The appalled look on Raven’s severe face was almost comical.
“Please tell me that you are joking.”
Saiden shook his head.
“And how exactly do you think she’s going to react when she finds out the truth?”
He jumped to his feet and threw up his hands. “Not well, I'm sure, but what was I supposed to do, Raven? I honestly didn’t even think she was my mate at first. She smelled off, and it screwed with my head. Was it wrong to lie? Probably. I just assumed that once I got her here Marquin would solve the dilemma, and I’d never see her again. Once I realized who she was to me, it was a little late to change my story.”
Raven’s face softened but maintained a healthy amount of skepticism. “And siccing Baylin on her?” she asked warily.
Saiden shoved his hands into his back pockets. “One of the first things she told me when I revealed that I was a vampire was that she didn’t want to become one of us. She won’t drop the film willingly, so I had no choice. At least until we can find some way to convince her… I have to protect our kind.”
Raven’s irritation fully drained from her eyes as she sat on the chaise and pulled him down beside her, patting his leg sympathetically. He would have preferred her rage. Pity was almost more than he could handle right now.
“You’ve really screwed the pooch here, haven’t you?” she asked in away that was less question and more statement.
“Most likely.”
“She’s going to be devastated when she learns the truth.”
“Most likely.”
“And she’ll never trust you again.”
“Most likely.”
Saiden flung himself backward on the chaise, wondering when exactly he went from feared enforcer to distraught, lovesick teenager.
“I know she feels something for me,” he told his cousin, his eyes tracing the intricate wainscoting in the room so he could avoid her pitying expression. “When I kissed her she kissed me back, and it was more than just a peck on the lips. It was filled with passion and desire. Shefeltthe connection, I’m certain of it.”
“Then what happened?” Raven prodded.
“Then she just seized up and said to never do it again. There’s something wrong with her medically, but she won’t tell me about it. I’m floundering here, Raven. She writes these horror films where the vampires are demonic villains and therefore believes that I’m just trying to sink my fangs into her neck. I’m afraid that I’m not exactly doing a good job of convincing her otherwise. Killing rogues is easy. Understanding women is… let’s just say I need all the help I can get.”
Raven sighed. “You know I’ll do everything I can for you, Saiden.” She regarded him with haunted eyes. “I owe you my life, even if some days I wish you hadn’t saved me. I know how important this is. How important your mate is.”
They both fell silent for a moment. He knew this would be hard forhis cousin, and it meant the world to him that she would help.
“What do I do now?”
Raven pursed her lips. “Well, what have you done so far?”
Saiden described his time with Cora, and his efforts to sway her thoughts in a more positive direction about him.
His cousin let out a rather undignified snort of derision in response. “Are you telling me that you honestly believed the best way to woo her was to put on a Magic Mike show? Bloody hell, Saiden, she’s your mate not a sorority girl. No wonder she doesn’t trust you. Women have instincts like you wouldn’t believe, and your little striptease told her more than enough about your ‘intentions.’ Did you honestly never once consider just telling her the truth? That every vampire has a mate, and she is yours?”
Saiden frowned. He had considered that approach but rejected it for being too absurd. Maybe another woman would have gone all moon-eyed at those words, but not his girl.
“You don’t understand. She’s not like other women.”
Raven waved her hand dismissively. “Yes, yes, every vampire thinks his mate is a truly special and perfect creature.”
Saiden barked out a harsh laugh and sat up. “That is definitely not what I said.”
At Raven’s quizzical look, he continued. “She’s… difficult. It’s like anytime I say or ask anything she has to clam up or turn belligerent. Whenever I get close to her I can’t decide if I want to kiss her or strangle her.”
“I imagine it doesn’t help that you have considerably more experience with the latter than the former.”
