The Better to Eat You With: The Red Journals (27 page)

If I
ever got home. Sigh.

The
kitchen wasn’t empty, however, so I wasn’t alone.

Felix
stood at the sink, gazing out the window. His arms were crossed and a baby-blue
cup sat on the counter near him, not far from a coffeemaker. The distinct aroma
of coffee filled the air, as well as his icy anise scent. He turned his head
then, and his gaze met mine with the infallible ease of a connection we both
knew was there, but were studiously ignoring. Instinct demanded I stay away
from the voices, and here I was alone with the damn Vampire. Fate was enjoying
this, obviously.

“Hi,” I
said, ever the conversationalist.

“Hey, pet,”
Felix replied just as softly, turning and leaning back on the sink. I moved
further into the kitchen, closer to him.

“Is that
fresh?” I asked, pointing at the coffeemaker.

He
glanced at it. “Yeah.” He gave me a sad smile as I moved closer again. It
barely hinted at a dimple. “It was my turn to make it.”

I paused,
the pot hovering over the clean cup I’d taken from the drainer. “Does that mean
I should wait for the next round, or something?” The barely-there grin spread
and his dimples creased his cheeks. It was impossible not to smile along with
him.

“It’s
perfectly safe,” he said, and I lifted the cup to my lips. “Just ignore the
funny after taste.”

I froze
and eyed him suspiciously before I sipped. He grinned and looked down at his
shoes. Luckily for me, the coffee tasted excellent. Even the silence between us
was nice, like it had been in the car on the way back to Osiris’s home from
mine. Companionable, as if I’d known him for years and not merely days. The
sensation was a shock to realize, but not entirely unpleasant.

“You look
pale,” Felix said suddenly.

I looked
up from my cup to meet his vivid green eyes, at the moment, a fair olive with a
dark ring of moss. “I just need to eat.” I shrugged, but couldn’t look away.

“There’s
food in the lounge. Those Weres really know how to eat,” he replied, turning
his body to face mine and leaning his hip against the counter.

He’d
changed his clothes. A red, long-sleeved tee encased his torso and brought out
the color in his cheeks. Dark blue jeans defined his muscular legs. I swallowed
and looked back down at my coffee.

“Fast
metabolism,” I replied, shifting closer, unconsciously leaning toward him.

“You eat
food and drink blood. How do you find the balance?” Felix asked, and as I
turned to face him, he was no more than a foot away.

My breath
halted for a moment as I look up to meet his gaze again. “I have my steaks
rare.” I lowered my gaze to his chest and poked his abs, even though I
really
wanted to slide my hand up his shirt. “And there’s this one pain in the ass
Vampire I know who keeps insisting I drink from him.”

Felix’s
lips curved into smile that was nothing if not inviting, especially when he
flashed me a bit of fang. My stomach flip-flopped. “I’ll have you know,” His
fingers caught mine, laced them, and tugged me close enough to touch bellies.
“It takes one pain in the ass, to know another.”

My brow
arched as my free hand skimmed up his arm to his nape, my skin tingling beneath
my clothes at the feel of his hands smoothing around my sides. “Is that your
professional-sore-arse opinion?”

Dimples
creased his cheeks. “Aye, pet.”

I blinked
up at him, and pondered for a moment if this Immortal male was subconsciously
being lumped in with my nest. Is my mind instinctively seeking out Felix to
take comfort in his familiar essence? Jeepers, if it is, I am seriously fucked.
I should be craving my faux fur throw that smelled like jasmine, and my old
cake-tin so I could make Victoria sponges. Not rubbing up against a damn Vampire
like a purring kitten, wanting to wrap myself around him until the bad man went
away and I smelled like anise.

I let out
a heavy sigh and wondered why I was fighting myself, then tugged on his nape
even as his head dipped.

“
Ahem
.”

I froze
like a deer in the headlights and turned my head to the sound of a clearing
throat. Jade stood in the doorway, rocking back and forth on the chunky heels
of her brown thigh-high boots. Her thumbs were hooked in the belt-loops of her
dark jean skirt, and a shit-eating grin was spread across her face. Despite the
fact that I’d literally been caught with my hand in the Immortal cookie jar,
trying to land a taste, I ultimately hadn’t. My body was screaming at me for
stopping, not caring in the least that I might have a voyeur to my escapades.

