The Way You Bite(57)

“I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. You’re still Vee. Still my sister,” Trace said. It’s bullshit.

She smoothed wrinkles in her shirt. “How did you end up here, Trace?”

“We planned to get you back and tracked you to that house. This wolf knocked me out during the fight.”

She scooted to see around Blay. “What exactly was the plan for me when you got me, Trace?”

“Everyone had their own plans. Ambrose, Dominic, Hsu-Li. I planned to get you the hell away from the wolves, and then away. Anywhere away. Safe. Maybe with Aunt Carol.”

“Our sister just married into the New York vamps where Carol lives. Dominic owns that territory now. How could you even think to put her at risk like that?”

“Carol has many connections. It’s why most vamps steer clear of her. She’s your best bet of getting out of the country at this point.”

“Where’s Lexan?” she asked Blay.

“He’s dealing with political minutiae. I would still like an answer to what Dominic did to you. Exactly.”

Relief whooshed through Vee. Lexan lived. He was here. When no one around her was speaking, she glanced up. What had they been talking about? Right. Her and Dominic. “I’m not sure this makes great father-daughter getting-to-know-each-other conversation.”

Blay glowered. “Tell me what the sadistic guttersnipe did.”

“Dominic and I have never gotten along. I’ve never bowed to his dictates easily, which meant sometimes he got mean. I got mean back. We both got hurt.” She shrugged, unwilling to relive the specifics of the past.

Trace said softly, “She barely survived one or two of those when she was a teenager.”

“I held my own just fine.”

“How could you not kill Dominic for that?” Blay growled at Trace.

“It’s not his fault. He would’ve. I asked him not to.” Vee wished she could jump up and tell Blay to back off of Trace, but she was still acclimating to sitting upright.

“I, too, would like to know why Trace put up with Dominic’s behavior,” Lexan said from the doorway. He added telepathically to her, “You okay?”

Her heart slammed into her ribs so hard that it stole her breath.

Okay from what? Ingesting blood or issues with Dominic. She wanted to end the Dominic discussion. It resurrected bad memories buried long ago.

“Sis, you’re in serious danger. How can you pass for vamp and none of us ever picked it up? I mean, if anyone got a whiff, especially Dominic, you’d be—”

“Executed,” she finished.

“I still don’t detect anything.” Trace sniffed in her direction and shook his head. This is a scam. Don’t fall for these guys’ bullshit.

If she hadn’t seen her own arm change, she might believe Trace. She zeroed in on Blay. “Who killed my mother, if it wasn’t you?”

“I don’t know,” Blay replied.

Lexan folded his arms across his chest. His face, closed and dangerous, glared distrust at Trace. “Vee, we should talk in private now that you’re awake.”

The room shifted as she stood. Light-headed. She managed to walk a straight line to Lexan, drawn by the need to be close to him. She needed to confirm he’d survived the silver toxicosis without residual issues. His arms unfolded. She wanted to touch but stopped when his broad chest was mere inches from her aching chest. She attempted to keep her breathing slow and even in order to fake calm, but it didn’t work. His gaze lowered to her heaving chest. Then his lashes lifted to reveal a heat so intense that her entire body caught fire. He ran his knuckles lightly up her arm, leaving a wake of goose bumps. “Come.”

“Don’t you dare go with him. He’s dangerous!” Trace screamed at her mentally. “He’s mesmerizing you. Break free of this trance.”

Lexan held her arm as if he understood her weakness.

“Are you...well?” His voice was like a narcotic, flooding her system with the insane need for him. She had to be susceptible to his female charm ability despite everyone claiming otherwise. Even if so, right now she didn’t care. She was so relieved he lived and was here with her.

She nodded. Lethargy diminished, leaving a gut-wrenching craving. To bite him. To be with him again. Okay, bite first.

Lexan’s gaze dipped down her body, pausing on her chest. His thought echoed in her mind, “Run with me. All fur. In the moonlight. Then, I’ll give you what you want.”

She stared at him, remembering him as a wolf. She couldn’t imagine herself with fur, definitely not shifting into something not vampire. The afterward part? She could be on board with that.

“Does my neck tempt you, catifea?” The low rumble of his voice in her head warmed her.

She’d ingested so much of his blood, even if it’d been tainted, but even now it wasn’t enough. She needed more. “Starving.”

“I will only let you drink if you run with me.”

“After we run, then,” she agreed.

He took her hand.

Before they exited Trace called out, “You’re Aleksander Dimitrov, aren’t you?”

“Lexan.” His muscles tensed. She wondered if he’d attack Trace. Instead, he said low, “Surprising we never met back when you were fucking my wife. She must’ve secreted you out of my house before I got there.”