Concerned, she immediately put her hand over his forehead, aware he tensed but didn’t shrug free. After a moment, she pulled her hand away. “No spells. Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because you’re being nice to me.” She frowned, saw him studying her oddly, and barked, “What?” She waited for the other shoe to drop. A harsh word. A sarcastic comeback. Some reason he was treating her like a person who couldn’t take care of herself. Some “lesser being” comment.
His eyes crinkled. Genuine laughter followed.
And she had to check herself to make sureshewasn’t under some spell, because the more she fought against liking the reaper, the more she succumbed to feeling more than she should for the vampire flirting with death. And her.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE
Khent studied his adorable human,thinking her beyond pretty when she glared. Not even trying to look fierce yet making him want to kiss her all over again.
Feeding her felt right, a necessary action from a worthy mate.
In the kitchen, he’d paused when he’d realized how he was acting. He wanted her. He had her and intended on keeping her. At least until she gave birth. Then, unlike the rest of the unnatural vampires in this house, he’d turn her loose once the child entered the world.
When the notion of progeny with Valentine didn’t shock him into horror, he knew he’d found his mate. No thanks to Morpheus, that backstabbing dick. Though Khent conceded some respect to the flighty deity for having the balls to try to trick them.
Seeing Valentine eat the food he’d gotten for her—from the fridge, but he’d fetched it, so that counted—satisfied him to no end.
She watched him as she ate, a slight blush on her cheeks, all her attention where it belonged.
He could tell she’d moved a few things around in his lab. He didn’t mind, mostly because she would have a care withthe fragile items. Valentine, like him, was a scholar at heart. She studied death, knew it intimately. As such, she considered matters on a deeper level than most people.
He’d also spotted his salamander on her shoulder, hiding under her hair.
The timid creature made a powerful protector, and he found it just that the fire lizard liked her. To his shock, Khent truly liked her as well. And not just as someone to fuck or feed from. It still bothered him he’d done both at the same time, especially because he wanted to do it again.
But more, he wanted to spend time with his human in his favorite place. Here, in his home.
“Why did you look upset upstairs?” he asked. He’d noticed the downturn of her lips when Mormo had been speaking. “Did the magician upset you? I can rip out his trachea if you’d like.”
She blinked. “Um, no. That’s okay.” After a pause, she added, “You’re kidding, right?”
He smiled.
She swallowed. “Mormo’s fine. He’s been nice to me.”
“Good. Then why did you appear aggrieved?”
“Just promise not to kill him.”
“Kill who?”Point and it shall be done.
“Onvyr. But it wasn’t his fault. He was sad, and I wanted to comfort him. But when I touched him, he flinched. Like they all do.” She sighed. “I should be used to it by now. Talon’s the only one who treats me the same, like he doesn’t care that I’m a necromancer. I keep thinking everyone else will as well. But the shifters don’t.”
“I’m happy to kill them too.”
“No, Khent. No killing. Let’s face it. If I wanted them dead, I’d kill them myself.”
He appreciated that about her. “Fair enough. Their acceptance matters to you?”
“Yes and no.” She toyed with her dessert. “What about you? Do you care that the other vampires fear you?”
“Of course. I expect it.”
