“Clearly, she also needs you to not flaunt your relationship with him in her face,” he says dryly.
“We weren’t flaunting it. She walked in on us in his room, and even then, we were just talking.”
“Naked in his bed?”
“Maybe,” I say, obstinate to a fault. “But he is mine, goddammit. She has no claim on him.”
Jess struggles underneath me, growling like a fiend.
“Aefre. Don’t you remember what it was like? What would you have done if at three days old you had found me naked in bed with someone else?”
Since when is he the voice of reason in these situations?
“Killed her,” I say forcefully. “In fact, even at a thousand and one years old, if I found you naked in bed with someone else, I would kill her,” I say with a sassy smile, which has him snickering.
“Now you know that isn’t going to happen,” he says but a small shadow passes over his face, which I don’t understand. “You, on the other hand, have multiple lovers all practically living under the same roof. You need to start being a bit more responsible,” he says with a raised brow.
“Fuck off,” I snarl. “Don’t talk to me about being responsible, attacking Xane like that, not to mention the attacks on Cole, these have not been your finest hours, my love.”
“Hm, I can’t argue with that. I can’t help it that they provoke me,” he says sullenly.
“Provoke you? This time last year you didn’t even know the meaning of the word. Unless you were dishing it out. What the Hell has changed with you?” I ask him suddenly, needing to know.
“You have changed me. Being together and talking about a future together, it has changed me. I am a better man,” he says loftily.
“Excuse me,” Jess snaps out of the blue. “Your little private conversation is kind of stepping on my rage here.”
I let out a loud laugh and let her go. “Back under control?” I ask her.
“Yes,” she says, rubbing her wrists. “Blood.”
“When was the last time?”
“Two hours ago,” she admits.
“No can do then.”
Her eyes flash and in the spirit of not wanting to tackle her again, I offer her my wrist. “Take mine.”
Her eyes light up but then narrow as she slides them hungrily across to my sire, “I’d rather have his.”
CK looks somewhere between pleased to be wanted but pissed off at her audacity. I slap her across the face a bit more forcefully than I should have and speak for him, “Look at him like that again and I will show you what rage really looks like.” She pales as she remembers what my rage potentially looks like – as in thirty feet tall and breathes fire – and takes my wrist. She feeds from me and pulls back. “Thanks,” she mumbles. “Can you let me up now?”
r /> “Are you going to behave?”
“Yes.”
I get off her and help her up, saying, “I know you are upset about this morning, but I will tell you this once and once only. Seeing Devon with me must’ve been a reality check, but my lovers are off-limits to you. Don’t try it again with any of them. If you want someone else, I can assure you there will be plenty of suitors for you once word gets out.”
I have caught her attention with that as she looks at me curiously. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that you are a pretty girl. And smart, if your credentials are anything to go by. You come from the strongest Vampire bloodline and are a part of my family. Believe me, you won’t find it hard to attract attention.” She takes that in, and I wonder if maybe she will give herself up to her true nature sooner rather than later.
She looks at me shyly and then at CK, she whispers to me not wanting him to hear, but he can anyway, “Is Sebastian one of yours?”
I shake my head at her as I cast a quick glance at CK, who looks askance. “No.”
“Ahem.” CK clears his throat and Jess has the grace to look abashed when she realizes he overheard. “As fascinating as I find this reaction, Sebastian is also off-limits. He has other priorities at the moment.”