Page 131 of Immortal Bastard

It made him proud that she deferred to him, but it wasn’t enough for him to agree. “I don’t think so. That’s not something I want to do.”

He only realized how happy the offer made her when the joy in her eyes disappeared. Hardening her jaw, she scowled and asked, “Did I want to do any of this?”

He quickly understood that he had no choice in the matter. Her cooperation implied his. He was obligated to go. But he also truly wanted to make her happy.

“Fine. We can have supper with your friends.”

Christian could tolerate many unfavorable circumstances, but socializing with immortals two and a half centuries his minor wasn’t a sacrifice he was eager to make. His time was valuable and could be put to much better use.

Irritated to have to make such a concession, he almost changed his mind. Then he saw how happy she was to tell her new friends that she could go, and he realized he’d walk through fire for her.

“He said we can go!” she had squealed, her smile once again radiant and in place.

He’d sit through endless annoying dinner parties if it brought her that much joy, he realized, wondering if that was how she’d managed to submit to him earlier that afternoon. He found it difficult to name a torture he wouldn’t endure when her happiness was on the line.

His reluctance to socialize had him twitching, and he was already anxious for the night to end.

They approached the door, and she frowned at him. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is the matter.”

“Then why are you making that face?”

“This is just my face.”

“No, it’s not. You’re grimacing.”

He relaxed his muscles and moved his brows. “Better?”

She frowned. “You should smile more. You have a nice smile.”

His steps slowed and she walked ahead. The corner of his mouth curved. His smiles were for her and her alone.

His mood could have been better if he’d had her several more times, but she still hadn’t fed, and he didn’t want to make her any weaker than she already was.

It was only a matter of time before nature took over and she gave in to her needs. When they were in bed, her struggle with the hunger gnawed at him. Not only did she need to feed, she wanted him to take her vein. She couldn’t fathom how he could resist such an overbearing urge, but life had taught him great self-possession and reinforced his unbreakable will.

It wasn’t easy. While she bathed, he had to visit the stables to feed. She was making him ravenous, but nothing involving his mate was simple.

He hoped his concession to have supper with her friends would encourage more cooperation on her end. Every hour she grew weaker and weaker. He knew her hunger was causing her pain, because he was in her mind witnessing every twinge and ache.

Her stubbornness was so infuriating he had to turn off his empathy on occasion. He wasn’t used to such willful opposition.

She crushed him when she so blithely admitted she would have never agreed to willingly go with him. He should have appreciated her honesty because that’s all that was, but he didn’t want to hear such a painful truth. He wanted her to change her mind and accept that this was where she belonged.

He’d been willing to give her everything he had to offer and she still rejected him. He was beginning to wonder if her acceptance would ever come. How many dinners would he have to sit through only to have her reject him again and again?

It had been some time since they lay together, several hours since his body experienced the explosive euphoria that accompanied their intimacy, and his logic no longer struck him as sound.

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?”

She shifted the dish of whipped sweet cream she carried. “Because we’re having date night.”

“Date night,” he grumbled under his breath. “A courtship is between two individuals. There should be no need to involve others.”

“It’s normal, Christian. I need normal.”

“We’re standing at a door holding berries and whipped cream. Nothing about this feels normal to me.”

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