Page 73 of The Alpha's Protective Mate

Robert clears the dishes, and once he’s done, he sits across from me. “Are you feeling better?”

I nod.

“Then it’s time we talk.”

I let out a gust of air. “I guess we should. What do you want to know?”

“Beruth Sanguinite is your father?”

I nod once again.

“Do you have any contact with anyone in your clan?”

I take my time in answering, realizing that lying by omission isn’t going to help me any.

“No,” I say, truthfully. “My father threw me out in the middle of the night. He just came to my room, dragged me outside, and tossed me out of the compound. My siblings were there, watching. Our compound was in the woods—must still be there. There were all sorts of animals out there. At the time, I assumed he had just washed his hands of me. I didn’t realize he had intended for me to die out there. Vampires don’t kill their young; that is frowned upon in our clans, so I guess he couldn’t kill me himself. But when I ran into Droga, who attacked you, and then my sister, they were surprised to see me alive.”

“So, all this time, your father had no idea where you were?”

“No. I stayed away from the parts of the city I knew he conducted business in. And I’ve always kept a low profile.”

Robert taps his fingers on the table as if considering my words.

“Do you think I’m lying?” I ask bluntly.

“No.” His response is just as abrupt. “I just want to know everything you’ve been keeping from me. Now that Arabella knows where you are, what are you anticipating?”

I lower my gaze to his hands, the thoughts I’ve been burying since last night rearing their ugly heads.

“She’ll tell Father,” I murmur. “And since I am no longer a child, he can kill me now without risking the clan’s disapproval.”

“You think he’ll do that?” Robert’s voice is calm, but I can feel the strain in his tone.

“I would like to think that I am worthless in his eyes, not even worth expending the effort to get rid of me, but Arabella came to the cafe for a reason. I don’t know if she actually intended to kill me or just destroy my face, but there was a reason behind her showing up, and it wasn’t to make sure my life was as miserable as she wanted it to be.”

“Are you saying you expect Arabella to return?”

I nod. “And you’re right. This apartment is no longer safe for me. All she has to do is figure out the names of the employees who work at the cafe, and once she has that list, she’ll be able to pin down my home address. I can’t think of a reason why either she or my father would want me dead, but then again, I don’t understand why she did what she did last night. Every building has security cameras. She would have known that if Jazz had opened the cafe the next morning and seen my body, the first thing the police would have done is check the security footage. And even if Arabella had gotten rid of ours, the building next door has cameras that cover our entrance. She wouldn’t have gotten away with it.”

The words come out of me in a breathless rush as I connect the dots about how reckless my sister’s actions were last night and how they most likely were fueled by something.

“It’s alright.” Robert covers my hand. “Breathe.”

I let out a shuddering breath. “I’m okay. I’m going to have to find a place to stay, though. Maybe a hostel till I can find an apartment to rent—”

“You’ll be staying with me,” Robert says decisively. “I’ll feel better if I know where you are. And not even your family would be stupid enough to invade an Alpha’s home.”

“No!” I shake my head, my heart thundering. “Are you crazy? Have you considered how your pack will react when they realize you’re harboring a vampire in your house?”

Robert shrugs. “It’s none of their business. It’s my home.”

“Robert,” I say pleadingly, “I’m really not worth starting a problem over. I’ll find a place. If worse comes to worst, I’ll ask Ricky if I can stay at his place for a couple of d—”

The growl that leaves his mouth has me falling silent.

“No. You’re not staying with that damned vet. And don’t decide for yourself what I think you’re worth. You’re staying with me. If anyone in my pack has a problem, I’ll deal with them.”

I get to my feet. “Why are you being so stubborn about this? And since we’re laying out all our cards here, why don’t you tell me what your intentions are? Because you and I don’t have any sort of future. Shifters and vampires don’t mix. We both know that. The only other reason I can think of is that you want to use me at some point. But if that’s what you’re planning, it’s never going to work. I have no connection with the vampire world, as you are well aware. I’m not one of those people who wants to live in the moment, Robert. I need to plan and prepare for the future. I can’t have a fling with you. My heart doesn’t work that way. And if you—”

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