Page 90 of Plug and Tame

“But then, I figured I’d rather fucking starve.” She rolled her eyes again, this time at Kira. “Can you believe him?”

Kira shrugged her shoulders, trying not to show how much this conversation unsettled her.

“Anyway,” Victoria said, returning her attention to Nathaniel. “I heard you sent Mark packing. What happened? Got jealous? Also, the Haxby Hotel? Why didn’t we get invited?”

Her question was met with stony silence, and Kira appreciated that Nathaniel wasn’t discussing their personal affairs with anyone else.

Victoria waved dismissively. “Whatever. Kira will tell me later, won’t you, sweetie? We’re long overdue for a catchup, and I’m dying to know all about your secret love affair.”

“We’re not in love,” Kira said carefully, resisting the urge to glance at Nathaniel.

Back at the hotel, they’d decided to keep their feelings for one another a secret, lest Henrikk found out.

Victoria seemed to see through their denial. “I knew it,” she hissed. “You two are actually in love. Ew!”

“Actually…” Kira began, but Victoria placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Listen, honey, you’re great and all, but at the end of the day, you’re a wolf, and Nathaniel is a vampire. You both deserve to be with your own kind. And Nathaniel, you know better!”

He didn’t reply, which seemed to irritate Victoria. She swiped her fringe and turned to Kira. “And if I were you, sweetie, I wouldn’t tell anyone about your feelings for Nat.”

“I didn’t,” Kira said through gritted teeth.

“And I won’t tell anyone either,” Victoria nodded to herself. “Sex is one thing, but those love bites?” She gave them both another disapproving look. “Nat, aren’t you worried what Henrikk would do if he found out his son, the soon-to-be-king, is not only giving his blood to a wolf—I’m sensing a pattern here, by the way—but to a wolf he loves?”

“Keep your voice down,” Nathaniel admonished sternly, even though everyone else had already gone inside.

“Did you even stop to think that Henrikk might punish Kira just to make an example out of her? I mean, I take responsibility for encouraging you, but I didn’t think you’d actually fall for her. And look, I get it, Kira’s a cool chick, but she’s a wolf for crying out loud. Unless you’re feeding or having sex, she’s off limits. That’s it. What the hell were you thinking, Nat? Because—”

Victoria cut off as Nathaniel advanced, his expression darkening. She took a hurried step back.

Just then, the school bell rang. Victoria threw her hands up, fingers apart as if she had wet nails. “Whatever. You’re right. It’s none of my business.” Her gaze travelled to Nathaniel’s neck. She shuddered and hurried up the academy steps with her hands still raised. “Ew, ew, ew.” She paused at the top step and called back, “Come to my room sometime, Kira. I still want to hear about the pre-sappy era when things were hot and less stupid.”

She disappeared through the front doors, and Kira and Nathaniel exchanged a shrug before following her. Despite Victoria’s drama, Kira couldn’t help but smile as she jogged up the steps.

“I’m pleased to see you smiling again,” Nathaniel said, linking his arm with hers as they entered the foyer. “Feeling better?”

“Yes,” she said distractedly, scanning the large hall which was bustling with students hurrying to their first class of the day.

There was another reason for her newfound happiness, and it was something she hadn’t even told Nathaniel yet. Gradually over the last few hours, she’d felt a change come over her. And while she’d been unsure of what that feeling was at first, she was now all but certain: her magic had returned.

She’d felt the glimmers of it as they left the hotel and walked back to the academy, like sparks of potential emanating from the people they passed. Here in the crowd of students, she was growing increasingly certain of her theory. Each student radiated life and energy, like fonts of possibility waiting for her to latch on.

She halted in the middle of the room, her breathing shallow as she attuned herself to the low melody of her body which thrummed with magic. She could feel her power unfurling inside her, flexing like a new muscle.

Finally.

Just when she’d begun to lose hope that she had any magical talent at all, it had awakened inside her. She’d felt the first tingle of magic last night at the hotel, but she hadn’t recognised what it was at the time. There had been glimmers of it since, and with each passing minute, there was more of it.

Kira didn’t know why her magic was returning now. Was it because she’d let her guard down so completely with Nathaniel?

Maybe it was just Nathaniel’s blood starting to take effect.

Or, maybe it’s the sex, she thought wryly, recalling the way she’d ridden him through one soul-shattering orgasm after another. Her vision momentarily went black as she toppled off him onto the mattress in pure ecstasy. He’d barely caught her before she toppled off the bed, both of them laughing as they clutched each other.

Yeah…no. The last thing Nathaniel’s ego needs is for him to think he has a magic cock.

“What is it?” Nathaniel asked beside her. “Why have you stopped?”