Page 47 of Blood and Bonbons

“I hunger for blood every waking moment. It calls to me. Begs to be consumed. I am fully willing to answer that call. The only disorder my appetite knows is the revulsion of humanity at my choice in sustenance.”

I swallowed hard at the menace in his tone.

“Do your eyes always do that?” I managed to ask.

His fangs flashed in his anger, and he reached for my neck. A sizzle and a burnt smell resulted. He jerked back.

I stared at him as he slowly shook his hand, and his eyes returned to their previous light brown.

“Why can I not touch you?” he asked.

A shaky breath escaped me before I tentatively said, “I wear a charm that is supposed to protect me from anyone who means me harm.”

“My apologies. I don’t behave well when I’m hungry.”

“Neither does Vena,” I managed, unsure where I stood with him. “Is your hand okay?”

The tightness in his expression softened as he studied me.

“It’s fine.” He returned to the table, and I warily finished flipping the pancakes.

“I was in the cave because I grew tired of the world,” he said after a long silence.

When I glanced over my shoulder at him, he did look tired. And a little sad.

“I’m sorry I woke you. It wasn’t intentional.”

“I know it wasn’t. But I’m glad you did. So much has changed and at a rate that I didn’t anticipate. To answer your other question, I try only to drink what is freely given, which is why I need you.”

“Whoa,” Vena said as she rushed back into the room holding a suit bag. “Did I just hear what I thought I heard? You are not feeding on Everly.”

“That is not what you heard,” Cross said calmly. “I need Everly to help me acclimate to this world so I can find willing feeders.”

Vena thrust the dress bag at Cross. “I think you should change into this outfit, and then we’ll talk about blood banks, a fairly new concept, historically speaking. You might find that you don’t need Everly at all.”

He accepted it with a frown. “Men wear dresses now while women wear pants?”

Vena snorted and showed him how to open the bag. “It’s a suit. I figured you looked like a suit kind of guy.”

“I am. Thank you.”

He took it and left the kitchen.

“What’s with the change of heart?” I asked, fully suspicious. “When he asked for clothes, I thought for sure you’d tell him to sit on a stake.”

“I thought about it. Then I thought of giving him Miles’s favorite jogging suit. You know the one.”

I did. It hugged Miles’ ass perfectly.

“It would serve Miles right to have vamp balls rubbing in his favorite shorts for all the worry he’s putting me through. But I couldn’t do it. I’m his sister, and I love him. And I also don’t like Cross’ highhanded attitude toward women.”

I plated the pancakes and slid them to Vena.

“Cross’ thoughts are archaic because he’s archaic,” I said.

“Exactly,” Vena said with a mischievous grin before drowning her pancakes in syrup.

“What did you do?” I demanded before flipping my own pancakes.

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