Page 94 of Hunger & Harmony

It’s not like he wants it, either. But we don’t say much and acknowledge nothing. Two against one bond, right? Maybe we’ll win.

“Lorelai checked in earlier,” he says after many minutes of silence.

“Yeah?”

“Next Friday.” His crossed arms tighten. “We’re doing another show.”

“Already?” I mumble, and he shrugs.

“Apparently. Something about appeasing the masses.”

“What date is that?”

I could grab my phone and check, but that’s the last thing I want to do.

“The fourteenth.”

“What’s today?”

“The eighth,” he says, and I sigh.

“That’s not much time.”

My shoulders slump. Will we be able to do something about this bond by then? I let my fingers drum on the table, trying to think. Even if I search it up, I’m pretty sure there’s no blog or MeTube video guide for this. With only six days until a public appearance . . .

“Wait.”

I snap my head up.

“Today’s the eighth?”

“Uh . . .” He blinks. “Of course?”

It takes me only a moment to file through my memories.

“It’s your birthday!” I gasp, watching as he pauses in confusion. “The eighth of the eleventh month, yeah?”

“Oh,” he says, nodding slowly. “It is, yes.”

I know he isn’t confused about the date. It’s my enthusiasm that has his eyebrows cocked.

“Shouldn’t we do something?”

“Why?”

When I frown at him, his confusion turns to flat-out alarm.

“Why? Because it’s a special day, and you should at least acknowledge it!”

“Well . . .”

He leans back against the door with an awkward grimace. I point at him.

“C’mon, you can think of at least one thing to do.”

His frown deepens as he really tries to give it thought. My symptoms are all but gone as I watch him struggle to answer. Even my smile has returned because this is fun. This is normal. I’ve hardly met a guy who knows what he wants to do for his birthday, and vampire royalty isn’t an exception.

“What would you do if it were your birthday?”