Page 46 of Fated to be Enemies

I winced. “I’m sorry we made a scene. I know it’s not good for appearances.”

“They don’t know what they saw.” He crossed his arms and shrugged. “Perhaps it’s not what it looks like.”

I barked a laugh. “It really wasn’t.”

“I believe you,” he said. Looking down at Nova, he added, “I’ve seen both of you in action. I should fully trust that you and Nova know what to do if you feel threatened.”

I scrunched my eyebrows. “Um, then why exactly did you just storm out here and try to crush his neck?”

“Knee-jerk reaction.”

“To what?”

He didn’t answer.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to my cheek. “See you at dinner,” he whispered.

He turned, walking across the lawn and back toward the grand mansion he called home.

Power and authority radiated off him, and everyone who had been observing us had to have felt it too. As he passed them, they all dipped their heads in respect. Or maybe it was fear—if they had seen his face when he’d been moments away from killing Markus.

A torrent of thoughts and emotions churned through me. Never in my life had someone other than my family stood up for me. Never had someone been willing to kill another just to ensure I wouldn’t be hurt. Every part of my being knew this was an arranged mating, but it didn’t stop the heat on my skin and the flush that crept up when his lips touched my cheek. It didn’t stop the animal in me from savoring the possessiveness that rippled off him in waves, even if it was only an illusion. It didn’t stop me from briefly wanting that kind of passion to be real.

It didn’t stop me from admitting to myself that I wanted to feel it again.

Nova leaned into me, exhaling loudly as her entire body shivered.

I sighed, letting my hand rest on her.

Same, girl. Same.

CHAPTER 12

Elias

Candlelight painted her face in a warm glow. Her silver hair was pulled back in a simple French braid, then twisted in a knot that sat low on the back of her neck, leaving the pale column front and center as it descended to her chest, encased in a beige cashmere sweater. She didn’t wear makeup. A healthy glow from her walks in the sun nipped her cheeks, like a bite of wind on a cold morning. It made the frosted glass of her eyes even more vibrant and enticing.

“Tell me about our dinner tonight,” she said. A raspy tenor in her voice made my inner predator take notice. I wondered if she realized the way she nibbled on her bottom lip as she surveyed the spread before us. Her canine teeth were more pointed than a human’s, but less so than a vampire’s. It was a shifter trait. Meant for marking. Claiming.

And killing.

Somehow, the last one didn’t even occur to me when I was thinking about Dannika.

“The main dish is called saltimbocca. It’s a specialty in Italy. Veal wrapped in prosciutto and sage. On the side is fresh spaghetti, as well as sautéed Brussels sprouts with a balsamic vinaigrette.”

Vampires needed blood to survive, but food wasn’t off the table, so to speak. Our palates became more refined with age. We didn’t quite need the nourishment. It was purely for enjoyment, so nothing less than the best was ever consumed.

It was something I wanted to share with Dannika.

“It smells fantastic.” She hummed, loading her plate. Between us, Nova sat on my Persian rug, ignoring us both as she stared into the fireplace—seemingly deep in thought.

“My chef assures me it will be, and he insisted we pair it with this Barbera d’Alba.”

I poured us each a glass, then lifted my own in a toast. “To our first week.”

“Only forever left to go,” she replied with dry wit. While there was a slight barb in her words, she gave me a light smile and inhaled the scent before taking a tentative sip.

Her eyes shuttered, a low hum starting in her throat.

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