“Yes, ignorance bothers me. But screw them. I live by my rules, not anyone else’s.”
“You’re an interesting woman. I’ve never met a Mage who dated a Chitah of her own free will.”
“So what made you ask me out?”
His voice lowered an octave. “I like to live on the wild side.”
The car stopped in front of the gate, and Glass unbuckled his seat belt.
He sized me up with a predatory gaze. “My bite is much worse than my bark, Miss Black.”
All four of his canines pushed out, as if to emphasize the fact he could kill me with one bite.
“So’s mine,” I whispered. Maybe he was giving me one last chance to back out of this, but I wasn’t going anywhere.
He leaned in for a kiss, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect moment. But for reasons I couldn’t explain, I drew back.
A peculiar look clouded his expression. “Sorry,” he said. “That was too forward for a first date.”
“No, it’s not you. I’m just… I’m not used to the dating scene.”
“Get used to it, Miss Black, because I’m taking you out again.”
Chapter 17
Later that evening, I crept onto the rooftop to gather my thoughts. On a moonlit night, I could see the trees and surrounding property. But tonight was cloudy, so I chose a corner that overlooked the courtyard and allowed me to watch Gem floating in the heated pool. It seemed to be a nightly ritual for her.
I reflected over my date with Glass. The fancy restaurant wasn’t my thing, but he was so attentive and not at all a man I could push around. Dominant men were attractive to me. The only concerning part was his obvious aversion to Vampires. I felt the same, but would his feelings for me change if he found out I was half? Viktor had suggested it was better not to disclose I was a crossbreed to anyone outside Keystone, but if things got serious with Glass, I’d have to reveal the truth.
I admired the magnificent view stretched out before me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t impervious to the cold, and the frigid wind eventually drove me indoors. I changed into my pajamas—dark grey sweats and a sleeveless shirt. I was so used to wandering the streets that it was sometimes impossible for me to sit idly for long. Maybe I’d grow used to it in time, but my restless legs led me into the quiet halls.
Someone had snuffed the candles out, so I relied on my Vampire vision to see more clearly. After descending to the second floor, I changed direction and headed toward a flickering glow near the back of the mansion. It was coming from one of the studies, only this one had shelves for walls filled with hundreds upon hundreds of books. Their bindings were suffused in candlelight, as was the massive gold rug beneath my feet. Even the smell in the room was different because of all the old paper. A log snapped in the hearth, sending a spray of embers up the flue.
I approached two oversized leather chairs that faced each other and took a seat across from Niko. Between us was a small table with a decanter of alcohol and a half-empty glass. Niko’s hair looked like an ebony mane, his carved features emphasized by the firelight throwing shadows against his profile. He wore his usual dark slacks but didn’t have on anything else. Usually when I saw Niko shirtless and barefoot, he was in the training room or had just left it.
The cold chill in the air didn’t put goose bumps on his arms. Hell, the man could prance naked in the snow if he wanted and use his Thermal ability to keep warm. I quietly took notice of the Creator’s mark on his left pec. I’d seen it before. Every Mage carried the mark of their Creator—a symbol that appeared on our body from the moment their energy made us immortal. The mark linked us to that person forever.
“What are you doing in here?” I finally asked.
He turned his head away from the fire. “Reading.”
I glanced at the book on his lap. “How?”
He smiled and tilted it toward me, revealing blank pages with patterns of raised dots. “Braille. Can’t sleep?”
“I should ask you the same.”
“How was your evening?”
I crossed my legs. “Christian didn’t tell you?”
“He hasn’t returned home.”
Which made me want to stay up all night and wait for his return. I could always tell when he’d been with a woman. Even when he showered away their lipstick stains and perfume, he carried himself differently and was more flirtatious. “It sounds like his date went better than mine.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Christian never goes out with the same woman twice, so I would hardly call his coming home late a standard of excellence.” Niko set his book on the table.
“Glass wants to go on another date.”
