile threads of her composure fraying at the edges.
Alaric's expression shifted to one of concern as he sensed her distress. "Yes, she kissed me once," he admitted, his voice dropping lower, almost like a confession. "But she's cute I let it pass," but what he said only made it worse.
'He thinks she's cute! He thinks Rose is cute' She clenched her jaw and started to practice breathing.
"Come to me," he ordered confidently but his wife was angry
Salviana shook her head
"I answered your questions earlier and now I get an advantage, come here Fiery," he insisted.
"Do you want me to come and get you?" he asked darkly, making her heart leap.
"No," she mumbled back, making him smirk. He would've loved the chase.
Alaric was a vampire bound by restraint, forced to trample down his darker urges daily. But with Salviana, his willpower wavered, and all he wanted was to let go. She awakened something raw in him, something that craved freedom as much as it craved her.
"Then come to me," he repeated softly, his hand outstretched, inviting her to close the space between them.
But Salviana—stubborn, fierce Salviana, as he so often called her—felt rebellion rising in her chest. Part of her wanted to resist him, to turn on her heel and retreat to bed alone, to even spit his name back at him and suggest he go to Rose if he needed company so badly. Her defiant glare was all too telling, and Alaric's gaze narrowed in response.
The intensity of his eyes alone sent a shiver down her spine, making her pulse quicken, and she realized he had caught her staring with that unspoken challenge in her eyes.
She pressed her lips together and fought the urge to turn away. How could she possibly escape him? He was a creature of unnatural speed and strength; even if she wanted to run, her human legs could hardly carry her beyond his reach. She sighed, surrendering to the realization, and began to approach him, deliberately drawing out each step with painful slowness, as if testing his resolve.
Yet Alaric remained as still and composed as ever. His outstretched arm never wavered, his expression softening with something she couldn't quite read.
Despite every ounce of vampiric power humming beneath his calm exterior, he waited, unwavering, with the patience of a centuries-old creature who had all the time in the world to let his beloved come to him—on her own terms, at her own pace.
Alaric's gaze darkened as he took in her small movements, his chest rising and falling in slow, measured breaths. When she finally reached his arms, he wrapped them around her waist, pulling her close enough to feel his warmth and tension. "Sit," he growled softly, tapping his thigh, his tone leaving no room for refusal.
Salviana's heart raced at his command, her gaze flickering nervously around the room. She'd been trying to guess what he might ask of her as repayment for her prying questions, but sitting on his thigh hadn't even crossed her mind. Her cheeks flushed slightly at the thought, nerves and curiosity swirling inside her as she looked back at him.
With a smirk, Alaric leaned in, his voice a low murmur. "Salviana, this is what I want in return for your curiosity." His words, delivered with that unmistakable hint of mischief, made her pulse quicken. There was no defying him now, not when he looked at her like that.
Nodding, she moved slowly, finally settling herself on his lap. The moment her body met his solid thighs, a heat rose between them. She became acutely aware of how close they were, his face just inches from her own, his breath warm against her cheek.
His scent—a dark, masculine blend she found both intoxicating and calming—enveloped her, grounding her in a way she hadn't expected. The familiarity of it struck her; she hadn't realized how much she'd missed simply being close to him.
As her breathing steadied, she felt the flicker of doubt ease. She didn't want to hold onto anger, not now. They had too little time to waste it on grudges.
After all, hadn't he proven himself different from so many others?
Men often carried a long history of encounters before settling down, and she was aware of the weight of that reality. Alaric's past, however, seemed lighter, less tangled with others than she'd feared. Rose had been his first, the only kiss he'd ever known before her, and a part of her felt strangely grateful for it even though she was still jealous.
Her own thoughts shifted, a quiet calm settling over her as she let herself relax into his presence, feeling their closeness with a deeper appreciation. It didn't matter who came before her; she could see in his eyes now that he was hers entirely.
"I'm yours now," Alaric whispered, crumbling her last shred of stubborn anger.