Cursed by Rebecca Trynes

turned his head towards the door to see what Sienna was looking at, Greyvian felt the force of the male’s stare like a physical touch. Ignoring the look and without apology for his behaviour, he made his way over to them, his eyes flicking around the seating arrangement with a calm that should have come naturally to him, yet for which he had to strive.
    He made the decision to sit on the armchair a good distance from the female but changed tack at the last instant when he caught Knox eyeing him speculatively, as if he were judging whether or not Greyvian was going to behave himself around the human. Lowering himself gently beside Sienna, he met Knox’s green-eyed gaze and purposefully stretched his arms along the back of the lounge so that one hand was but a hair’s breadth from the back of her head. Knox smiled slightly in return and tipped his head, acknowledging the slight.
    Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Sienna’s posture had straightened, her body tightening itself in readiness for flight no doubt. Calmly, he turned his head towards her and met her wide blue eyes. She stared at him for a long moment before losing her nerve and looking down at her hands.
    The silence was palpable. Normally he was fine with silence, preferred it even to the mindless prattle that people seemed to think was necessary for group situations, but right now it only served to draw his attention to the steady in and out sound of Sienna’s breathing. If he listened hard enough, he could even hear the rapid beat of her heart, pushing her blood around her body.
    “Did you feed?” Knox’s voice cut through the silence, loud as a fog horn to his straining ears and thankfully served to divert his attention from the thought of Sienna’s blood. Just in time too, if the sudden snap of Sienna’s face coming into focus was anything to go by.
    Damn. He hadn’t even noticed himself slipping into feeding mode. Closing his eyes briefly, he willed his fangs to retract before turning his head in Knox’s direction. Safe in the knowledge that his expression gave nothing away, he nodded.
    “I did.”
    “Really?” Knox replied with a sceptic half smile. “Cause you were looking at Sienna as if she were lunch.”
    An uncharacteristic wave of irritation flowed through his body and he had the irrational urge to rip the male’s throat out with his teeth.
    “Was I?” he asked, keeping his tone completely neutral—again, with an effort that wasn’t normally required. He turned his head slightly towards Sienna. “I apologise if I gave any impression of intensity.”
    The female’s vibrant blue eyes locked onto his and she smiled slowly, her posture visibly relaxing for the first time since he’d sat beside her. “Don’t sweat it.”
    Looking back at Knox with an effort that made him uneasy, he raised an eyebrow at the male in challenge. Knox smiled in answer, but there was little humour in his eyes—as if he knew that Greyvian was struggling for normalcy and worried for the female’s safety.
    As well he should.
    “So, I’m curious,” Sienna said after another long moment of silence. “Just how old are you all?”
    “Knox?” she prompted when none of them answered.
    An irrational part of Greyvian was annoyed that she hadn’t asked him first.
    “I guess it’s only fair that you know our age—after all, I did ask you yours,” the blonde replied with a smile. “I’m one hundred and fifty-six years old.”
    Sienna pursed her lips, looking disappointed. “Is that all? Lucas?”
    Another wave of annoyance flowed through him.
    “I’m just a baby,” Lucas replied nonchalantly. “One hundred.”
    “Ah.” Finally she turned to him, her blue eyes luminous and twinkling: as if she had deliberately left him till last. “Greyvian?”
    The way she said his name was like a slow caress, sultry and smooth, appeasing the annoyed beast within so that he could answer her without inflection in his voice. “Three hundred and