Ethan grinned. “Yeah, we got a little rambunctious this time.”
When he used words like that, he didn’t mean them the same way someone else did. Rambunctious could mean anything from he punched me in the face to he lacerated my liver and I almost died.
“Rowan said other shifters can’t smell when you’ve consumed Cernunnos blood, but he could.”
I exhaled. “Shit. Cernunnos would know then.”
Ethan nodded. “Safe to assume so. Rowan could be a different kind of fae with that shifter blood, but I think we need to err on the side of caution.” He watched me with those midnight eyes. “Although, I don’t care if he knows, but you might.”
I chewed on my bar as I thought. “I can still ask Caelan or Soren.”
Ethan’s eyes ringed with gold. “No, darling. You’ll feed from me.”
I let out an annoyed huff. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
He inclined his head. “You’re right.” Ethan set his plate down. “But I know who you want to taste, and it isn’t either one of them, is it?”
He rose and settled beside me, not touching, but probably too close to be a strictly friendly gesture.
“Don’t do this,” I murmured.
“I’m not doing nothing.” He shot me a wicked smile. “But that’s not the only reason I’m here.”
“Oh?”
“I need help.”
“If you want dinner, you’ll have to ask me another time. I’ve already cooked and cleaned up.”
Ethan snorted. “No. Ever since Cernunnos’s visit, things have been off.”
My eyes narrowed. “Off how?”
“My animals are acting weird. I sense a presence watching.” Ethan frowned and ran a hand through his hair, sending it into disarray. “It’s not too big of a deal right now, but having a vampire who can sneak around is ideal.”
My fingers itched to straighten him up. “You think it’s Cernunnos?”
“Can’t rightly say. Part of me says no, but the timing is suspicious, isn’t it? My refusal pissed him off.”
“He does like to get his way,” I murmured. The thought of going back to Ethan’s property both warmed and frightened me. “How long will I be gone?”
“Hard to say. A day or two at first. Time to get the lay of the land. Then you can come back here if you want. Or you can stay and help me fix whatever this is.”
I focused on his words and the tone behind them, searching for any hint of deception. Ethan wasn’t a liar, but he had a way of tiptoeing around the truth to suit his needs. He’d made no secret about wanting me back on his lands. But no matter which way I turned it, I sensed only sincerity.
“Any progress on getting a new council together?”
Ethan eyed the plate of bars.
“Take it,” I said. There were still three left.
He snagged another bar. “I didn’t run this one by the council. If this is Cernunnos, I don’t want the Lords involved in a personal matter. If we find out it’s something else, I’ll revisit.”
“Aren’t you the one who’s always bitching about the other Lords going rogue?”
Ethan’s lips twitched. “Yes, well, I’m the one in charge, so if I want to go rogue, I can.”
He polished off the bar and sighed. “What do you say, Moira? You in?”
