Turning in his seat, Malcolm faces me directly. “Is Scarlett your mate?”
My nostrils flare as a possessive thrill runs through me before I can hide it. He hums a low sound that I can’t quite interpret, yet a small tendril of hope foolishly begins to form as I attempt to riddle through everything. “Why do you ask? Did she...?”
He shakes his head, and I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed. Who am I kidding? I’m disappointed. There’s a huge part of me that wants to believe she’s thinking about me as much as I am her, to imagine she knows who she is to me.
“She doesn't realize it yet, no,” he confirms.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I huff. “I won’t tell her, don’t worry. I... I can’t.”
“I completely agree.” With a wince, I open my mouth, but he cuts me off to elaborate. “She's human, first and foremost. It took months for her to wrap her head around the idea of having a fated in the first place.” He rubs the heel of his hand over his heart and my stomach flips, realizing he hasn’t surged at all the entire drive, which means she accepted his claim.
“We came out here so there’d be distance between you two before we talked, so the bond was weaker and it’d be harder for her to get a read on you.” I don’t phrase it like a question, simply the fact that it is.
He sighs. “She's come so far in very little time, but,” he trails off, and I finish the thought for him.
“But while she’s accepted one mate, the idea of two is a foreign concept to her, since she’s practically still human. I get it, and the last thing I want to do is make things harder for her than they already are, okay? It's why I didn't say anything in the first place; I'm content simply making sure she's safe.”
Malcolm hums again, this time clearly pleased. “I'm certainly glad to hear that, because from this point forward, you're removed from security and can clear out your desk.” As I bite back my retort, he smirks, making me hesitate. “I'm promoting you to personal guard detail. Scarlett is your primary concern from this point forth.” Reaching into the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket, he withdraws a credit card and an elevator key, passing them my way while I gape at him, stunned speechless. “I can't be with her every moment of the day as much as I'd like to, and the thought of her sitting alone in silence makes me ill after the hell she went through.”
His eyes flash with rage before pinning me with a sharp look. “She's already beating herself up for wanting to feed on you. I’ve started to lay the groundwork to get her to come around to the idea of a multi-mate unit, but she’s struggling. It’s a double-edged sword; if we tell her now, it won’t go well. If we wait,” he measures his words carefully, “she feels the draw to you, but thinks it’s a hunger response. She’s worried that if she caves into it, it’d be cheating on me, and I can’t figure out a good way to tell her that it’s okay only with you without giving away that you’re mates, because I don’t exactly want her feeding off random strangers. So, if it happens, you damn well better not leave her alone afterward, because she's going to spiral.”
Blanching, I nod, and within a few moments, we're back on the road heading for home. I stuff the card and key into my pocket, sneaking glances over at Malcolm and trying to make any of the chaotic noise in my head turn into actual questions, but I remain mute. I spend the better part of the drive attempting to wrap my head around the fact that I not only read him completely wrong, but I’m actually getting paid to spend every day one on one with Scarlett.
It's a testament to the way finding your fated fucks with your instincts, because right now? The thought of her tearing into my throat doesn’t make me lock up with panic despite the numerous vampire attacks I’ve seen, witnessed the feral carnage they leave behind without mercy. And yet, rather than all of the information I should be getting out of the man to prepare for the coming days, the only voice breaking through my jumbled thoughts is the devil on my shoulder, whispering that my mate admitted she wants to taste me.
Chapter 11
Scarlett
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SavageScars:Ttyl, going to go find something to eat and crash.
Biteme92:Dungeon tonight?
SavageScars:Sure. Time?
