Page 71 of Accidental Blood Lust
I’maware of Cassius and Lochlan speaking with their heads close together, as if conspiring, but I just assume it must be a vampire thing and turn my focus back to the delicious spread of breakfast food before me. I’ve got pancakes piled on my plate and far too much bacon, but something about underworld food just hits differently. It’s so good.
Roman has a very rare steak and eggs on his plate and he’s clearly ravenous, the way he shovels in his food. It should probably be a little uncouth to me, but he’s so sexy. Even the way he eats turns me on.
It’s nice to know he loves me. I always hoped he could, but nothing is better than hearing it. He glances up at me and winks before taking another bite of steak. Drax and Mac are feeding each other, gazing into each other’s eyes like no one else exists. I turn to look at Rune and Atlas. Neither is eating because Rune is working on some kind of spell, using Atlas as a test subject. Atlas’s arm skin turns stone gray, then Rune says something and touches his mate, and the tattoos embedded in his flesh light up as Atlas’s skin softens and returns to its usual soft tan color. Rune smiles and the two share a quick kiss.
What a strange family, yet somehow, I feel more at home and welcomed here than I ever have anywhere before. Lochlan turns to me, tilting his head, and as he focuses on me, my body warms and the rest of the room melts away until there’s only three of us: me, Loch, and Roman.
Roman notices too, putting his fork down and devoting his attention to our sexy vampire. I lean across the table towardsLoch, as if there’s a rope around my waist drawing me closer, and suddenly I’m out of my chair and closing the distance between us.
I see his lips moving as if he’s speaking to me, but I don’t hear any words. The only thing that exists is this intense desire to be closer to him, to touch him, to kiss him. I find myself kneeling next to him, and seconds later, Roman joins me. Lochlan smiles before clapping his hands once, snapping me out of whatever trance I was in.
“It worked, Cas,” Lochlan gushes. “It really worked.”
“Yes. Now you know how to do it.”
“What was that?” I get to my feet, slightly woozy.
“Cas is teaching me how to channel my thrall. I can’t mentally communicate with you the way I can with other supes, but I can draw you into my thrall and you can feel what I feel when I do.”
“Incredible.”
Roman looks dazed, and he blinks several times before he shakes his shoulders out. “What the fuck was that?”
Cas smiles proudly. “My thrall. Cool, right?”
“I didn’t know that could work on me.”
“Normally it wouldn’t,” Cas explains. “But you’re mates, so you can feel everything Lochlan feels.”
A thought comes to me, but I immediately start to mentally recoil at it. Lochlan already gave a name to the elephant in the room, suggesting that the best way for me to become immortal with them would be for him to turn me too. But the thought makes my stomach roil.
Cas tilts his head, his eyes locked on mine, and I feel the prodding in my head, trying to get in. I’ve practiced blocking vampire telepathy many times, but I’ve never had to resist as much as I do with him.
“Stop that,” I whisper.
Cas grins before nodding and pulling back. It’s like finally breathing after holding your breath for too long.
“Of course, there are ways,” he says, winking at me.
I shake my head, refusing to entertain such thoughts. We’ll find another way. We have to.
“What’s happening?” Lochlan asks, his gaze darting between me and Cas, who must be blocking his thoughts from Loch at this point, or I think he’d know.
“Nothing at all.” Cas drains his glass. “Stop by whenever, Loch. I’ll be around.” He rises from the table and leaves.
“Stop by for what?” Roman growls.
“Clothes,” Loch says. “I don’t have anything nice to wear out. I figured Cas would have stuff that suited me since we have similar builds.”
Roman huffs but nods.
“This is good,” I say to Roman. “This is what we wanted—a vampire to mentor Loch. Remember?”
Roman blows out a breath and nods. “Sorry. It’s my wolf being territorial. I trust Cas with my mate as much as I trust you and myself.”
“And me,” Loch says. “You need to trust me. I’m your mate.”
“Of course I trust you.” Roman smiles.
