Page 24 of Marked By the Pack
“We’re good, Zoey,” he said. “I know you were just looking out for Emma. And I’m pretty sure I have you to thank for us meeting in the first place. Emma told me that you convinced her to go to that party ten years ago.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Of course he already liked me. I was the whole reason the two of them had ever met. He wasn’t going to kill the person that was responsible for him meeting Emma. “That was me. I practically had to drag her out of our apartment. And I let her borrow some of my clothes for a proper seduction. You are so welcome.”
He smiled. “And we only bumped into each other in Crooked Point because she was visiting you. I really owe you one. You know what? I am starving. Where is that beef fat?”
“It’s right in the kitchen…”
He laughed. “I’m joking. Seriously, why would you think I wanted that? Fat is nothing like blood.”
Yeah, I had no idea what I’d been thinking. I didn’t know anything about vampires because all my clients had failed me. Well, that wasn’t true. I did know one thing. That they lusted for blood. I stared back and forth between Emma and Callum. I knew I needed to be okay with this. But Emma had a bruise on the side of her neck. And I didn’t really know what the hell the two of them did when they were alone. Because she wasn’t opening up to me.
Emma seemed to notice me staring because she lifted her hand and put it on the side of her neck.
“How about some wine then?” I said. “Let’s do that.” I turned around to head back into the kitchen for the wine opener when the doorbell rang again.
“Are you expecting someone else?” Callum asked. He dropped his arm from around Emma’s shoulders and turned toward the door.
“I can get that…” my voice died away when Callum opened the door.
The big smile on Otto’s face immediately fell when he saw Callum at the door instead of me.
Everyone was so quiet that I swear you could have heard a pin drop.
“What are you doing here?” Callum asked in a way that was anything but polite.
You can’t answer a door that way!You’d think vampires had manners after being alive for so long.
“What areyoudoing here?” Otto asked.
I hurried over. “Hey, Otto! You made it! And you brought wine too? Fantastic.” We needed all the wine we could get tonight.
“I thought it was just going to be the two of us,” Otto said.
“And I thought it was just going to be the three of us,” Callum said.
Otto stared at me. “Three?”
Emma cleared her throat. “Hey, Otto.” She stepped into view and waved at him.
Otto smiled.
And Callum frowned.
I took Callum’s momentary distraction to grab Otto’s hand and pull him inside. I closed the door before Callum had a chance to shove Otto right back out. “Let’s all retire into the dining room for pre-dinner drinks.” I desperately needed some alcohol.
“Emma, you said it was just going to be the three of us,” Callum said.
“I did say that. But…”
“It’s my fault,” I said. I didn’t want him to be mad at Emma. This was all my doing. And she had told me repeatedly that this was a bad idea. I was beginning to think she was right. “It was a spur of the moment dinner party,” I said. “I forgot to tell Emma that Otto was coming. And I forgot to tell Otto that Emma and Callum would be joining us to. I’m so sorry. But now that we’re all here…let’s get to it. I made enough food for a whole army.” Even though I only needed enough for three. Since Callum wasn’t eating.
No one moved toward the dining room.
And for some reason, even though this was the worst start to a dinner party ever, I felt so calm. I looked down. I hadn’t realized that I’d been holding Otto’s hand this whole time. Our fingers were intertwined, and he was standing a little in front of me. Like he was ready to protect me from Callum’s vampirish ways. I didn’t think a guy had ever done that for me before. Protected me. Unless I counted Grudge turning all the lights off in my house last night for some reason. I did not.
“I really am sorry,” I said up to him. “Can we please just all sit down and eat? I promise it’ll be fun.”
Otto sighed. “Yeah, I’m sure we can all have a civil meal.”
