The Way You Bite(31)
“Anything chocolate?”
“Are you craving sweets?” His tone was mysterious as if the craving meant something.
“I always like sweets.”
He pulled out a grocery store cardboard box. “Pie? Says it’s apple.”
“That works.” She glanced around. “Where are your, uh, guards?”
“They’re around.”
She pulled her gaze off the upward curve of his mouth. “How long have your guys been with you?”
“Long time.” He slid a slice of pie her way with a fork.
She scrutinized him, frustrated by his relative non-answers.
“I guess you’re a hot target and need guys you trust around you. Is that why you keep a low profile? Why you haven’t visited this country in a very long time?” She lifted the fork but didn’t eat.
“I have many responsibilities to my people. Those keep me busy. I probably should’ve ended this unfounded skirmish long ago, but the North American territory head wanted to handle it.”
“You think a wolf didn’t kill my mother?”
“I’m not sure who killed your mother, but for sure it wasn’t the wolf Dominic blames.”
“Really? Is that why you’re here? To fix a misunderstanding?”
“No.”
“Are you here to end this war and you think I can help?”
He shook his head. “Why aren’t you eating? You need food.” You need to be strong.
She’d inadvertently picked up his thought. Again with the being strong. For what? She glanced down. Food? Her life had become a screwed-up mess, her body was distractingly on fire for a male she couldn’t have, and he wanted her to eat?
“Eat.” He nodded at the pie.
She ate a small piece. It tasted like plastic, even though she was sure it’d been baked to perfection. Her body didn’t want anything but blood. She inhaled his scent, remembering the smell of port when he’d bled. Yeah, if she could find safe blood that smelled that good, then she’d be in heaven. “So, you being the reigning wolf, are you married? Or do you have a mate or two somewhere?”
His fork paused halfway to his mouth. “What? No.” He put down the bite of pie.
“Do you have a woman in your life, then?”
“Not in a long time.”
“There was someone. At least, I heard there was.” She took a cautious sip of orange juice.
“Was.”
“What happened?”
“It was a bad match. Political, arranged. A bad deal for both of us.”
“I understand arranged matches.”
“How long have you been engaged to Ambrose?”
“Seven months.”
“Why aren’t you married? Aren’t you under pressure to have an heir? That’s usually the focus of the first years for vamps.”
“That has become a focal point. My father and Viktor DiFalco have decided to take it to the next level. They plan to force it prior to marriage. Maybe they think pregnancy will compel us to tie the knot officially. I’m not sure.”
The space around Lexan darkened as if he sucked the light out of the area. “They want you to do the shots and force biology?”
She nodded. “The treatment.”
“Rumors say it doesn’t always turn out well.”
“My cousin died a few years ago from excessive bleeding. So, no, it doesn’t always work. It’s got high risk for side effects. I said no, not that anyone listened.”
“Ambrose agrees with this plan?”
“Pretty sure he does. All three of them are up to something far beyond the two of us getting married.”
Lexan scowled. “Any idea what it might be?”
“Not really. I’m not in the inner circle. Never was.”
“So, this pregnancy plan is between Viktor and Dominic? Interesting.”
“Nothing about it is interesting. This is my life. I don’t want to die trying to conceive a child I don’t want.” She shuddered.
“Sounds like we saved you from a bad deal, then.”
“I don’t have a lot of choices in my life.” No female born into an aristocratic vamp family had choices. “Why don’t we admit neither one of us is into eating and skip to the part where you tell me why I’m still here.”
He crossed his arms. “I need to see you eat first.”
She chewed two small bites and pushed the pie away. “I’m sure it’s good, but I can’t eat.”
He scowled. “Fine. Let’s go where we can talk. In private.”
“In private from whom?” She met his gaze.
“The others.”
She glanced around. “Your bodyguards?”
He nodded. “They’re curious about you.”
“I’d expect so, when His Majesty won’t leave me alone.”
He moved toward her to help when she stumbled.
She waved him off. “No touching.”
He didn’t back off but grabbed her arm to steady her. He whispered low, “Yes, they’re fascinated because of who you are, what you are, and because you’re in heat. Any wolf of our age can smell it a long way off. It drives us with a need to mate, especially with the full moon almost upon us.”