He went through the motions of cooking fluidly, and when he’d shake some spices into the meal, his eyes would glisten with satisfaction.
I thought he was mesmerizing when he spoke, demanding attention from everyone around, but when he cooked...fuck.
I finished up the rice and transferred it to a serving bowl to put on the table before sinking into the old creaky chair to watch him. He tied his hair up in a bun, leaving his kissable jawline on display. He flicked off the burner and grabbed a large bowl from the cabinet. His deep voice hummed a melody that wrapped around my heart as he poured the meal into the bowl and sat it on the table next to the rice.
“What’s that song?” I rested my chin on my fist as I leaned over the table, sniffing the unique blends of smells.
He sat down in the seat next to me. “It doesn’t have a name. My mother used to sing it to me when I was a child. She had lyrics, but I don’t remember them.”
I smiled at the thought of a little Thaddeus. “That’s adorable.”
He shrugged, his eyes clouding over like he was reliving a forgotten memory.
I reached out a hand and let my fingertips skim across the stubble of his jawline. “You’re fucking perfect.”
He straightened, blinking rapidly. “Are you going to teleport them here?”
I shifted my gaze to the meal on the table and sighed before I stood up.His walls are going up again.
Slicing my thumb on my fang, I dripped my blood on the hardwood floor. “Aziel.”
Seconds later, Aziel appeared in front of me with frantic eyes, assessing the room. He scooped me up in a tight hug. “My beloved,” he murmured. “I got so worried when I couldn’t locate you.”
“Can’t have her leave your sight for a second?” Thaddeus raised his brow.
Aziel growled at him, burying his face into my hair. “It’s my job to protect her.”
“Pretty sure I can keep her safe.”
I placed a hand on top of his head. “I’m okay. Thaddeus and I just made dinner for everyone.”
He tilted his head. “But we don’t have to eat.”
“Vampires need a bit of human food to sustain us, demon,” Thaddeus added with venom. “We were human to start with.”
“Like I know that,” Aziel drawled. “I rarely keep company with vampires.”
“Stop it, you two.” Unwinding from him, I reached out my palms and squeezed my eyes to summon Blaise and Kai.
Scorching heat blasted through my hands, and they appeared. The black flames coating them faded.
Blaise’s sharp eyes met mine. “Bloody hell, Poppy. Where were you two?”
Kai sniffed the air and huffed. “Enjoying each other’s company.”
“What? I have needs.” I shifted on my feet. “Thaddeus just happened to meet them.”
Thaddeus smirked.
Blaise pouted. “I would’ve helped you meet them.”
Kai frowned. “I thought I helped you meet them.”
“I could’ve met them better.” Aziel rolled his eyes.
A shudder of exhaustion seeped through me, and my head slumped forward.
Kai came forward and wrapped an arm around my waist to lead me back to my chair. “What’s wrong?”
