The Way You Bite(6)

“You guys violated all but one of my conditions. I think the owing someone a favor part is heavily balanced toward me.” She tossed the remnant suture into the sharps container.

Crystal entered the exam room without knocking. While staring at a patient chart, she asked, “Dr. Scarpa, can I borrow you for a minute…”

Crystal noticed Lexan. Unabashed lust shone on her face as she stared, transfixed, while he slid the top button of the jeans into place.

Vee said, “I’ll be out in a few minutes. Let me wrap it up in here, Crystal.”

Crystal didn’t budge from her lock on Lexan. Nor did she acknowledge she’d registered what Vee said. Or the fact there was no longer a dog in the room, but two guys, one being naked and the other putting on jeans.

“You can go,” Vee said, waiting for Crystal’s what-the-hell explosion.

Crystal didn’t move. The expected outburst didn’t happen. She didn’t even glance at Eric, or at her, nor ask about the now absent patient.

Vee glared at Lexan.

Lexan wasn’t giving Crystal the read-look. He crossed his arms and scowled.

Vee bit her lip against a smile. She liked him irritated.

Lexan rumbled out, “Crystal, you can leave us now and resume your duties. Dr. Scarpa will be out soon. You may speak with her then.”

Crystal nodded and exited in an automaton way that gave Vee chills. What kind of unique mental capabilities did this guy have?

Vee rotated her wrist for a time check. The wedding would commence in five minutes. They wouldn’t wait for her. Even if she left now, she had no chance of making the ceremony. Being late would be added fuel to ignite her father’s reaction to this wolf encounter episode into the stratosphere. No question of if he found out. The question at this point was when.

“You’re going to be late for your sister’s wedding festivities,” Lexan said.

Could he read her mind? She thought to him, “Keep. Out. Of. My. Head.”

“We’ve held you up long enough.” His gaze turned intense. His tone was ultra smooth as he murmured, “I’d like us to meet later. We need to…talk.” He stepped toward her.

She backed away. “I don’t think so. Let’s forget this incident happened. Don’t send more of your friends my way.”

Lexan frowned. Eric shot him an answering slack jaw shrug and head shake. Maybe no one questioned His Highness’s orders. Or whatever he used on Crystal didn’t work for her.

In a blink, Eric was in wolf form. Lexan donned Eric’s hoodie and pulled up the hood.

“Let’s not run into each other ever again. Deal?” She did an authoritarian doctor nod and headed for the exit.

“No deal, catifea,” Lexan called as she exited. “You’re going to need me.”





Chapter Two


Vee could use about ten more minutes on hair and makeup. Her long, dark hair was out of its ponytail and up in a French twist. The result screamed rush job. A brief glance at her reflection in the cramped restroom mirror brought back her brother’s words from a few decades ago: “You’re a solid eight, sis. No way around it.”

Yep, size eight, five-foot-eight, and on a vamp male’s grading scale apparently she was an eight out of ten. Passable, but not one of the leggy, busty, pale beauties that made vamp men fall over themselves, not that she thought any “ten” vamp guys were worth aspiring for, given she was about to marry one. They might be gorgeous, but they were self-obsessed and narcissistic.

Catifea. She shook her head to clear Lexan’s low rumble of the word. No use. Her mind fixated itself on Mister Naked Hotness. Was it some form of endearment or threat? Although tempted to Google the term, there wasn’t time right now. Later.

You’re going to need me. The warning repeated itself over and over in her mind.

Her stomach churned. She didn’t need another ancient being playing mental chess with her. Her father’s manipulative antics and Ambrose’s political power plays were tough enough for her to handle.

Yet, a connection had passed between her and Lexan—something not about threats or blackmail. She couldn’t define exactly what it’d been, but maybe that’s to what his words referred. Maybe it was attraction. What would it feel like to lie next to his broad chest and rub against his skin? She shivered and then drove the image from her brain. Attending this wedding while mentally undressing a werewolf was suicidal. At least Ambrose wouldn’t be there. He was too busy on the West Coast to care about her half-sister’s arranged marriage.

She unwrapped and munched on a Hershey’s kiss. Then another. And went for a third. Stop eating, she screamed at herself. When nervous, she ate chocolate. It didn’t assuage the blood hunger, but it made her taste buds happy. Vamps, in general, despised chocolate, which meant growing up there hadn’t been any around. She’d discovered the delectable treats in college. Now she kept chocolate everywhere. The vampire aversion to cocoa came from a slight toxicity of the cocoa plant to a vampire’s digestive tract. At least, that’s what Roman told her. It wasn’t fatal but gave most vamps profound cramps. He proclaimed her unique.

Back to cosmetics. Her cheeks, flushed from the persistent image of Lexan naked, made it tough to gauge if she’d applied too much blush. She did a final swipe of mascara, trying ineffectively to separate her clumped eyelashes. Her makeup skills sucked, since she rarely used the stuff. A frustrated dark green gaze reflected at her in the mirror. She hated the splash of brown in her left eye.