Anastasia Maltezos - Lycan King

She heard a growl behind her and spun around. A dark haired woman dressed in a pale green gown stood behind her, her expression unpleasant as she ran a derisive glance over her. The hair at the back of Eve's neck rose.

"You must be the new guest at the castle everyone is talking about. The one who saved Becca," the stranger said coldly, glancing down at Eve's wrist. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing that should concern you." Eve did not like the woman.

The woman's face hardened. "You're poisoning our well with your vampire blood, aren't you?"

Eve narrowed her eyes. "It's not what you think. I'm not trying to hurt anyone. I suggest you leave and forget you saw me here."

The woman's eyes shifted to amber and Eve clenched her fists. So she was a Lycan. If it was a battle she wanted, she was going to get it.

"I'm sure Drago will be interested to know what you've done."

Drago? Did all the villagers address the king in such a familiar manner? She stared at the woman and realised she had to follow her. The last thing she wanted was Drago thinking she was trying to kill his people.

Pursing her lips, she followed the woman back into the castle.

* * * *

Drago's body went cold and he gripped the armrests of his throne. Nolan was talking to him, but he couldn't hear a word. It was Eve. He…he felt her. His heart thudded against his chest as he waved a dismissive hand at Nolan and staggered to his feet.

"Your Highness, are you all right?" Nolan asked.

Drago wasn't so sure. He was stunned at the powerful connection he was experiencing with Eve.

"Your Highness?" Nolan asked.

"It's nothing," Drago growled. "Leave me be."

He sensed her approaching the Great Hall and his gut jolted violently. He stared at the door, his heart racing like a thoroughbred in his chest.

He tensed his mouth as he stepped down from his throne's dais and stood with legs apart, hands clenched at his sides.

She entered slowly behind Gretchen and her wariness ran across the room and hit him. She was nervous. Grim-faced, he strode to her and stared down at her beautiful face. Up close, she didn't look as wary as he thought. She looked uncertain, almost frightened. The thought didn't make sense to him. Frightened was a word he would never use to describe her. His gaze ran over her tight, leather garb and he frowned, wondering why she wasn't wearing one of the gowns he sent her.

"Drago, I caught her at the well slitting her wrist," Gretchen began. "She was trying to kill us with her poisonous blood."

The room grew silent and all eyes turned on them. Drago kept his gaze fastened on Eve. "Thank you. That is all, Gretchen," he said firmly.

"She was tainting the well with her blood. The well is poisoned," Gretchen persisted.

"I said that is all!" Drago thundered. "Leave us." He shot her a harsh look. Damnation, the wench was getting out of control. He'd known for months he had to break things off with her.

"But, Drago, she was poisoning the water!"

"No, she wasn't," he said, turning his gaze to Eve. One drop of my blood will cure her madness , she'd told him. She wasn't trying to kill his people. She was trying to help them. With every turn of his head, this woman was proving herself to be a champion, a hero. He would have never believed in a thousand years a vampire of her valour existed. He drew in a ragged breath, realising he had done a gross injustice to her, thinking she was evil. She wasn't. His instinct had been right when he showed her his tunnels. She was honourable, her integrity unquestionable.

Gretchen released a low growl and left the Great Hall. Drago swept a dark gaze around the room and immediately his guards went back to what they were doing.

Grimly, he returned his attention to Eve.

She looked around the room, her expression nervous. "I…I didn't expect so many people here."

Her expression gave way to fear and he frowned. She looked terrified. "Do not fear my guards. They all know you are our ally." She nodded, but the fear remained on her face. "Let us sit down."

He saw her nostrils flare as she darted her gaze frantically around the room. "Can we…can we sit over there," she said huskily, pointing to his throne. It was the only isolated spot in the room.

A dawning realisation struck him and he narrowed his eyes. "You do not fear my men," he said. "You fear your thirst."

She gave him a look that was a strange mixture of fear, disgust and anger. "Yes." She released a strangled breath. "This is no good. I have to go. I'm sorry, but I'm not used to being around so many people." She took an unsteady step back. "I haven't…I have to…" Her expression flickered with suppressed emotion. "I'm sorry. I must go." And she turned and fled.

Chapter Six

What a fool she was! All the Lycan blood in the room made her dizzy with hunger. Dammit, why hadn't she locked into Gretchen's mind and removed any memory of them at the well? She choked back a rising sob as she ran down the long corridors. Where the hell was the exit, she thought frantically.

Finally, she spotted a door and ran outside. A sharp stab in her gut made her wince with pain. Oh God, why did she put herself through this every single night? Prolonging her nightly feeding rite was only asking for trouble. And yet, she couldn't help it. She hated feeding. Even though the act gave her an exquisite rush of ecstasy, the remnant of her human self was still repulsed by it, even after four hundred years.

She ran into the courtyard, past the entrance, to the perimeter of the grounds. The castle was atop a vast mountain and she inhaled deeply, looking down at the village below lit by torches and lanterns.

Without another thought, she stared up at the night sky and sprinted into the air, flying over the village to a field past the town's edge. She landed firmly on her two legs and groaned, squeezing her eyes. Dammit, the pain was worse. She knew she could hunt for an animal in the village, but that was too risky. She didn't want to jeopardize a villager's life if she couldn't find a stray dog and her thirst consumed her. She'd have to find a wild animal past the fields in the forest near the horizon. Gritting her teeth against the hunger, she rose and sprinted high in the air, soaring through the flat fields.

She prayed she was going to make it to the forest in time. After what seemed like forever, flying through the air, she caught a movement to her left and gasped. She landed on the ground and narrowed her gaze on the spot. A fox! Relief flooded through her veins.

She was about to sprint through the air to catch it when her vampire hearing caught a rumble in the distance behind her. She spun around, stared into the darkness and froze.

A massive Lycan was running at incredible speed towards her. Even from this great distance and with the absence of light, her vampire sight still made him out. He was over nine feet tall, with a smatter of hair all over his massive, muscular body. The only covering he wore was a dark loin cloth over his genitals.

She bared her fangs and hissed at the approaching beast. The fox ran to safety and Eve hissed at the Lycan who stopped before her. Up close, he was even more terrifying. His jowls looked fierce enough to rip a stag in two and his amber eyes glowed ferociously. He was a monster.

She was too weak to take flight, too weak even to run, but she stood her ground and hissed up at him.

And then he shifted. The brows meeting at the bridge of his nose disappeared, the dangerous incisors faded away, the fierce talons withdrew. She stood there, dazed as she watched the muscular figure of a man take shape. It was Drago dressed only in a black loin cloth.

Her breath caught as she ran her gaze over his body and when she stared up at his face, she froze. His expression was both astounded and furious. "Why didn't you tell me you fly?"