"No," he rasped, pulling his face away even as every last inch of him screamed in protest. He was so close; he could practically hear the pump of blood underneath skin. The smell of copper lingered in his nostrils, tempting him, igniting the hunger gnawing on his bones. A primal desire to turn the one closest to him clawed at his insides, threatening to destroy what remained of his humanity. "Not you. Never you."

He wanted—no, he needed a companion. The feelings that had been budding in his heart, once pure and a source of comfort, were slowly being twisted into an obsession, a craving deep in his bones. He was the king of vampires now that he'd killed the former queen—and a king couldn't rule alone. God, the mere thought of eternity together was enough to send him into a near frenzy. But no, he wasn't going to lose himself to this thirst. He was stronger than this. He had to be.

It took every fiber of his being to let go. His hands twitched at his sides, his nostrils flaring at the sweet scent of temptation. "Leave. Please," he pleaded shakily. "You need to go. Your blood, your neck, I can't... I can't hold back. Go."