Page 52 of Perfectly Perfect Pixie

Sedrick’s warning smirk faded. His wolf-bright amber eyes bored into the endless depths of my black ones. Seconds ticked by. With a large exhale, Sedrick appeared to come to some type of decision. “I believe that might be true, Lucroy.”

“I assure you, it is an absolute fact.”

“Good.” Leaning in, Sedrick placed his elbows on the table. “I’m glad to hear that, especially since I believe we’ve got ourselves another problem. Seems that some of the sprites noticed tracks around the north side of Peaches’s border. The tracks were on the outside and looked like they might be wolf tracks. Peaches called me, asked me to come over and see if I could scent who it was. He also wanted to verify that it was wolves. Understandably, Peaches was hoping he was overreacting. I’d hoped that too. He wasn’t.” Sedrick ended on a growl.

I took a precious few seconds to get my anger under control before I asked, “And did you recognize the scents?”

Sedrick frowned. “No. I didn’t. That doesn’t mean they aren’t local. It just means I’m shit at socializing. I told Peaches I didn’t recognize the scents, but now that I’ve got them, if I smell them again, I’ll know.”

“Arie?” I asked.

“Possibly. Probably.” Sedrick didn’t sound any happier saying it than I was thinking it or hearing it. “I can’t think who else it would be.”

“Do you want to involve Ray?” If it was Arie Belview, or if he’d been the one to instigate the inquiry, then he was breaking fairy law. “Or would you like to take care of the matter in a different way?”

This time, Sedrick’s low growl was one of pleasure. “I’d like nothing more, but unfortunately, even if it is Arie, just like always, the sneaky rat hasn’t done anything yet that would be seen as truly breaking his oath. He hasn’t hurt Peaches. He hasn’t even threatened him.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “You do not view the aphids as a threat?”

“Of course I do, but we’ve got no proof it was him.”

“Obviously,” I answered, allowing Sedrick to parse out my meaning on his own.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, Sedrick leaned back again and said, “If it was just wolves, that would be one thing, but it’s not.”

Unsure what that meant, I tilted my head, holding my silence.

“I scented vampire too.” Sedrick dropped that little bomb with no preamble.

I’d thought I was cold before, but it was nothing on the frigid ice that sludged through my veins. “Vampire?” I asked, voice colder than the ice settling deep inside.

Sedrick nodded. “I’m no more certain as to their identity than I am the wolves. Probably even less so. I’ve not been around many vamps. Obviously, I can tell it wasn’t you.”

“Obviously,” I parroted.

“I’m no expert on vampire politics, but it’s my understanding that as king of the Southeast, all the vamps in the area should be under your control.”

“Control is not the proper term. You are, however, correct in your assumption that all vampires living within the Southeast are under my supervision. They must abide by the laws I set forth and come to me when issues need resolution.”

Johnny came by, dropping off our drinks. Sedrick’s beer was frosty and cold. Johnny brought the whole bottle of blood, a glass neatly set down beside it. Not saying a word, Johnny walked off, leaving us to our privacy.

Sedrick took a deep drought of his beverage, smacking his lips in appreciation. “That’s a good beer.”

“I’ll inform Johnny.” He was in charge of our beverage orders. Vampires only had a taste for blood. Anything else, we were lost.

“You do that.” Sedrick took another swallow in appreciation.

Taking the opportunity, I uncorked my bottle, filling my glass half full. I would force the entire bottle down my throat by the night's end. Johnny had been kind by delivering it cold. Normally, I liked my blood warmed—it brought out the flavor. After tasting Peaches’s blood, my typical mixture would be difficult to choke down. That was true of any blood that didn’t have Peaches’s DNA writ within.

Cold was better, less tasteful. I could manage to swallow it down far better.

I reached for my glass, fingers barely skimming the edges of the slick, cool surface. Sedrick’s hand shot out, slapping the glass from my hand, spilling crimson across the table.

My eyes ran red, taloned claws slipping free. Teeth elongating, my growl was deep and monstrous. One did not waste blood. It was abhorrent to vampires, even if it wasn’t to my taste. What Sedrick had done was beyond rude. It was disrespectful in one of the worst ways possible.

Ignoring my instant anger, Sedrick reached for the bottle, holding the open end under his nose and inhaling deeply. With lips pulled back, Sedrick stared at the bottle as if it were full of poison. Weres may not drink blood straight from the bottle, but when they hunted, raw meat and fresh blood were on the menu. Sedrick’s reaction was infuriating.

“Explain.” Four hundred years ago, I wouldn’t have bothered with an explanation. I would have leaped across the table and gutted him.

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