Page 35 of The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee

‘It’s not bad,’ he repeated. ‘But it’s not easy. I have two things to tell you. Let’s start with the easiest one.’ He laced his fingers through mine and pulled me to the nearest leather-lined booth. He slid in first and tugged me in after him. It wasn’t lost on me that I could get out; he was expecting me to run, but I was determined to surprise him.

He had kept two secrets from me but I couldn’t protest – I still hadn’t found the right time to tell him that I was a human flamethrower. ‘Okay, hit me.’

‘My father, Hamish Mackenzie, is the vampire king of the United States of America.’

That was the easiest one? My jaw dropped then I closed it with a clack. My brain short-circuited with panic. ‘You’re like Franklin?’

‘I’m nothing like Franklin!’ he said firmly.

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean that. I mean you’re the crown prince or whatever?’

‘Kind of. I’m having a … sabbatical. I came to Portlock for a change of scene and politics. I needed some downtime.’ He grimaced. ‘But when I arrived, the vampire leader here was a narcissistic asshole who used his power abusively so…’

‘You put him in his place?’

‘I put him in his grave,’ he corrected. He sighed. ‘And no matter how much I tried to say no, the vampires here wanted me as their leader so here I am with my little fiefdom that my father is happy for me to have – for now.’

‘For now?’

‘He’ll want me back at his side sooner or later. I’m his favourite.’

‘Well, no wonder,’ I said faintly. ‘You’re my favourite, too.’ I blew out a breath. ‘You’re a vampire prince.’

‘Yeah.’

The question was, did I care? I thought about it for a moment. No, not really, because Connor had obviously broken free from his father’s yoke. But Alaska was in America, and suddenly I felt a chill. I’d run far away from the last king, but was I now under a different vampire king’s power? Was Connor?

‘Do you have to report to your father? Are we his subjects?’ My voice quivered.

‘No. I took this tiny territory to be free of him. He has no control over me unless I give it back to him. Portlock is outside his remit.’

‘Okay.’ I licked my parched lips. Did Connor’s high-born status change who he was? No. Was I comfortable with it? No. Could I get over it? Absolutely. ‘It’s not like I didn’t meet lords and ladies before. It’s fine. I can cope with you being a prince.’

He lifted our twined fingers and kissed them. ‘I’m glad.’

‘But?’

‘But it’s the next bit that I don’t think you’ll like.’

I grimaced. ‘Try me.’

Connor ran his free hand through his hair. It was a tell of his: he did it when he was nervous or unsure. ‘Vampires are one of the few supernatural races that mate for life,’ he said slowly.

I relaxed a little. Was this a discussion about monogamy? I was a one-man girl. ‘Most humans aim for monogamy too,’ I said cautiously.

He shook his head. ‘It’s not a choice to be monogamous – it’s more like nature decides for you…’

My jaw dropped as I connected the dots. ‘Fated mates? You’re telling me that vampires have fated mates?’ My eyes flicked to the door and back to him. ‘I’m here because you think I’m your fated mate?’ My voice was shrill. He wasn’t interested in me; he was listening to that bloody zing. Like he should do, like a good prince.

His expression was inscrutable. ‘Not think. I know you’re my mate.’

Nope.

I was twenty-three and I’d only become undead a dozen weeks ago. Life had been hectic and I barely knew which way was up, let alone who I wanted to spend a freakishly long eternity with. Until death do us part had a whole different meaning when you were a vampire. I wasn’t ready to commit to a long weekend away, let alone the rest of an insanely long life with him. It was too much.

Connor let my hand go, and it crushed my soul to let his fingers slip from mine. I stood up with shaking legs. All I’d wanted my whole life was to have some independence. I’d travelled halfway around the world to escape one hundred years of servitude only to come here and find someone else trying to lock me down.

‘I can’t,’ I managed.

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