Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Back inside the mansion, the sound of a sharp slap echoed through one of the quieter corridors. Caroline stared at her cousin in disbelief, one hand pressed against the reddening mark on her cheek. Tears welled almost immediately, more from shock than pain, her lips trembling as she struggled to find words.

"How could you..." she whispered before her voice rose. "I'm sick."

Lachlan's expression hadn't changed. If anything, it had become colder as he replied, "Then perhaps you should be resting in bed instead of wandering through the house accusing your sister."

The quiet disappointment in it stung far more than if he had shouted. Caroline laughed bitterly, shaking her head. She said,

"Father died because of a witch. Everyone keeps pretending none of it matters anymore! Am I not even allowed to say what I think?"

"No," the answer came immediately and Lachlan took one slow step towards her. "You are allowed to grieve. But you are not allowed to use grief as an excuse to become cruel."

Resentment flickered across Caroline's face and her jaw tightened. "You always take her side!"

Lachlan stared at Caroline, knowing fully well that his uncle had never treated Caroline harshly. All those things were directed at Ruelle. He sighed before saying,

"Listen to me carefully, Caroline." Lachlan's voice lost what little patience remained. "Whether you like it or not, Ruelle is part of the Slater family now. If you continue speaking like this, you'll invite trouble you won't be able to survive."

Caroline's lips trembled. For a second Lachlan genuinely thought she might apologise. Instead, she glared at him through tear-filled eyes, turned on her heel and stormed away. Her footsteps echoed down the corridor and a moment later, a door slammed.

The sound lingered long after she had disappeared.

Lachlan remained standing where he was. Only when the silence returned did he quietly rub the bridge of his nose. The slap still stung against his own hand.

"You know she won't change," a lazy voice came from down the corridor. "Her father's blood runs far too deep."

Lachlan turned and noticed Dane leaning comfortably against the stone wall, one ankle crossed over the other. The smile that tugged at the corner of his lips was small, but it deepened by the slightest fraction when their eyes met.

"It would be kinder to silence her before she becomes troublesome," the words were delivered so lightly that, for a fleeting moment, Lachlan almost mistook them for a joke.

"Stay out of it," Lachlan didn't bother hiding the irritation in his voice. "There are other ways to help people besides killing them."

Dane blinked once and asked, "There are?" His brows lifted with what looked like genuine curiosity before his head tilted ever so slightly. "Like a slap?"

The smile spread another fraction on the pureblooded vampire's lips. "And who said anything about killing? You're giving me rather creative ideas, Mr. Hawksley."

Lachlan looked at him for a long moment. He asked, "You mean like secretly mixing your so-called medicine into people's food? I knew you couldn't be trusted."

Rather than taking offence, Dane pushed himself away from the wall. He began to walk and said,

"I never lied, they were medicines." He stopped only when he came to stand in front of the human, "They simply weren't prescribed for the intended patient."

Lachlan stared at the pureblooded vampire, who looked sane at first glance, but it was the eyes that gave it away. There was something profoundly unsettling there. It was obvious that this person wasn't right in the head or maybe most of the pureblooded vampires carried that streak. He suddenly found himself grateful beyond words that fate had paired Ruelle with Lucian instead.

"Whatever."

Weariness from the journey had finally begun to catch up with Lachlan. Rubbing the back of his neck, he wanted nothing more than to find a bed. He had barely taken two steps when Dane spoke again.

"I still think killing them would solve more problems. I've already invested in this and would like to see no trouble."

Lachlan's footsteps paused and he scowled. He muttered, "With the way you speak. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the one who killed Uncle." He then turned to meet the pureblooded vampire's gaze.

Dane placed his hand on Lachlan's shoulder, offering a smile while the human's eyes moved to his hand with suspicion. "If you're serious about protecting them, keep watching them," his voice drifted back almost lazily. "You never know when one of them might quietly disappear."

Before either of them spoke again, the quiet rhythm of approaching footsteps echoed through the corridor.

It was Hailey, who slowed when she caught sight of the two men standing together. Her eyes moved briefly from Dane to Lachlan before she offered a bow to them.

"I am sorry. Am I interrupting something?" Hailey asked before looking up.

"No," Lachlan answered almost immediately, breaking his gaze away. "We were done."

Hailey's eyes sparkled and she clasped her hands together in front of her. "Then, Mr. Hawksley, may I borrow you for a moment?"

"For me?" Lachlan asked, mildly surprised.

Hailey nodded and she said, "I wanted your opinion on something. I've been thinking about what to give Ruelle as a wedding gift. Everything I come up with doesn't seem quite right, and you've known her much longer than I have."

Lachlan's expression softened and he answered, "I'm not sure how much help I'll be." But then upon noticing the pureblooded vampire stand there, watching them, he wanted to leave the corridor and said, "Alright."

As the two began walking down the corridor together, Hailey chatted quietly about ribbons, books and whether handmade gifts carried more meaning than expensive ones. Lachlan answered without much thought, while Hailey listened with a small smile, only realising a little later that she couldn't remember a single suggestion he had made.

Dane remained where he was, watching the two disappear around the corner before finally turning and walking in the opposite direction.