Blood Vow (Black Dagger Legacy #2)(62)

“Sounds more like self-preservation to me. And you know … whoever you mate is going to be the luckiest male on the planet.”

For some reason, the way he said that hurt—probably because he was clearly indicating her future hellren wasn’t going to be him. But that was crazy on so many levels.

“Actually, I’m never getting hitched.” When he frowned at her, she shook her head. “I don’t want anyone telling me what I can and can’t do. I’ve had enough of that from my father—I mean, everything in the house is his way, his preference, what he can handle within his rigid system of social expectations. Which isn’t much. I want to be on my own, and I’m going to figure out a way to do it. I’m going to finish my degree and find a place in the world—no clue what it’s going to be, but I’m going to get my own money so I can move out and then …” She laughed in an awkward burst. “And yes, my father is going to disinherit me, and I’ll be dead to the glymera and my bloodline. But it’s going to be worth it.…”

Wow, she’d never even articulated the plan to herself, much less someone else.

“Anyway,” she went on, “some dream, huh? Nothing like a little self-destruction to spice things up.”

“I don’t think it’s self-destructive.” Axe stared into her eyes. “I think it’s awesome.”

“You do?”

“Yeah.” He splayed his hands out and then curled them into fists. Then cracked the knuckles one by one. “This is going to sound stupid.”

She waited. “What will?”

“The fact that you want to be on your own even if it costs you everything? It makes me trust you.” He shrugged as if he were trying to downplay what he was saying. “It makes me believe what you said, that you aren’t like the rich people who killed my father. Because those types? Never would have walked away from their lifestyle—and before you say that I’m generalizing, maybe I am, but if you can’t find it in yourself to extend decency to commoners in a life-and-death situation? You sure as shit ain’t leaving your fur coats and your diamonds and your big-ass house on the hill behind, ever.”

Elise exhaled sadly. “I’m really sorry about what happened to your father. I hope you know that.”

Now it was his time to laugh in a short burst. “The really sad thing? What they did to him, how he died, isn’t the half of it.”

She wasn’t surprised as he hand-and-footed it over to the fire and put more logs on the flames.

“I think I should probably go,” Elise murmured as he spent an excessive amount of time nursing the hearth.

“Yeah.” Abruptly, he looked over his shoulder. “It’s not because I don’t want you.”

“Good.”

But the mood had shifted and there was no going back to where they had been. She believed him, though, when he said he still—

“Can I see you tomorrow night?” he asked without looking at her.

“Yes. Where?”

“Here.” He poked at the burning logs, a shower of sparks raining down on his bare forearm, not that he seemed to care. “I have a long training session tomorrow. I won’t get off until late, but you said you weren’t going into the library or anything, right?”

“That’s right. What time?”

“I’ll let you know. Probably four? We’ll still have some time.”

“I’ll be here then. I can just wait for you? If you trust me here alone—”

“I’d trust you with my life.”

The fact that he said that absently really made her believe that he meant it. And that warmed her through and through, more than the fire did.

“Then we have a date.”

“Is that what it is,” he drawled. “What else would you call it?” She started to get dressed, stumbling when it came to getting her bra hooked. “And I’m going to be the first to say, I can’t wait to see you again.”

When she was finally back in what she’d been wearing, she stood up with her coat. “Good day, Axe. If you think of me, you can text me, you know. No pressure. I just want to put that out there because I think you might not even if you wanted to.”

He got to his feet, and as he stretched his back, there were a series of snaps and pops—and yes, she admired his muscles under the tight T-shirt he had on. “Let me walk you out.”

They were silent as they left the room—but he caught her and redirected her to the front door, not the one off the kitchen.

“You’re going to be cold,” she said as she stepped out into the night and he followed.

“It doesn’t matter.”

And indeed, he stood strong against the frigid wind, unbending, magnificent.

“Be careful,” she told him. “You know, in the training. I imagine it can be hard.”

He made a noise in the back of his throat that could have been anything from a Yup to a Whatever.

“Okay, then …,” she murmured.

For some reason, the darkened windows of the little cottage made the homey place seem as cold and empty as space itself.

She didn’t want to leave him there all by himself.

But what choice did she have?

“Well, good day—”