“Well, I’m pretty fond of Smoky. He’s the cutest little gray cat we rescued from the house of a dead sorceress. He’s an animage, actually. Your sister once tried to steal him.” He scowled. “But I stopped that. Now she uses his brother to aid in her magic.”
“You have a kitten.”
He couldn’t explain why the little gray cat meant so much to him. “I do. Maybe it’s as you’ve pointed out. I don’t have much softness in my life. Smoky makes up for that.”
“That’s nice.” She remained tucked against him and patted his chest, making him feel as if she cared. “What about Kraft? You mentioned him a few times. Is he your friend?”
“I suppose. Vampires, we’re not like you magir. Trust is hard to come by, and bloode ties that should mean everything sometimes bite you in the ass. Spiro and Nikkos are the two kin I left behind that I miss.” He paused. “Spiro was the one who got kicked out with me when we annoyed my patriarch one too many times. He didn’t make it back.” Annoyed that his kin’s passing still made him grieve, he shrugged off the sentiment. “But such is life for death-bringers. We don’t always bring death for others. Sometimes we bring it for ourselves. Spiro could make me laugh. I think maybe Kraft reminds me of him.”
“What’s Kraft like?” She pulled back to watch him, not content to just hear his words, apparently.
Orion liked this. A lot. Sitting and talking with his female, basking in her attention. He would have told her anything she wanted to know, great secrets of the Water Cleave and Night Bloode clans. Yet she asked abouthim.“Kraft is an asshole. I mean it.” He chuckled. “He’s a nachzehrer, and they’re a lot like my tribe, the vrykolakas. We’re both larger than our other kin and try to solve problems with our fists instead of magic. He’s also the youngest of us. His wolf is a fierce thing.”
“Wolf?” She looked at him with curiosity. “Are you a wolf?”
“I shift into a raven.”
“Really?” She blinked. “Can I see?”
“You want to see me shift?”
“After you’re done talking.”
He couldn’t resist the shine in her eyes. They were dark brown, almost black, until she powered up or came, he recalled with fondness, when her eyes turned a neon blue and glowed. “I’m done talking now.”
“No, tell me about Kraft. You like him because he’s like you? Does he make you feel not so alone? Or do vampires not feel emotional pain?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
She blushed. “I work at ADR, the Alister Doctrina Repository. We’re the biggest magir library in the Pacific Northwest. I like knowledge.”
“A female as smart as she is beautiful. I like that.” He liked her pink cheeks even better. “Vampires do float through life on the wings of affection, like so many of the lesser magir and humans.”
“Orion.”
He grinned. “We possess. We hate. We anger. We also laugh and enjoy life, but our way of enjoying isn’t the same as most magir. We’re not a soft society, Kaia. So it’s not easy for us to find friends. Or mates.”
“Do you want a mate?”
Was it weak to admit the truth? “I’ve wanted a mate since I was forty years old. I can’t explain why. I’m not dying to procreate or anything. I guess I just want someone who wants me. For sex, for a respite from constant battle. It’s probably stupid, but I can’t be upset I found you. No matter the circumstance.”
She bit her lip.
“Kaia, don’t do that.” He leaned close and kissed the bite away. Nothing too deep, because he didn’t want to scare her off. He wanted to give pleasure and comfort, and if answering her questions made her feel better, then he would keep talking until he grew hoarse.
“Sorry. I just... Orion, I have to be honest with you. The sea witch damaged you. She had you under her control.”’
“I know. And I’ll make sure she doesn’t do that ever again.” An oath. He’d kill the sea witch. Period.
“Yes, but in controlling you, she tampered with your will. I tried to undo her magic, except now my will has replaced hers, and that wasn’t my intent. I want you free. But I can’t figure out how to undo the spell. That’s why Macy is helping us. We can’t take you back to your kin yet, because they might find you a danger.”
“Ah, Kaia? I know all this. I heard Macy and you explaining it all back at your library.”
“I know you did, it’s just... I’m afraid you think we’re mated because of the magic tampering. Right now, I can get you to do whatever I want. I won’t, but I can.” She twisted her hands together, obviously nervous but brave enough to admit the truth to him, and began pacing. “I’m so sorry. I’ve done my best to try to free you, but until Macy comes back with help, we’re stuck together.”
“So you think we’re mating because of a spell, and not because we’re compatible mates? Is that why you don’t want to fuck?”
She turned red, as she did when he spoke frankly. He found it adorable. “I’m allowed to say no.”
