Page 41 of B Negative

Fifteen

A waveof emotions barreled into me, all contradictory, all screaming for top priority. I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

They seemed to trail behind me as I ran through the halls, crimson roses clutched against me.

I hadn’t even read the card and yet the gesture, the simple act of sending me flowers, had conjured a storm of feelings.

All conflicting.

Did he think he could win me back with an obscene amount of roses?

Beautiful, velvety roses that perfectly matched the shade of the dress I wore the first night I saw him up close and tried to steal his diamond.

I ran a fingertip along the delicate edge of one as I waited for the elevator to the living quarters.

Julian enjoyed giving me items that matched the color of important things.

And I enjoyed receiving them.

I took the card from its holder, too afraid to open it. I pressed it against the ache in my heart and waited for the elevator to arrive.

When it finally did, the guards, Sunny, and B had caught up with me. Honestly, I was surprised they’d let me get so far ahead.

“Nice of you to join me,” I said absently, hoping I’d kept up my normal lighthearted appearance.

“We thought it best to give you a modicum of space,” Sunny said.

I nodded, staring at her in the mirrored walls of the elevator. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” My gaze drifted to the black eyes of my guards. “What were your names again?”

The vampire gave me a half smile with whole effort. “I’m Odisic, Ms. Vaughn.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, embarrassed I hadn’t asked before. “And what about you?” I asked the other guard.

“Norton, Ms. Vaughn.”

As the elevator doors opened, I only briefly mused over whether brothers could have such different names. We were back at the mate suite in no time, and the two guards returned to their posts on either side of the door.

The three of us rushed into the suite, beelining for the bedroom.

Sunny affixed the witch bottle to the doorknob once again. “Titus just confirmed my suspicion.”

He had. And he hadn’t even been prompted, which was even better.

But it only made me stare at those crimson roses even more, chest aching with the knowledge that I’d hurt him far more than I’d intended.

“I need to call him,” I said, mostly to myself. I reached for my phone, but as my finger hovered over his contact card, I had a better idea. I dialed him from Sunny’s bedside landline. It sent a much clearer message.

“Why are you calling me from that tyrant’s tower?” Julian roared in my ear.

“I made a mistake,” I said simply. “I had no idea severing our bond would jeopardize you.”

Julian loosed a great heaving sigh. “I’ll come get you right away.”

“No, Julian, you misunderstand me. I’m saying I’ll be whatever you need publicly, at whatever functions are required by my station until you can repair our bond. But I’m staying here until you do.” And until I could read enough about supernatural life and my place in it to not make such a horrible mistake again.

Julian’s silence stretched between us, tightening my chest. “How am I supposed to mend something you broke?” His question wasn’t bitter or angry, as I’d expected. It was defeated, and that pained me more than the others would have combined.

“You hurt me. Deeply. You did the very thing I was afraid of, and instead of apologizing, you justified your actions.”

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