Blimey…
am I ever going to get to kiss Felix?

“Jade” I
dropped my arms and stepped back.

Felix let
me, turning his body to lean back on the sink again. While my face was burning
up enough to light a freeway, he looked as cool and collected as ever.

“Red.”
She grinned.

Insolent
baggage.

Felix
silently took up his cup and sipped, but I could see the smirk behind the rim.

“I set
some Tao chicken and Singapore noodles aside for you?”

Oooh,
Tao chicken.

“I’ll be there
in a moment,” I replied, and she nodded and wandered off. I hesitated in
following her. Despite the enticing idea of Chinese food, my stomach rebelled
at the idea of a whole room of people watching me eat. Nothing makes an
appetite disappear faster. I turned back to my coffee cup and stared down at
the dark liquid.

“Do you
want me to bring your food in here?” Felix asked softly.

I shook
my head. “I’ll have to go in eventually.” Lifting my cup, I took a fortifying
mouthful, topped it up, and turned. I took a deep breath. “Seems now is as good
a time as any.”

The vamp
leaned close “Is that so?” His hand slid around my hip, and his lips brushed
the side of my neck.

A shiver
ran through me, and my lashes fluttered.

“I think
you should sit on my lap.”

I stilled
for an instant, and then gave him a sidelong glance. I arched my brow, felt my
lips twitch, and the knot of unease in my gut began to unfurl. Naughty little
sensations danced up and down my spine as I recalled the last time I had sat on
his lap. His voiced echoed in my head…
Ride me, pet…
I shivered again,
feeling his lips curve against my neck as the faint aroma of my arousal scented
the air. How did he do that?
It’s gotta be the accent.

“You just
don’t play fair, Vampire.” I pouted, nudging him with my elbow and heading for
the door, adding a little more swish to my hips and knowing he watched me do
it.

“And
you’re a bad kitty,” he replied, following me out.

I gave
him a wicked grin over my shoulder. “You just want to see what I can do with
that silver whip,” I accused, the voices in the lounge growing louder.

Felix
grinned, lean dimples creasing his cheeks, making him devastating to look at.
“You did say if I was good…”

Pervy Vampire.

As I ate
Chinese food and endured the speculative glances of our companions, Felix
filled me in on the plan for Ambrose’s arrest. I couldn’t entirely block out
the audience though. If it was not concern from my Shifters, it was curiosity
and disdain from the Were lieutenants. Those I could handle. It was Vince’s
intense observation that made my innards squirm, even if I outwardly ignored
him. But I got the sense his attention was less about gauging my metal
stability, and more to do with that territorial streak all males suffered from.
His Alpha-nature was riding him hard, and though I understood his beastly
dilemma, I wasn’t about to kowtow to his authority.

But how
do you ignore nearly seven feet’s worth of Alpha male?

With lots
and lots of distance.

So, for
the last few hours before we headed over to Emerald City to join Jade and
Fletch, who’d gone over earlier, I’d been avoiding the big Werewolf. Well…I’d
been avoiding being
alone with the big Werewolf. Working out the details
with Felix, Des and Mark made dodging Vince a little less awkward. I was still
not entirely sure how the Weres had gotten involved, but oddly offended that
Felix was more accepting of them than me. Although, his broad shoulders,
encased in a very vintage Kiss shirt, were hard to miss on their own. Add in
all those tattoos that my wolfy side wanted to explore and the unrelentingly
tight jeans he fitted around his backside, and it was basically a lost cause.

It was a wonder I lasted as long as I did!

In the end, Vince found me alone in Jade’s room. I was
going through my weapons duffel, setting aside what I would take, since Fletch
had cleared us for packing heat in his club. My back was to the door and my
mind was on the recent email bulletin about the kidnapped Immortals—apparently
a Fae prince was now among the suspected victims, as well as some selkie-harpy
and a dragon Shifters.
Who was this Collector bloke?

