“No,” she said quickly, hands falling away as she scrubbed the tears from her face. “I will speak with him. I must be the one to speak with him.”
“Okay. And you’ll tell me what he says?”
Her nod was subtle.
Forcing himself to release her, Kaj grabbed his T-shirt, pulled it back on over his head.
“I’ll be coming to you more often,” he told her. “To feed. And what I need will make it impossible for you to feed others, Acadia. It’s the way it’s meant to be.”
Another nod. Whether it was agreement or simply an acknowledgment of fact, he wasn’t sure. However, it was more than he’d had an hour ago, so Kaj would have to be content with it.
For now.
Chapter Three
Friday, December 1, 2017
“So, tell me something,” Kaj prompted themoment Acadia stepped into his room.
“Well, good evening to you as well,” she teased in response.
A smile pulled at his lips. “Good evening, Acadia. Tell me something.”
She laughed, couldn’t help it. “Whatever shall you like to know?”
While he formulated his question, Acadia set the tray down on the bedside table, uncovering the eggs and toast she’d had prepared for him. It wasn’t a steak dinner, but considering he was still on the mend—slow going, at that—she figured bland and light were the key. She was happy to see he had lost the gray pallor he’d been wearing for the past two weeks, ever since he awoke from his deep sleep. It had taken effort, but she’d managed to keep him in the bed for the majority of the time, save for his daily baths, which she had tended to in the bathtub at his request.
“Where’s your family? Mother? Father? Are you close with them?”
Acadia ducked her head, pretended to position the toast. “My mother and father are long since passed. I was orphaned. Now sit up so I can set your tray in your lap.”
Kaj grimaced as he followed her instructions, positioning himself against a pillow, smoothing the blankets over his legs.
“Orphaned?”
She nodded. It was a tragic story, though she wasn’t eager to go into the logistics. Being that the Fae had been found guilty of defying the Lord before her mother had conceived her, the pregnancy had been deemed illegal. Her father had managed to hide her mother until she’d given birth. Upon the delivery, they’d been betrayed, her parents murdered. She wasn’t sure who her saving grace had been, but some kind soul had taken her and delivered her unto the orphanage that cared for abandoned children of the Fae.
“And you?” she asked, wanting to redirect the subject to him. “Your mother and father?”
Kaj relaxed into the pillow as she set his tray over his muscled thighs. “My mother was murdered by a demon who’d been sent to destroy my father, the Alpha. He was able to get me out. He’s still alive, living with his new mate and their two infant males.”
“Vampires mate more than once?”
Kaj nodded. “We do not have predestined mates, and should a male not find hisnehadon, he doesn’t possess the instinct to devote himself only to one female.”
Interesting. Why she’d thought vampires were like angels in that regard, she wasn’t sure. She understood, of course, because Fae didn’t have destinies at all.
“Do you see him often? Your father?”
“I work for him. I’m sure he believes I’m dead at this point.”
“You should contact him,” she urged.
Kaj shook his head. “Not until I can leave here. My mere existence puts all of you in danger. I’d prefer to keep that from knocking on your door.”
Being that he was the son of the vampire Alpha, she understood his reasoning. While Acadia wasn’t versed in vampire history, she was aware of the fact the race was ruled by a single male.
“How long have you known Obsidian?” he asked.
