Seamus finally opened his eyes after what felt like an eternity of sex. His length had gone soft, his balls utterly drained.
He had been milked by two gorgeous women until there was nothing left in him, and for a fleeting moment, he thought he could die in peace.
Almost.
His fragile bliss was broken by Isolde's voice. "Oh? Awake already?"
He jolted upright, blinking toward the table near the window. Isolde sat there, fingers tapping across a keyboard, the rhythmic clicks filling the room. She was working.
"Huh? Even vampires work?"
She chuckled, taking a slow sip of coffee. "Do you think this wealth comes from money trees?"
"I figured you'd have some kind of alchemy trick. You know, making gold out of nothing?" He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Oh, Seamus, that's just a dream for the unemployed," she teased, swiveling her chair toward him.
"Nothing is free in this world. Even the clean air you breathe is a privilege bought by wealth."
Her voice softened but her words carried an edge. "Plenty of poor souls cannot walk five steps without breathing in trash. So if you want to be the patriarch of Velstrath, you should at least graduate college first."
Seamus froze. His eyes widened, guarded suspicion creeping into his face. Becoming patriarch meant one day challenging her for the title, and lying was pointless.
A vampire, especially one as evolved as Isolde, could hear the truth beating in his chest.
"How did you know?"
Isolde tilted her head, crimson eyes glinting. "You are far too naive to believe everything Madeline tells you. That so-called edge of dream never existed, there isn't any flaw in my design.
"As long as you and she are in my domain, I hear and see everything. You cannot hide from me."
"But don't tell her anything about it. I love how she thought she knew everything."
She stood up to approach him and leaned in. He instinctively edged back until his head met the bedframe.
"But I admire your ambition," she continued with a smirk. "None of my daughters have the guts to try."
"You are fine with me wanting that?" he asked, disbelief curling in his voice. Inside, he cursed Madeline. They had agreed to work together to bring Isolde down, and here she was, smiling at the idea.
Then another thought struck him. His chest tightened. 'Wait… do they still see me as human? Has my body changed?'
[No, host. You still appear human to them.]
[Having me create your Sanguine Vein makes it undetectable.]
He exhaled in relief.
Isolde's gaze softened faintly. She stared at the white sheet as though searching for the right words, which was rare for someone who always seemed to have an answer ready.
"Every being dies, Seamus. Even the immortal. I am glad someone is willing to replace me, even if you are far from a perfect prodigy."
He rolled his eyes, bristling at the jab. If she knew the truth about his power and his bloodline, she would not be so dismissive.
"But I am just a human. Can a human even do it?" he asked, testing her reaction.
"I was human too," she replied simply. "And here we are."
He leaned forward, curiosity sparking. "You were not born a vampire?"
Madeline's lessons had painted the Velstrath House as pure royal blood, and its first head was either a prince or princess. Though, she also called Isolde an usurper.
"No. A vampire cannot be born, Seamus. All of my daughters were born human because I am their real mother."
Her tone shifted, carrying bitterness, resentment, and something else—regret. Her brow knitted slightly as if the memory itself weighed her down.
"Anyway, you need to rest… or perhaps make some connections to take my throne?" she teased with a laugh as she rose from her seat.
Before Isolde could reach her computer, the door burst open and Viviane strode in, sweat trailing down her temple and panic written on her face. Relief softened her expression the moment she saw Seamus on the bed.
Seamus quickly grabbed the blanket to cover his naked body. Not wanting the situation to spiral, he started to speak, but Viviane was already at his side, clutching his arm.
"Seamus, you're fine, right?" she asked, her voice trembling with worry.
"I… yes, I'm fine, Viviane, and about all of this—"
"Oh, I'm glad." She let out a shaky sigh. "I saw vampire hunters investigating the area. I thought you were hurt."
"Why would you think that?" Isolde's voice cut in, cold and sharp. She crossed her arms and stared at her daughter with piercing eyes. "And why would you leave Seamus alone? You told me you are his sole protector."
"And look at him now, on the bed, almost killed by that savage," her voice echoed in the room, chilling the air.
Viviane's gaze sharpened as she looked at her mother in disdain. "I have my own business. And sole protector?" Her laugh was short and bitter.
"You sleep with him. You drink his blood. How am I the only one with that responsibility?"
"He almost died in your territory. As the head of the Velstrath, you should have prevented it and be ashamed of your failure."
Isolde's lips curved into a slow, smug smile that was sweet enough to be unsettling. "As you wish. From now on, I will be the one protecting him. I will drive him to college. He will sleep in my room, and you will have no say in it."
Seamus glanced at Viviane, expecting her to explode and challenge her mother, yet she did not.
"Do what you want. But if a single drop of Seamus's blood is spilled, I swear your head will be on the floor."
Her tone was flat and cold as she turned her eyes to him, the sharpness giving way to an apologetic softness.
"Sorry, Seamus," she said quietly before leaving the room.
The unexpected response left both Seamus and Isolde frozen. This was not like Viviane at all.
There was something strange and unfamiliar in her restraint, something neither of them could place. They looked at each other, silently searching for answers.
In Seamus's mind, dread took root. He feared Viviane was so angry with him that she had decided to give up on their relationship.
In Isolde's eyes, however, there was more than confusion. There was suspicion.
"No, she isn't," he murmured. "She isn't that kind of person. She would never hurt me."
"Then you know nothing about her," Isolde replied.
The simple words sent a shiver down his spine. He rose from the bed, intent on running after Viviane, but she was already gone.
He could no longer sense her anywhere in the mansion. She had gone somewhere he could not follow… he could not reach.