Page 191 of Immortal Bastard

Flavor burst in his mouth and he drew back, surprised to discover such a salty-sweet combination inside. “It is good.” He chewed, further unwrapping the paper for a larger bite.

“I’m lovin’ it,” Delilah sang, stabbing her fork into her salad. “Try your shake.” She plugged the cups with two fat straws and slid his forward. “I’m shocked the machine was working for once.”

Swallowing another bite of greasy meat, sauce, and cheese, he leaned forward and sucked on the straw. The veins behind his eyes pulsed as the chilled contents moved like sludge. “I can’t get any into my mouth.”

“Keep sucking.” She chuckled. “That’s what he said.”

Christian frowned. “Who?”

“It’s from The Office.”

“What office?”

“It’s a sitcom. A television show.” She smiled, about to say more, then the excitement in her eyes faded. “Never mind. We’re never going to watch it.”

He sensed the day was becoming more overwhelming for her as she relinquished more of her modern amenities. “Delilah, tell me.”

“I can’t. There’s too many episodes to explain. Too many seasons.” She frowned and looked down at her salad, appearing not to love it as much as she had a moment ago. “Too many shows.”

He didn’t understand her attachment to television. Mortals were mentally invested in the lives of characters in a way he couldn’t comprehend. But this was important to her. These memories made her laugh and he didn’t want her to lose that joy. “We will watch the shows you love.”

“How?”

“We have an eternity ahead of us, pintura. We’ll visit places with televisions and you can show me all the episodes. And then, we can laugh together at the jokes.”

She looked up at him in surprise. “You mean, we could visit hotels or Airbnbs?”

He nodded. “I don’t see why we couldn’t travel off the farm on occasion.”

She smiled and stood, leaning across the table to plant a grateful kiss on his lips. “I love that idea, Christian!”

He grinned, pleased they found yet another compromise. Taking another sip, a burst of sweet, chilled strawberry cream filled his mouth, and his eyes widened. Some things were worth the extra effort.

After lunch they walked to an establishment that rented moving trucks. Delilah had spent the morning packing up her apartment, sorting items into piles she called keep and toss. Her electrical possessions would not be of any use on the farm, and she had quite a few, so they would be donated.

They entered a small office building located at the front of a large lot that had various-sized vehicles and trailers. The counter was unattended. Delilah rang a small bell, and a woman appeared from the room in the back.

“Can I help you?”

His attention instantly pulled to his mate when she tensed at his side.

“Oh, my God,” the woman said, looking at Delilah. “Morticia? Is that you? Holy crap. I thought you ran away or died or something when you dropped out. What happened to you?”

He frowned as a wave of discomfort radiated from his mate. Who was this woman? And why was she upsetting Delilah? He scanned the area for danger, but sensed no immediate threat.

“We are here to rent a vehicle,” he said, taking over the situation. Delilah squeezed his hand in an unbreakable grip.

The woman looked up at him and smiled. “Oh. Yes. Of course.” She turned her attention to the computer screen. Her lashes fluttered as she twirled her hair around a finger with a claw-like nail painted in bright pink polish. “What size were you looking for?”

“The largest available.” He didn’t want Delilah to feel limited in any way.

“Let me see what we have on the lot that isn’t reserved. This is for today?”

“Yes.”

While the woman checked their inventory, he pressed deeper into his mate’s memories. Visions of a younger version of the woman at the desk were at the forefront of Delilah’s mind. He sensed his mate in her youth as the other female taunted her.

“What’s wrong, Morticia? No one wants to go to prom with a freak show?” The girl laughed cruelly, and Christian felt how deeply her words wounded his mate.

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