Page 46 of The Reluctant Heir

“Is every date you’ve been on actually bad or are you just trying to see bad things in everybody?” he asks.

I chew on my bottom lip. “I don’t know. I guess… Prince Karpov and Prince Alexander weren’tsobad. They were attractive enough and nice. But I didn’t have any chemistry with them. There was no spark.”

“And you want a spark?” he inquires, but he’s not looking at me. Instead, he’s looking at his empty plate.

“Doesn’t everybody want a spark?”

He sighs. “Your next date is with Prince Damek. I scheduled something for next weekend.”

I sit up straighter. “Really?”

Kaine nods. “I know you like him.”

“I don’tknowhim.” I shrug, hoping to show him it’s not a big deal. “But from what I’ve seen of him, I do like him.”

“Well, I don’t like him,” Kaine says. “I’m still not convinced he didn’t have something to do with Lucien’s disappearance.”

But he won’t look at me as he says it, so the statement doesn’t feel true—at least not completely true.

“Do you really think that?” I ask.

He sighs, shaking his head. “I did think that. But after you accidentally punched him and nothing happened afterward, maybe the Rune Clan isn’t as bad as I thought they were.”

I offer him a smile. “I appreciate your loyalty to the Scott Clan and my family, but you don’t have to hate the Rune Clan. Maybe they were once our enemies, but it sounds like that’s not the case anymore.”

Kaine leans forward and abruptly changes the subject. “I told you I was a turned vampire, right? I was turned as a small child. My entire human family was murdered and I was left for dead. The vampire had thought he killed me, but somehow my heart was still beating, even though it was weak. It was a feral vampire. Your dad was helping track the vampire and he found me. Changing me was the only way to save my life. After that, he sort of adopted me into his family. He took me in and raised me. He showed me how to be a vampire. I trained and went to school with Lucien. We were both the same age, so we became best friends. So, yes. I am very loyal to the Scott Clan, but more specifically, I am loyal to your father.”

I sit back against the chair hard, my entire body going numb. “Kaine, I’m so sorry. About your human family.”

He shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “I was only five at the time. I barely even remember them. I had a mom, a dad, and two older sisters, but I can’t even recall what they looked like anymore.”

“You don’t have photos?” I ask.

“No.” His glacier blue eyes finally meet mine. “Your father isn’t the sentimental type. It likely didn’t cross his mind to grab any photos. Not that it matters. He saved my life. That is enough.”

Still… I can’t imagine how hard this must be for him. He must want to remember what his family looked like.

I reach across the table and grab his hand with mine. “If you ever need anybody to talk to, I’ll listen. Missing your family is normal, even if you feel loyalty to my father. And it’s okay to grieve them.”

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows. “Thank you, Madeline. It’s been almost twenty years now. I’m okay. But I do think about them sometimes. I think they’d be proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

I grin. “Because most turned vampires aren’t acknowledged by the courts and you’re an advisor to the future king—or queen, at the moment—I’d say you’ve done very well for yourself.”

He grins back, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

I let go of his hand and lean back in my chair. “So, I’ve got to say, this is probably the best first date I’ve had.”

Kaine busts out laughing.

He may not be a potential husband, but I don’t hate him anymore.

“I’m not kissing you goodnight,” he warns.

I wrinkle my nose. “Good. Because I’d have to try for a second time to punch you. I won’t miss this time.”

“So it can be a good date without chemistry?” Kaine casually takes a sip from his glass.

I roll my eyes. “You’re annoyingly smug about this.”

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