The Way You Bite(61)

“It’s a pretty house. What’s your house like?” She wondered if Lexan’s house was equally out of time.

“I have four. They are each unique.”

“Of course you have several. You’re the werewolf king.”

“My having homes has nothing to do with my position as leader of our people. I chose a few places across the world I liked. Each is remote and highly secure. I’d like to show them to you.”

She smiled up at him. “That sounds nice.”

…

He liked her in his arms, even if she was only using him for warmth, and fought the urge to bury his face in her soft hair. If he did, he’d push for a repeat. Sex wasn’t everything. He wanted to slow down their relationship, which seemed to be strapped onto a rocket. He wanted to talk with her, to know her. But he wasn’t sure how to do that when now he had to help her through the most terrifying part of any werewolf’s existence.

He’d never really been interested in the slow-down part of a relationship.

What if this was only about the flavor of his blood? And sex. This, for her, may have nothing to do with partnership and love.

Love? No. Not possible. He hadn’t known her long enough.

He’d never been in love, so he couldn’t be certain. Over the centuries he’d counseled many who thought age gave him wisdom about matters of the heart. From that he’d concluded the problem with hearts was they jumped without permission, which led to sticky situations often awkward, embarrassing, or downright stupid. After it jumped, the brain had to figure things out and make sense of it.

He’d never wanted someone so badly in his life without giving a damn for consequences. Maybe his heart had jumped.

Shit.

His cell phone lightly dinged. He pulled it out and cursed at his rotten luck. “I’ve got to take this call, but I’m putting it on speaker since it involves you. Be silent.” He put a finger to his lips and pressed the green answer button. “This is Lexan.”

“Ah, Signore Aleksander. So glad I catch you,” said a heavily Italian-accented male.

“Viktor DiFalco. I would say it has been too long, but then I probably would not have contacted you had your son not tried to kill me.”

“Ambrose can be…impulsive. Perhaps he misread a situation? He is young. Sometimes his ambassadorial role tests his patience. I heard you have taken possession of his fiancée, though. That would be cause for justifiable alarm.”

“He’s old enough to make his own decisions on your behalf, and in this country he is your representative. Velvet has chosen sides, and because of this she was not in a safe situation. We each protect our defectors, do we not?”

“We do.”

“I interpret his action as a signal you and the other European vampire families have elected to end the peace.”

Several seconds of tense silence echoed from the other end. Viktor’s voice lost its lackadaisical smoothness when he replied crisply, “Ambrose acted independently. I knew the Scarpa daughter wasn’t a good choice for him. Such a heathen place to raise young. Now he has acted impulsively out of love.”

That was grade-A bullshit. Ambrose had an agenda that had nothing to do with Vee or love. Viktor probably didn’t know of his son’s homosexual preferences. Lexan stayed silent waiting for a decision on war.

After a moderate pause, Viktor said, “I have no wish to return to war.”

“My people are angry, Viktor. This never-ending fight here in the States, the virus, and now this attack on me. Those who want a fight are preparing. Michael is…”

Viktor interrupted, “Take Ambrose. Kill him as an example. Let it be a gesture of my desire to perpetuate the peace. Call off Michael. Dominic Scarpa is acting alone. We do not condone his skirmish.”

Shock reflected in Vee’s gaze she it met his.

“Dominic and your son acting without consulting you? Doubtful. Should another DiFalco attack me, or I receive indisputable proof you targeted the biologics on us, I won’t call before I send Michael your way. Be assured I’ll be right behind him to finish what we started long ago. Since you cannot handle your people, I will deal with Dominic and Ambrose.” Lexan hung up.

She whispered, “He just gave up Ambrose…his son? Like that?”

“He’s a vampire, no offense to you intended. Family means jack shit to leeches most of the time, especially if it gets in the way of a leader’s agenda. He has six sons.”

“But his own son? Would you give up your son to be executed by vampires to save the peace?” Vee caught a shadow of movement near the door they’d just exited. Ryder.

“Never. Wolves protect their own. We treasure our children. They are our next generation and our only hope of species survival. Vamps and wolves may both represent long-lived species I wish would’ve evolved deep ethical beliefs, but both have not. Vampires have long judged us to be animals. It is they who are the more vicious, often acting without sentimentality or compassion. I find you…different. Refreshing. Perhaps, it’s the wolf in you, but you tap into your compassion. That, Vee, is a gift. It’s more wolf than vampire. Maybe it’s the reason you incited Dominic’s anger for decades. He detected what vampires perceive as weakness and sought to eradicate this, whereas wolves value empathy.” His gaze slid to Ryder who he knew had been in the shadows.