The silence between them wasn't awkward, it was weighted, intimate, full of unspoken questions and answers.
But eventually, her voice broke the quiet.
"You didn't eat," she said softly, tilting her head to look up at him in the dim light. "Not really."
Alaric's gaze remained fixed on the ceiling. "I liked the look of it," he murmured. "The smell, the color. I even wanted to taste it. But… you know" He frowned. "I can't. It makes me sick. It's like trying to swallow sand."
"But Lucius ate," she pressed gently, eyes narrowing. "He seemed to enjoy it."
Alaric let out a quiet, bitter chuckle. "Well, he's not exactly as complicated as I am , he's a Normal vamp maybe that's his advantage." He turned to her, brushing a strand of her red hair off her face. "And maybe my loss."
Salviana nodded slowly. "My fire prince," she said carefully, "Aren't you starving?."
He said nothing. His jaw tightened.
She nestled closer, looping her arm around his waist, anchoring him.
