“Thank you,” I said, my smile barely even forced. “Let me just slip some shoes on, and we can go.”
Carter gave a sharp nod and stepped in as I turned to pick up some sneakers. I was still unsure if I could get another boost soon, and even though that blowjob gave me a strong one, it wouldn’t last long. Dimitri had a point when he’d explained how all this worked to Arc; actual sex was the most effective and durable energy I could get.
But sleeping with Carter was not a step I was ready to take.
“Oh, is this another housemate?” Vlad happily asked from his spot near the couch, his cold stare contradicting his kind tone.
“Oh no, that’s Carter,” Kai pointed out with a breathy chuckle, oblivious to the hostility dancing in the Vampire’s eyes. “Although, I’m guessing he’s kind of Lola’s housemate. From herotherhouse.”
I cursed under my breath, hands shaking as I tried to lace my shoes properly. Maybe using some shifting power would have been the smart move after all…
“Oh.” Vlad’s head tilted to the side, glaring at Carter, but his tone was still deceiving. “A boyfriend?”
“No!” I blurted out, a little louder than I intended to as Carter grunted the same word. “We’re…friends. Right?”
Kill me now. “Yes,” he clipped, teeth grinding, the muscle in his jaw twitching. “Friends.”
At least he went along with it…
“We gotta go. I’m going back to work today. Nice meeting you—Vlad.”
I gave one last apologetic look to Marcus before following Carter outside, hurrying out of the building. Why washeeven scared to stay alone with him? He said he was his mate…Although, maybe my terrible experiences with my own mates might have made him reluctant to find his own…
“Who was that?” Carter asked as we exited the building, our pace slow toward the City Hall.
“Not sure yet,” I answered with a shrug. “Apparently he's our new housemate. Vladimir Maartos. Have you heard of him?”
Carter nodded, focusing back on a spot right in front of him. The first Vampire had been created by Divines. I sometimes felt some of them regretted their implication in this, asVladhad been particularly active in turning thousands of humans into blood suckers over the decades, who then in turn, were able to turn even more people. Their population was a nightmare to regulate, and Vampires had been hunted the most since they first appeared.
After all, unlike demons who could only be chased and killed by actual demon hunters, Vampires were an easier target; all people had to do was lock them under the sun, or poison or fatally wound them with copper so they’d bleed out without having a chance to heal.
Humans knew that.
“Is it me, or did he look at me weird?”
I turned my face to him as we kept walking, bringing the cup to my lips.Damn, this coffee is the best. Almost good enough to prevent my brain from freakingout.
“Did he?”
Damn right he did. But the last thing I needed was for Carter to get involved. Not before I knew what was going on and what the Hell he was doing here.
“Maybe it’s just the lack of sleep,” Carter said, but the frown didn’t ease from his face.
“You didn’t sleep?” He lifted a brow in my direction. “What? I didn’t leavethatlate.”
“It’s not that,” he grunted. “I have…nightmares. It’s not every night, but they keep me up sometimes.”
To my surprise, he climbed the stairs to City Hall with me. Even more strange, he didn’t turn to the corridor where I learned a little over a week ago his office was. No, he followed me all the way up to the Archives. Entering after me.Sitting on the armchair closest to my desk.
Okay…
“These nightmares,” I said, breaking the heavy silence. “Are they related to the…voices?”
He didn’t explain exactly what he’d meant when he frantically mentioned them. I guess we hadother thingson our minds.
But it had kept me up too, last night.
“Not really. They’re back to being silent, thank you for that.”