I didn’t need to see Vince to know he was there. His Alpha
aura preceded him like a prickling wave over my skin. I stilled in the process
of checking the ammo in my glock when my spine tingled. As I turned to face
him, he was already closing the door.

“Are we ready to go?” I asked, feigning nonchalance
even as my heart stuttered at the sight of him, all beefy arms and blond curls.
Damn Alpha is too bloody imposing.

Vince shook his head. “The Vampire can’t find his
lucky boxers.”

Funny too? No fair.

“Jade probably washed them, and now they’re no good,”
I replied, and the Were grinned. I didn’t think it’d go down well if I
mentioned that I didn’t think Felix actually wore underwear.

“Damn,” The Alpha murmured as I turned back to my
weapons. “Guess that means we’re staying in tonight.”

My whole body tensed, his heat rippling up my spine as
he moved closer. “Vince…” Hot, heavy hands settled on my shoulders, and a
shiver went through me, so very different from the first time the big Alpha set
a hand on me. “You shouldn’t—”

“I’ve made a decision on your fate, Red.” He
interrupted, his hands moving down my arms to my hips, gripping tight, his
breath tickling over my hair.

“My fate?” Heat pulsed from his hands. Power pulsed
from his body. The urge to press back into him and just let him touch me all
over battled with my will to not give in to his natural dominance. If I’d been
just a regular Were and not a half-breed, I’d be literally bending to his supremacy,
regardless of stubborn pride.

Vince hummed an agreement, whether to my spoken words
or inner-thoughts, I couldn’t say. “About whether you live or die.” He dipped
his head, his stubble rasping against my neck, my earlobe. His lips brushing
just below… “I’ve decided which.”

I curled my fingers around his wrists, my heart
faltering before picking up pace again, pounding in my chest. My fate. My life.
His choice.
Crappers…
“You can decide all you want, it won’t make a
difference.” Only, my hands were shaking as I moved away from him. If he
decided I was too much trouble, I’d be hunted until I was dead. A prospect of
which I was not entirely optimistic about, despite the fact that I probably
knew all the tricks in the trade. But going on the run meant constantly
roaming, and I would have to leave my nest. If I ran, I’d never have a nest
again.

“Aw, darlin’…” He spun me to face him before I ever
got to the door, those big hands gripping around the waist and pinning me to
the spot. “I got your scent now.” His eyes gleamed like ice, his sensuous lips
quirking up into a mischievous grin. Heat flooded low in my belly as his sea
salt and sunshine scent wafted around me. “I’d hunt you down until you
submitted.”

“Like all your females?”

“Like all my pack members.”

I wedged my arms between us and crossed them. “I’m not
a pack member.”

His grin turned wicked. “That is easily remedied,
darlin’.”

“Being a brood mare appeals to me no more than having
an Alpha, Cujo.”

Vince laughed. “You don’t have to submit, Red.” His fingers
linked together at my spine. “Just—”

“Just bow and scrape whenever you give a command?” My
chin went up, even as the narrowing of his eyes made the heat in my belly flare
outwards.

“If I didn’t command, Red,” he told me softly, leaning
down, coming nearly nose to nose with me, “I wouldn’t be Alpha.”

He’s got a point. Whose side are you on? Libido’s. I
hate you.

“Y’know,” I huffed, “I suppose I could do worse.”

A blond brow arched. “Don’t hold back, tell me what
you really think.”

A red brow arched. “Do you really want me to go
there?”

“Uh…”

“Because if I do…”

“Well…”

“I might not be able to stop.”

A heavy sigh.

“But the bonding could be fun.”

Vince stared at me with a look that said ‘are you
quite done?’ while I looked back in wide-eyed innocence, saying ‘not likely,
mate’.

“Live.” He said.

I frowned. “Sorry?”

Vince rolled his eyes. “You get to live, Red.”

“How magnanimous of you.”
Thank bloody fuck for
that!

“You are now a member of October Moon Pack.”

“October Moon?” I frowned. “As in…Hunter’s Moon?”