Free Bed and Breakfast [Bloodkin 1] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by Scarlet Hyacinth Page A

front of a door and turned to smile at Moss as he opened it. “I’m sure we will. Here we are.”
    Moss’s eyes widened at the sight before him. Thousands and thousands of books lay waiting on dark wood shelves. Scrolls and parchments filled other bookcases, some shielded by protective glass. There were also wide tables and comfortable chairs, obviously meant for study. Moss could barely believe the beauty of it.
     
    * * * *
     
    Vane smiled at the open excitement on Moss’s face. He’d been certain the young human would appreciate the wealth of knowledge here. The mansion had many previous owners, and each of them added various shelves to the library, until it had become incredibly extensive and contained books suitable for all tastes. One could find anything from philosophy to religious psalms there. He also owned material needed for his work as a Kin Lord, a copy of the original bloodkin Covenant, as well as many other amendments to the bloodkin legal system. Of course, Vane didn’t keep those within view of prying eyes.
    When he had time, Vane enjoyed coming here. It held a sense of peace and quiet he couldn’t find anywhere else. He’d seen in Moss’s mind the young human also enjoyed reading. It followed as natural that Vane had wanted to show the library to him.
    “This is unbelievable,” Moss said.
    “Take a look around. You might need some of these books in the future.” And indeed, Moss’s work required a better understanding of the world around them. Even if Moss so obviously enjoyed reading, he hadn’t known any details about the bloodkin. It stood to reason that, to survive and thrive in Vane’s world, he needed to learn more.
    “Thank you,” Moss said, sounding awed. He began to browse and Vane just leaned against the wall, watching the human scan the titles. Moss stopped in front of certain shelves and retrieved volumes, mostly on bloodkin and their history. At one point, he paused at another section. Vane knew it well. Those particular additions had come from Kier, and they were the only thing the elf still kept from his life in his lands. The titles he kept in the library were available to all, however, and Vane knew his friend wouldn’t mind if Moss borrowed one of them. “Those are elven books,” he told Moss. “They’re very rare.”
    Moss put the books he’d chosen so far on a nearby table and retrieved an elven tome. He flipped through the pages almost reverently. “It’s beautiful.”
    Vane nodded, agreeing to the assessment. The elven alphabet was beautiful, difficult to grasp for a human. Bloodkin used the same one, with slight modifications, and Vane had no trouble reading such books, but that wouldn’t be the case for Moss.
    “Maybe one of these days, I’ll teach you.”
    Moss looked up from the tome and met Vane’s gaze. “Would you?”
    Vane’s shaft hardened at the sight of Moss’s beautiful green eyes shining with excitement. “Of course,” he said, voice husky.
    Moss must’ve sensed the change in mood as he placed the elven book back. He continued to search the library, advancing through the shelves. Occasionally, Vane lost sight of him and when he heard Moss’s footsteps stop, he left the door and followed his human.
    “Moss?”
    Moss didn’t reply, and Vane’s curiosity peaked. He knew nothing could have happened to Moss, not here in Vane’s house and in his presence. At last, he saw Moss standing in front of a certain bookcase, holding another tome in his hand. Vane smirked, knowing exactly why Moss had not replied.
    An addition from a more eccentric owner of the house, the shelf in question held many interesting books, all surrounding one single topic, sex. Sex with women, with men, with objects or even animals, hundreds of positions—some restricted to bloodkin use—recipes for improving the taste of blood, and Vane’s secret pleasure, an extensive collection of encyclopedias on bondage.
    He surreptitiously made his way to Moss’s side. The