Page 25 of The Biting Bargain

I freeze like he’s emptied a bucket of icy water over my head. This, ladies and gentlemen, is Disaster-Polly at work again.

Other girls kiss frogs and turn them into a prince.

I kiss a vampire and turn him into a hairy monster.

Vincent looks as delighted as I feel. In fact, he looks like he can't decide who to disembowel first — me, or his chattering assistant.

Aidan says, "The good news, as I said, is that you, Ms Bukowski, are both the cause of the curse being lifted, and the cure."

Vincent groans, pinching the bridge of his nose again. "Get to the point, Aidan."

His assistant smiles radiantly. "I would need to run more tests. But the way I read the results at the moment, you only turn into a werewolf when Ms Bukoswki isn't physically near you."

A moment of silence. I can only stand there, looking uncomprehendingly from Vincent to his assistant and back.

"Excuse me?" Vincent's voice is now an undisguised rumble, like a volcano about to explode.

"This is the tricky part." Aidan flips his tablet close, points his pen at me and at Vincent. "Both of your blood samples indicate that you, sir, need to stay close to her in order to maintain your current appearance."

"What?" Vincent glares now, eyes all amber again.

Aidan sighs, a trickle of exasperation in his voice. "Ms Bukowski’s kiss has lifted the curse, but her presence keeps it in check. As long as she stays by your side, sir, you won't turn into a werewolf. At least until the next full moon."

I stare. This must be what it feels like to have your brain shut down. You have all the information at hand, but your mind just refuses to process it.

"You're telling me she has to stay?" Vincent points at me, sounding like he's been told he'll be chained to a rabid crocodile.

"Hey, I'm standing right here," I hiss, but Vincent ignores me.

"Impossible! Tomorrow is the first night atSocieta Vergilii. I can’t take her there. They'll throw me right back out!"

"The way things are, you'll have to, sir." Aidan shrugs regretfully.

"Are you saying I should just keep her?" Vincent points at me.

I frown, anger boiling up inside me. Is he really just talking over my head like I’m some kind of pet or something?

Aidan nods. "You should both stay in the same room, if possible. It's probably even okay as long as it's the same building, but to be absolutely sure I'd have to run more tests."

Vincent stares at him in horror. "And how long?"

I clench my fists and my mouth drops open in annoyance. They're talking like I'm not even there.

"Oh, don't worry, sir. I'm already working on a solution." Aidan flips his tablet back open, swipes and taps away. "It might take only a few weeks."

"A few weeks?" I squeak.

Aidan taps at his tablet, beaming all over his face. "I hope I’ll be quicker, of course," he says. "But I'm afraid until the problem is solved, you'll have to stay, Ms Bukowski."

"Oh no, no fucking way!"

Both men blink as if I'd just slapped a pie in my face in front of them.

"You’re both completely bananas if you think I’m gonna listen to this a second longer, „ I say, pointing at Vincent.

He frowns. "Excuse me?"

"I'm going home now."

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