Chapter Ten – Rollon
He had meant to see her completed at least twice before he found his pleasure, but the way her body arched towards him, her eyes rolling to the back of her head and her face going all red . . . it was too beautiful. Rollon dropped his mouth to her breasts, kissing her twice before he erupted. All his muscles seemed to go slack and he was just able to catch himself before he collapsed over her.
She made the most adorable mewling noise as she ran her hands through his hair. Rollon kissed her neck a few more times before withdrawing, careful not to go too fast so he wouldn't hurt her. Her arms wrapped around his waist as he moved to the side. Her hair was a mop around her face, making her look even more beautiful than usual.
"Well, do you think you can sleep now?"
"Hmm. Maybe." She rested her head on his arm. She was silent for a long time before she adjusted herself against him. "Can I ask you something?"
Rollon grunted in the affirmative.
"That was your sister, right?"
Eva. Rollon sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes."
"Why does she seem to hate you so much?"
Rollon traced his fingers across her skin, loving the softness of her. "That's a bit of a story."
A pause. "You don't have to tell me."
A smile crossed his face. After all his years of solitude, he found himself wanting to share everything with the beautiful woman in his arms. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Eva and I both became vampires around the same time. For many years, it was just her and I against the world. Eventually, we started to build this kingdom together. But . . . but once I decided to stop turning humans into vampires, that was the end of things. She thinks that it's a gift to humanity and that I was turning my back on the people we could save. Not everybody wants to be a vampire, though. She wouldn’t accept that. Then she rebelled."
"She rebelled against you because you didn't want to turn people into vampires?"
Rollon shrugged. "Well, I arrested her first. She turned Ingrid without her permission. And so Eva fled and vowed her revenge. All very dramatic, isn't it?"
Tindra sighed as she snuggled deeper into his arms. "I never had any brothers or sisters. I often wished for them . . . but my parents had hardly enough time for me, except to tell me to grow up. When I was five, they refused to let me watch cartoons because they claimed I'd get unrealistic life expectations from them."
This from the girl who had a huge collection of comic books? They certainly didn't do a good job if they didn't want her to get into that sort of thing. Why would a parent deny such a harmless passion, though?
"When my mom first found my comic collection, she grounded me. Said I was wasting my money. I had my own job, I worked for that money, but they wanted to control what I could spend it on. They started taking my paycheck and calling it rent. So I left. Sixteen years old. I had no idea what the world was really like. For all of their blustering about wanting to prepare me for life, they did nothing."
"Do you have any contact with them at all?"
"Yeah." Tindra propped herself on her elbow. "At least, after they split up. It's easier to talk to them now, although Mom is always on my case about growing up and having kids."
Rollon shook his head. "You don't have to grow up. I've seen you with Hilda. You have patience and such a vivid imagination. Good qualities for a mother. Your comics don't make you childish." He kissed her again. "You never have to worry about being judged for what makes you happy when you're with me."
With me. He shouldn't have said that. There was no with him.
He pulled himself out of her arms and slipped from the bed. "You need to rest now."
"What about you?"
Rollon shook his head. "I had blood and sex. There's nothing else I need. Thank you for helping me heal fully . . . You know that this was only a one-time thing, right?"
Her eyes widened.
"I should have made myself clearer, perhaps." He felt like a heel for what he was saying. He had made no indication that it was only going to be a one-time thing. That was because not staying with her forever wasn't even on his radar from the moment she stepped into the shower with him. "I can't get involved with a human."
Tindra's arms tightened over her chest. "So you're kicking me out?"
"No. You can stay here as long as you wish. You can shower again if you want, and there is food in the fridge." Rollon forced his voice to go smoothly and even. "But I decided a long time ago that I wouldn't be involved with humans any longer. You're just too fragile."
"I'm not fragile."
"You are. I have to remain in complete control. When were we in the corridor today? I could have drained you in five minutes. And in this bed together, if I had thrust too hard, I would have broken your pelvis." Rollon shook his head. "No. I prefer partners that can match me for strength."
Tindra stared at him. He expected anger, tears, pleading. Not this silence as her eyes seemed to pierce right through him. She didn't even move. It was so different from the high-energy woman he knew that he was unnerved. Had he really hurt her so much? Or was he putting thoughts out there that hadn't crossed her mind? Was he giving away his own growing affection for her?
"Okay," she said evenly.
Okay? That was it? Wasn't she going to fight for him more? He stared at her uncertainly. Was she waiting for him to turn away before she started to cry? Maybe she just wasn't all that into him . . . He quickly found some clothing and dressed. By the time he left, Tindra had rolled over with her back to him and was hugging a pillow.
Rollon hurried to this study. It was for the best. Still, when he got there, he collapsed at his desk, feeling drained. It was a mistake to accept her into his bed in the first place. He should have asked for a different human . . .
"Knock, knock." Thor stepped into the room, a smug, self-assured smile on his face.
"What are you so happy about?"
Thor's smile slipped off his face. "What happened?"
The most amazing lovemaking he could remember having. But Rollon wasn't about to admit that. "I will tell you what happened. Instead of being honest with me about your preferences, you dragged that poor girl into something she can't understand, hoping for us to get together. All you had to do was tell me you're asexual. You didn't have to go to these lengths to distract me."
Thor's brow furrowed. His eyes narrowed. "That isn't what I was doing and you know damn well it isn't."
"You know why I can't be with a human. You know that it wouldn't be forever. Did you even think about what that girl was going to go through here? What were you thinking?" Rollon roared, slapping both hands to his desk. His eyes blazed and Thor jumped.
"You know what I was thinking," his son snapped back. Thor brought a fist down on the desk as well. "I was thinking that my father is completely miserable. He has nothing in his life except all this violence. Your world is too small and I wanted to see you happy again. What is so bad about that?"
"You thought that—"
"No." Thor held up a hand. "No, Dad. I know. You might not have loved Mom, but you still cared about her. I don't know if you've ever been really, truly happy, but I know that this . . . This isn't healthy. Every year you get harder and I'm not going to stick around and lose you little by little without trying every damned thing I can to save you."
What could he say to that? Rollon slumped back in his chair. His chest ached. He rubbed it. Apparently, he hadn't healed up as much as he thought he had. No matter. In a few hours, he'd be right as rain. Thor still leaned on the desk, eyes blazing, looking so much like his mother that Rollon almost laughed.
He didn't though. There was nothing funny about this situation.
"I appreciate your concern. We'll have to talk about this later when we're not in such emotional states. For now, I need you to be the prince."
"Dad—"
"Eva was able to get into the palace. She knew about Tindra and a secret passage even I didn't know about. I need you to investigate. Find out how she knew."
Thor ground his teeth but nodded. "It will be done, my lord."
Rollon flinched. "Thor—"
But he was already gone. Rollon let his head fall back. Great. What was he meant to do now?