Chapter 35: House Special
As the bartender opened the bottle, Corven glanced at Rose, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Well... you seemed more hesitant when we did it before," she pointed out, her tone playful yet honest.
Corven laughed, shaking his head lightly. "Let’s just say I’m in the mood now, unlike before."
The bartender leaned forward and poured the drink smoothly, the thick, dark liquid filling the glasses with a soft glug. The scent was rich—iron-heavy, a little sweet, undeniably fresh. This was the kind of mix that came with a warning label.
Rose picked up her glass, smirking. "Are you sure you’re not just jealous?"
"Jealous?" Corven raised an eyebrow. "You mean that bastard who tried hitting on you?"
He grabbed his glass in a practiced motion, fingers curling around it like someone who’d done this a hundred times before. He might’ve been a vampire for only a few days, but he hadn’t forgotten the muscle memory of a life spent drinking.
"Replace jealousy with ticked off," he said, "and you’d be right."
Rose tilted her head, eyes narrowing with amused curiosity. "I didn’t see that in your memories."
Corven smiled. "Then I’ll take that as a blessing."
A light cough from the bartender interrupted their banter, pulling their attention back.