While he had told her about the dangers to them throughoutthe years, he had never shown her. That was on him, not her.
She looked him over, facing him squarely, her gaze runningdown his form. “It’s only been three months. You look thinner. Are you?”
Yeah, he was thinner. This was getting more and moredifficult, and he didn’t know how to explain it to her. “No. I’m fine. We needto talk about Leah. Why were you two together?”
Ivy crossed her arms. “That’s none of your business.”
“Ah, mate,” he drawled. “That’s exactly where you’re wrong.Everything about you is my business, and it appears I’ve allowed you too muchfreedom throughout the years. That just changed.”
* * * *
“That just changed?” Ivy tilted her head. “Are youthreatening me?”
Athan studied her. “I don’t believe so.” He rubbed thescruff on his sculpted jaw. “If I were threatening you, you would know it.”
“Huh,” she said. “Interesting.” She glanced at her watch,feigning boredom. Every time she was near him, her entire body jolted withelectricity, and it only got worse through the years. She couldn’t see him morethan a couple of times a year or it was just too much. “I think we should goback to twice a year,” she murmured.
“Not going to happen,” he retorted.
She looked up, startled. In their long time together, he’dnever once refused her anything. Irritation smashed through her at the thoughtthat she had to ask him for anything. “I suppose I wasn’t clear enough,” shemurmured. “We are only going to meet twice a year.”
One of his dark eyebrows rose. “Ivy, you’ve had a good life.Well, two actually because I allowed it. For you to think otherwise would be amistake.”
Fire flashed through her on the heels of a temper she veryrarely let loose. “Allowed it? Oh, I don’t think so, biting boy.” By thenarrowing of his eyes, he didn’t like the nickname. She couldn’t blame him. Itwasn’t very nice. Yet this showdown had been coming for quite a while, and shewas ready. “I’ve made my own money, and I’ve succeeded in my lives. The timefor you telling me what to do is long past. I hope you understand that.”
His expression didn’t change. “If I don’t?”
She thought about it. She really did. “As I see it, Athan,at this point in our lives, you need me a lot more than I need you.” It wastrue, but she had to be fair. “I told you once, and I’ll tell you again, I amfine repaying not only the money you gave to my father but also the funds yousupplied me with early on in my journey. I’ll even pay you interest.”
If a vampire could emote anger, this one did. Yet he hadn’tmoved, and his expression hadn’t changed. It was impressive, really, and askill Ivy wished she could learn. But every emotion she had was still visibleon her face, and she knew it. Right now, she was feeling both irritated andangry.
“Ivy, you’ll want to stop pushing me. Now,” he said softly.Way too softly.
She shivered and quickly covered the movement by leaningback in the seat and crossing her legs. Even though he looked thinner than hehad a few months ago, he was still big and broad and probably the most dangerousthing in Los Angeles. His eyes were bluer than ever, his hair just as dark, andhis shoulders nearly as wide. There was no doubt he could take out any threatcoming for him. While she’d once appreciated that, he was just irritating hernow.
“Athan, I’m not kidding. This isn’t working for me anylonger.” He blinked. She sighed. “I know, I owe you my life, and I know I’d bedead and wouldn’t be living these wonderful experiences without you. That’s whyI’ve continued meeting you through the years. But there has to be somethingmore out there.” She’d been feeling it lately. Lonely. She was probably theworld’s oldest virgin, considering she was nearly one hundred and sixty.
“What are you asking?” he murmured, looking svelte and incontrol in his dark slacks and white button-down shirt.
Her body heated, a slow roll moving through her. “I’m notasking for anything. I’m just telling you there are rumors.”
He stilled without moving. He had the oddest way ofcontrolling the environment around him. “Rumors?”
She finally looked down, unable to keep his gaze. “Yes. I’veheard the queen, the one of the Realm, has discovered a virus that negates amating bond.” Her voice trembled, and she cleared her throat, surprised by howmuch she still wanted to make him happy. Shedidowe him her life.
“No,” he said.
She jerked, her head coming up. “Excuse me?” Ah, there washer CEO voice. She’d finally found it.
“I said no.”
She shook her head, leaning back and trying to focus on hiswords instead of letting the roaring through her head overcome her goodjudgment. “I wasn’t asking, Athan.” True anger, raw and real, began coursingthrough her veins.
Through the years, all he’d told her was that they had toexchange blood to survive. Yet she felt fine, and he was weakened, so it appearedthatheneededherblood. She’d studied enough genetics andchromosomal abnormalities to understand there was something within the Maxwellline that required blood from a mate, whereas most vampires and demons didn’tneed blood. She and Leah had figured that out on their own.
“Why me?” she asked.
He reached out and tapped something on the window separatingthem from the driver. Some sort of command given in code. “I don’t know,” headmitted.
