Page 34 of The Prince's Mate

Caelan stared at me for a moment before his eyes flickered away and he pressed his knee into my touch.

"When we get back to the apartment, we should watch a movie," I said.

"As long as it's not a Disney movie," he said, making me laugh.

"What are your views on action movies?"

"Too many car crashes, not enough plot," he said, and I grinned.

"How about...sci-fi?" I asked, and he scoffed.

"Aliens? Really?"

Oh, this was fun. "Thrillers?"

"Don't we have enough of that in our lives as it is?" he challenged, and I couldn't argue with that.

"So what do you like?" I asked, giving up on guessing correctly, and he grinned.

"Horror."

"Huh. Didn't expect that. Any particular reason?"

"They're funny," he said, and I stared at him. "It's not like any of those things can hurtus, right? So they don't scare me, but it's funny to see how the human characters react."

"I guess, that makes sense," I said as I realized there was a lot I still didn't know about Caelan, and I couldn't wait to find out.

Caelan

I had to agree with Walker. Elva was nothing like the demons I'd usually come across. I wondered what her true form looked like, if she was just as tiny in that form.

"So everything's good?" Walker asked, and I tuned back into the conversation.

"Yep! Kali and I are doing great. Our roommates are nice too. I'll be done with school in a few months, and I've been saving up to start my own eatery. I think I'll be ready to do that in a year," she said, and I smiled at her enthusiasm. I also found it inspiring that she was actually putting in the work when she could have whatever she wanted using a bit of magic.

"That's wonderful! We'll visit Kali later today, make sure she's doing well too, but it sounds like you two are set," Walker said, and Elva nodded as she took a bite of the cookie she'd brought for herself. Walker had already finished his cake and was sipping at his coffee now.

Walker's hand was still on my knee, his thumb rubbing soft circles against my skin. I couldn't begin to express how much I appreciated that little touch, how it made me feel grounded.

My eyes drifted over the patrons as Walker and Elva talked, and I stiffened when they latched on to a figure sitting at a table near the door. I could tell they were a vampire, and they were staring right at me.

"What is it?" Walker asked, instantly alert, following my gaze to the vampire who was now on their feet and casually strolling toward the exit.

"Was that one of them?"

"I don't know. They were staring at me," I said, and Ajax stood up.

"Elva, watch over them," he said, before taking off for the exit.

"I was probably just imagining it."

"The last time we ignored what you'd seen, you ended up getting captured. Trust your instincts, Kitty," he said.

"I know. I just can't believe this is happening," I said, and he squeezed my knee in comfort.

Ajax returned after a while, scowling. He hadn't been able to catch the vampire, and I could almost feel his annoyance. He convinced us to cut our trip short, and Elva handed a few more sweet treats to Walker before we left.

The drive home was tense, and I was itching to be back in the safety of the apartment, but when we finally got there, I had no idea what to do with myself. I felt antsy, like I should be doing something, but I couldn't for the life of me figure outwhat.

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