“I’m not. It’s the truth. Your voluptuous figure would drive most mad.”
Including him, although Joseph did his best to keep his lust in check.
She searched his gaze for a few beats and looked away. “Whatever. I’m too tired to dissect vampire half-truths right now.”
He wanted to shout that he wasn’t lying. And yet, he sensed she wouldn’t believe him.
What had the males in the future done to her?
To avoid getting angry at their neglect and stupidity, Joseph decided to move the conversation back to Meadow’s family. “Your sister has been working hard to learn how to use her magic. It’s been six or seven months now, I believe, since she started training. Her dedication is admirable, although it’s been rather hard on her husband since they’re still newly married. He’s quite besotted, actually. It’s been amusing to watch.”
Her gaze shot back to his. “Wait, Yesenia has a husband?” Meadow rubbed her forehead with one hand. “I must be dreaming. I don’t know how or why this feels so real, but maybe those vampire guys drugged me before strapping me into a virtual reality machine just to mess with my mind.”
Joseph had no idea what the latter was, but before he could ask, Laurie rushed back into the room. “They’ll be here as soon as they can.” He glanced at Meadow’s overwhelmed expression and sighed. “You could’ve waited to explain some of this to her, Joseph. She just arrived and needs time to take it all in.”
“Why? Now she can confirm being in the past, as well as being our fated one, once her siblings arrive.”
At the bewilderment in Laurie’s gaze, Joseph nodded. Yes, he’d told her.
Thankfully, there was a knock on the door, and the maid entered with a cart carrying water, tea, wine, bread, and some small cakes. Once she left, Joseph motioned toward the cart. “You may as well eat something.”
She eyed it dubiously. “For all I know, they’re blood-filled cakes. So, ew, no thank you.”
Joseph snorted at the same time as Laurie barked out a laugh. The other male spoke first. “Even though we can eat again now that our hearts are beating, I’m waiting to have a nice Yorkshire pudding for my first meal. And Joseph will ask for something disgusting, like jellied eels.”
He raised his eyebrows. “They’re delicious. They were treats for me as a child.”
Laurie shuddered. “You can have them all.” He went to the cart, sniffed the wine, and smiled. “But your taste in wine is unmatched, my friend. I’m going to have some. What about you two?”
He nodded, and Meadow merely glanced between the pair of them before muttering, “This is the last time I eat a gummy right before bed.”
“Gummy?” Joseph echoed as he took the wineglass from Laurie.
It was hard to focus on her reply since Laurie had deliberately brushed his fingers against Joseph’s, but he somehow managed it. “I take them sometimes to calm down, so don’t judge me. Because if I get too anxious, I can’t control my magic.”
She slapped a hand over her mouth and widened her eyes.
Joseph replied, “I still don’t know what a gummy is. But stay away from opium. Some use it to relax, but it’s addictive and forbidden on the premises.”
Laurie frowned at him as if to say,Stop scaring her.Joseph shrugged, and Laurie focused on the female. Holding out a glass, he said, “This will calm you down. And whilst you’ll want to drink the entire bottle—Joseph is the best at selecting wine, more than anyone, in my opinion—it’s not addictive for most. Only to those who need to drink incessantly. If you start doing that, then we’ll stop giving you any. At any rate, try it.”
Laurie was rambling, which he did to fill the silence when he was unsure of what to say.
Before his friend could scare the female more than with anything Joseph had said, he sipped his glass and sighed at the smooth, tart taste. He’d missed this. As much as vampires enjoyed blood, there was something about a good glass of wine.
After another small sip, he held out the glass to Meadow. “Now you know it’s not poisoned.”
She hesitated, and so he sipped again. After sighing with pleasure, she finally reached out. “Considering this must be a gummy-hazed dream, what the hell? Let me try it.”
He closed the distance and held the glass to her mouth. She tried to grab it, and the urge to take care of her, the female who’d made his heart beat again, was strong.
Not yet. Soon.He relinquished the glass and stepped backward, closer to Laurie.
As she drank, Laurie’s hand brushed against his, and awareness rushed through him. Part of him wanted to push Laurie against the wall and kiss him. But they couldn’t risk scaring off Meadow. And as he watched her drink greedily, he wanted to kiss her neck and graze his fangs over her skin, all while Laurie did the same to him.
When she finished the wine, she licked a drop of red liquid from her lower lip, and both he and Laurie groaned.
Which was a mistake. Because Meadow retreated to the far side of the room. “I thought you said my magic wouldn’t work on you.”
