“I thought it.”
We both still, thinking about the implications of what this means, and after a minute or three, Declan adjusts my arm so he’s pulling it across his chest and toward his mouth. He kisses my fingertips and nestles against me.
“Tell me the things, then.”
“My parents are head of Wildemount. It’s not like we’re a big family or anything, but they run the city and my father sits on the county council. My mom wants to retire and travel, and since I’m their oldest, it’s my turn.”
“And you’re two hundred and eight?”
“Effectively,” I tell him. “I have two brothers. Henry is something like four hundred years old, and Jedidiah is seventy-five.”
“I thought you were the oldest.”
“Henry isn’t pure blood like I am. Remember I told you about the two bites and the orgasm thing? That’s me and Diah. Not him. By the rules, that means if he inherits, we lose our claim on the county as a whole. We head the county council right now.”
“Oh. Alright.” Declan says it like what I’m saying makes perfect sense.
“We all live here. Diah has a girlfriend, she’s human. I’m sure you’ll meet her. Uhm, you need to be invited to go into other people’s houses. No silver. No sunlight.”
“Garlic?”
“Garlic is fine,” I assure him.
He exhales a relieved breath. “I love garlic bread.”
“Me too.” I don’t tell him we can’t eat it. Rather, we can eat it, but eating actual human food is a lot of work, so it’s not something I’d encourage anyone to try. Especially when they’re new.
“Do I have to meet everyone?”
“I’m sure they’ll scent you as soon as they wake up after sunset,” I admit, and I hate it. I hate knowing that they’re going to be waiting outside my door to meet Declan and see what I’ve done. I want to enjoy this time with him a little longer before it becomes a political business thing. I want it to just be us.
“Why me? he asks the question I’ve been dreading for the past two weeks.
“I honestly don’t know.”
He rolls over to face me and I push his hair back from his eyes.
“I wanted you so badly that first night. It took all my strength to not rip out that vamp man’s throat.”
“Wait, you’re saying that guy was a vampire?”
“Yes, but he didn’t matter then and he doesn’t matter now.”
“Am I like…” Declan licks his lips and studies my face. “Yours now?”
Possession flares up in my chest. “You’re mine.”
“Is that why I can hear your thoughts?”
“Yes.”
“Can you hear mine, too?” he asks.
“I haven’t tried to listen.”
“Try it.”
Declan schools his features into a poker face, then he thinks about me tying him up to the curtain hooks and fucking him until he can’t stand.
