“Lucius hinted that you are very…special. That’s all he would tell me. That I needed to ask you directly.”
“Are you asking?”
I pick up the glass of blood and sip to buy myself a moment. It’s a blend, but she’s in it.
Oh, I should mention my cock’s been hard ever since I sat down, and the taste of her rolling along my tongue only amplifies my condition.
“I understand trust is built over time, and that there are things you will not wish to tell me. I’m content to accept whatever you want to reveal to me, on your timeframe. I also know Lucius didn’t get as old as he is by not being very careful and following his instincts. If he considers you part of his inner circle, that’s a sign of his trust and his faith in you. I have nothing but time, in abundance. That means I’ll wait.”
“I’m not looking forward to tomorrow night. Not because of you, but because of the time of day.”
I slowly nod. “I understand, and I appreciate it greatly.”
She takes a bite of her green beans. They were prepared perfectly, with just the right amount of tenderness to them, and naturally sweet. “If I tell you something, anything, I expect you to hold my secrets the way I’d hold yours.”
“Absolutely.”
I can tell she’s weighing a decision quite heavily, and I resist the urge to make her any promise I can about keeping her safe.
This has to be in her time, not mine.
“So…here’s the thing. Tomorrow, when we’re there, you need to drop whatever bullshit vampire machismo instincts you have and follow my lead. Do what I say. If you can’t do that, tell me now.”
“I won’t let anyone hurt you, though.”
“Yeah, see, that’s not a concern. Not while we’re there. Not a single shifter in that place will hurt me. It’syouwho needs to worry.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. You stay with me, and you don’t look them in the eyes and challenge them. Some of them might try to bait you. There might be other vampires there, too. Some of them Lucius’ men, some not. You ignore them, too. If any of them make comments to me, youignorethem. You don’t have a right to be territorial about me. You want me to help you with this introduction, then you do thismyway.”
I nod, as much as it grates on me. “Understood.”
“See, I do errands for them. For Lucius and his men, too. I know things about some of the vampires in this area that not even their frequent booty calls know. I know where crypts are. I have alarm codes and access that some of their human employees don’t have.
“But with the shifters, I also have access. I’ve helped out in emergencies as a babysitter. I’ve run errands between shifter groups when neither trusted the other. I’ve been a go-between when shifters needed to do business with vampires for whatever reason. Yes, I’m on Lucius’ payroll for the club, but everyone knows I’m my own person and a freelancer. I live in Garrett Green’s building, for crying out loud. I’m friends with both his mate and with Lucius’ mate.
“I can tell you’ve figured part of it out, between the taste of my blood and what you don’t smell.” She takes another bite of her chicken. “So, go ahead and ask it.”
I do. “What are you?”
She shrugs. “I wish I could tell you. Lucius and Garrett can’t tell me, either. Garrett and his pack helped shut down a secret program called Data-X. Government black ops labs. Trying to experiment on shifters, captive breeding, shit like that. Sanctioned torture is what it was. My mom’s stepfather was in the military. Maybe she or my father were experimented on. I don’t know. I never will know. I don’t even think I have my father’s real first name, and I don’t know his true last name.”
She sits back, as if realizing she just said more than she meant to. “Or, I might be some sort of human hybrid with a shifter no one else has encountered. I could have a funky gene mutation and coincidentally crossed paths with the supernatural beings walking our world. I have no idea.”
“What does that have to do with why you won’t go out at night?”
She looks grim. “Because I wanted you to know how unusual my very existence is when I warn you that being with me at night might endanger your life.”
11
Eilidh
Dexter studies me.“Not from the shifters?”
“No.” I wish I’d waited to have this discussion because now my appetite’s fled, and that’s a damned shame.
Still, I take another tiny bite of heavenly chicken while he waits for me to continue.
