“What the fuck?” he asks as he sees me next to him. “Get out.”
“No can do. You need to feed. I am fairly sure I will be going shortly, and I won’t see you for a day or so.” I know this because suddenly, I’m not cold anymore. In fact, I am nice and pleasantly warm, and I know it isn’t because this room is well heated.
“Whatever,” he grouses. I give him my wrist and he drops his fangs and bites down on me. He gets it over with quickly and then lies back down with a hiss.
“Still hurting?” I ask.
“I’ll live,” he says with a grimace.
“Please don’t ever let anyone do that to you again,” I say to him. “I can’t bear it.”
He glances at me with a look of sorrow. “I would never have been able to be here if they hadn’t. Choice is yours,” he says.
“If I had been stronger, I would have protected you,” I say. I have been on the receiving end of CK’s wrath, so I know how he must be feeling. Although, I ended up being thrown out of a tower. Seems Cade got off a bit lighter. “Just know that,” I add quietly.
“Yeah, too bad you’re a weak ass and can’t keep your men in line,” he snickers despite the slice of pain that goes through him.
“Hah,” I say. “Too bad for you indeed. All of this could have been avoided if you had just come to me in the first place.”
“And said what? I had already told you, but you weren’t listening,” he says.
“I know,” I admit. He stares at me as if seeing me for the first time.
“Jesus,” he says. “Since when did you ever admit to being wrong?”
Not very often, I’ll give you that. Even when I know I am wrong; I am as stubborn as my sire. I just shrug and then say, “Go back to sleep, you look like shit.”
He laughs and then grunts. “Thought I’d heal quicker than this,” he mutters.
“Not without hu…” I get as far as that before he growls at me.
“Say it and I walk. If you are so desperate to keep me here, keep your piehole closed.” He lies back with his eyes closed.
“I don’t eat pie,” I sulk at him.
“Well, bloodhole sounds absolutely disgusting,” he says, opening one eye.
“Ergh, even I have to admit that doesn’t sound very nice. Very well, have it your way. Suffer as you must,” I add loftily.
“I will,” he says stubbornly and then he falls into a deep sleep. I scoot down to lie next to him and fold my hands on my stomach as I stare at the ceiling. I can’t believe what Devon has asked me. It has floored me. I have a nervous excitement fluttering in my stomach. I can’t wait to talk to Cole about this. But I can’t believe he knew and never said anything, and then offered up this arrangement with CK. What the Hell is that all about?
My Vampy senses tell me CK is a nanosecond away from opening the door.
“Aefre,” he says. “What are you doing in here?” He glowers at the sleeping Cade and I sit up.
“Being creepy,” I say as I touch him one last time and then get off the bed.
He raises his eyebrow at me but says nothing.
Strangely I don’t feel all that tired anymore, being asleep for three months will probably do that to a girl, so I take his hand and say, “Come. I want some alone time with you.”
He brightens considerably and lets me lead him downstairs. “Poolroom fixed yet?” I ask, remembering that I practically destroyed it with my Dragon fire.
“Sort of, not enough,” he says, and steers me in the direction of the ballroom. This room is very rarely used and is on the other side of the billiards room, effectively under most of the bedrooms. “Dance with me,” he says, and I grin.
“Yes,” I say, clapping my hands excitedly. I love to dance with him. He is exceptionally gifted and can Paso Doble with the best of them. I look down as I am hardly dressed the part. He holds his finger up and disappears, returning momentarily with a pair of dancing shoes.
I smile my thanks and sit down to put them on. He sorts out the music and then whisks me up and away. We move so well together, like we are one. The perfect partner to each other in every way. We get lost in each other, the music and the dance and when it ends, I find myself quite disappointed. I could dance with him forever.