Sweyn just cackled and walked toward the bed. She tossed the stone in her hand and caught it over and over like it was a baseball. When she got to the far side of the room she stopped and turned to face me with the bed of humans between us. Just when I thought she would speak, the ceiling lowered behind her . . . and her throne settled onto the floor. My eyes widened. My pulse quickened. Sweyn smirked and sat on her throne. A tall white staff was propped up on one armrest. She reached up and placed that stone at the top of the staff.

The other members of her court walked into the room, walking in two single-file lines toward the bed. But they stopped before getting in. That was when I looked to the humans. They were all still alive, but their eyes were sort of dazed and hazy. None of them screamed and thrashed to get free. It was like they’d been drugged or hypnotized.

“Let the feast begin,” Sweyn’s voice was deep and rough like she was dying of thirst.

The bedroom doors shut behind us and locked, the clicking of metal echoing.

In perfect unison, every member of her court lunged onto the bed. There was a flash of white fangs before they pierced the skin. The humans gasped and arched their backs. Blood trickled from throats, elbows, and wrists. Aelric and a few other males had their heads between human women’s legs to feed from the veins down there. I did not look any closer to see if there was multitasking happening there, I did not want to know. Not while I had to stand here and watch.

Everest’s fingers wrapped around my wrists then gently tugged me back against his chest. His breath swept through my hair as his fingers lightly traced lines up my arms then over my shoulders. Goosebumps spread across my skin. A soft, sexy little self-satisfied chuckle left his lips which were pressed to my hair. His right hand left my skin and tangled in my hair, his fingers twirling the long black strands then using it to yank me closer to his chest. My back slammed into him. He pulled on my hair, tipping my head back enough for our eyes to meet. Heat filled my face so I knew I had to be blushing even before his gaze swept over my cheeks.

He pressed his lips to my left ear, still holding my head back, then whispered, “you’re going to have to join them.”

I breathed in through my nose and nodded just enough for him to see.

“Close your eyes and listen carefully,” his whisper was now telepathic. “I’m going to teach you how to feed.”

My eyes flew open.

“Close them,” he growled in my ear.

I squeezed my eyes shut.