Page 81 of Sergi
“I thought it wasn’t polite to ask,” he teased.
“That’s a human thing. Or are vampires more sensitive than I’ve been told.”
“Who said we’re sensitive?” A spark of indignation came out of nowhere.
She grinned. “I think you just did.”
He laughed and shook his head as he dumped the bones from his rabbit in the fire. He flexed his shoulders, and a light pain nagged. He ignored it. “Sometime before the Middle Ages.”
She stared at him for the longest moment, and he turned his focus to the cooking rabbit.
“The oldest vampire I met was born during the Napoleonic war. I thought he was ancient until my uncle told me he was just reaching his prime.”
Sergi leaned back on his hands and stretched out his legs, his body warm from the fire. “I know a few vampires, barely over a hundred, who would question that statement. Like many of the young, they haven’t grasped the full weight of longevity.” He considered his words. “I think it depends on which House they come from and whether they’ve been around true ancients. The smaller Houses don’t view it the same as the larger ones.”
“And how did you feel when you were barely over a hundred?” Her grin showed a playful side that he found endearing.
He laughed. “Like a young stud who knew everything and challenged everyone.”
She laughed as if she expected his answer. “When did you become wise?”
He considered the last few days bound to a wall and the memories the torture had produced. A past he hadn’t thought about in a long time, except for his brief discussion with Devon before he’d left on this mission. Maybe that was why it was so easy to select one moment over all his other memories.
“The first time I met Devon Trelane.” He shook his head as Alex pulled the cooked rabbit from the spit and put the last one over the fire. “He was barely a hundred and I not much older. Ididn’t know who he was at first, caught up in my own anger as I disparaged the House leader’s son who was to take charge of the army.”
She nodded as she ripped several pieces of flesh from the rabbit before leaning over to hand him the rest. “Was it because this son showed no skill for war or that he was too young?”
He swallowed a bite and shrugged as he pulled another piece from the bone. “At the time, both. So I bet this stranger, whom I assumed to be part of the young whelp’s command, to a fight.”
Alex grinned as if she knew where the story was going, and she scooted closer.
He told her of battling the warrior, who had been an equal match, before he realized he was fighting the Master’s son. When he told her of throwing his shield and sword down before falling to his knees, she laughed with delight, and he couldn’t help but grin. When he felt his face flush, he blamed it on the fire.
When her laughter died, her expression turned serious, her brows lowered as she considered his story. “You’ve been with this House ever since?”
“Yes. I was Captain of the Guard for many centuries before the title became obsolete with industrialization and fewer wars of any consequence, at least to vampires. Then I became Devon’s bodyguard and eventually cadre when his parents were killed by Venizi, and he became House leader.”
He watched her as little lines formed above her nose. He suspected she was mulling over his words, and when she spoke, he was pleased he’d read her correctly.
“I thought it was possible for a House leader to grant someone they find worthy a House of their own, or did I misunderstand that?”
“You’re correct.” He was surprised by how much she knew about vampires. He imagined to young shifters it was consideredVampire 101—know your enemy. “It’s rarely done these days but was considered a reward for bravery in battle in defense of the House. Devon offered it to me once, but I turned it down.”
“Why wouldn’t you want your own House?” Once the question was asked, she lowered her head. “I’m sorry. That was rude.” She played with the sleeve of the lab coat she’d put back on.
“It’s a fair question considering how long I’ve been with House Trelane.” She lifted her head, and he shrugged. “You’re thinking of it from a pack perspective, and if that was all it was, perhaps I would have reconsidered. Vampire politics and law are a quagmire of corruption. For a vampire born to a House leader, they’re trained from a young age to someday run the House. I have no desire to be that type of vampire. I understand the politics and how to maneuver around them, but I prefer to serve. Devon gives me more opportunities to lead than I desire.”
“What you actually mean is that you’ve grown comfortable.”
He growled and focused on the cooking rabbit, but all she did was smile. She had a beautiful smile. In fact, she had several types, and he already knew the differences. A shy smile when she’d trailed her fingers over his tattoos when she thought him asleep. A smile that was pure joy when she’d seen that Cadfael and Carlos were safe. A knowing smile when she didn’t believe a thing he said. And the smile she gave him now. It was close to the one that said he spoke bullshit, but this one added an extra layer. One that said she was challenging him and his beliefs, and when she proved she was right, he’d see himself for the fool he was.
His first instinct was to react with irritation as he did when Cressa challenged him. Until he realized that with Alex, he welcomed the challenge. After staring at her for a few minutes, he gave her a devilish grin. “Perhaps we’ll have to put your theory to the test.”
Her laugh was lusty as she pulled the last rabbit off the spit. “So, tell me, vampire, since you know the Carpathians so well, what perils will we face before reaching civilization?”
He didn’t believe for one moment that she’d given up. Her change of topic was merely a ruse. She’d wait for a more opportune time to tease him further. He reached over to take his share of the rabbit, which was larger than the last. “The only true threat is the wild shifters, but there are bears and wolves in the area. We’ll want to stick to deer trails, but you’ll want to keep your wolf close to the surface. We should be able to make a lot of ground tomorrow, assuming the weather remains mild, but we’ll be spending at least one more night in the woods.”
She nodded. “Maybe you can find one of those warm pools.” She sniffed her armpit. “I could use a bath.”
