“Enough,” Lucian said. “This isn’t up for discussion. And Cara, you’ll need to take a hiatus from your job. I’ll provide you a discretionary fund so you will be able to cover expenses in the meantime. It will allow me more time after nightfall to manage my affairs.”
“I like doing ghost tours.”
“And I like being able to feel prepared when a bitter rival who has wanted me and my family dead for centuries is planning to strike.”
I lowered my eyes. “Fair point. I’ll let the tour company know I need to take a break.”
“Good,” Lucian stood, then motioned for me to follow. “I need to take her home so she can rest. There’s no way she will be able to stay awake during her classes if I keep her out much later.”
Seraphina and Alaric exchanged a look.
“What?” Lucian growled.
Seraphina shrugged. “You don’t typically care about anyone or anything except enforcing the code. You’re not sounding like yourself with all this selfless talk. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“No,” he snapped. “I’m bonded to a helpless human when all of our lives are in danger. Instead of focusing on the problem at hand, I’m forced to spend half my time making sure I don’t derail Cara’s life to save my own. It’s ridiculous, and by all rights, I should tie her to my back, bind and gag her, and go about my business.”
“Now that you mention it,” Alaric said. “Isn’t that more or less what you did with that villager back during the yellow fever? Remember?” he asked, laughing a little wistfully. “You forgot she would need to use the bathroom eventually and wound up with piss all over your cloak.”
A dark look passed over Lucian’s face. “I remember all too well. That was my favorite cloak.”
I took a deep breath; suddenly not sure I was going to survive the few weeks left of this bond with Lucian. But no matter what Alaric and Seraphina implied, I did feel like I’d been getting a different version of him when we were together. I hadn’t even considered that he didn’t have to sacrifice anything on my behalf. I also hadn’t thought how insignificant something like my classes and my internship should’ve seemed to a man—if that’s still what he was—in his position.
“Do vampires still have hearts?” I asked when we got outside. “Like does it beat, I mean?”
Lucian’s eyebrows pinched together. “Yes. Of course we do.”
“Does it beat though?” For some reason I suddenly needed to know he was at least human in that small way. It felt important.
Without hesitating, he took my hand and raised it up to his chest.
My breath caught. My palm was pressed against the hard, muscular plane of his chest. I could feel a strong but incredibly slow thump there. He must’ve had a resting heart rate of like ten, if my guess was right.
“Wow,” I whispered. “I read once that super high endurance athletes have a resting heart rate of like thirty. When you’re not biting people and sucking their blood, are you out cycling and competing in triathlons or something?”
“I’m a vampire,” he said plainly.
He’d started walking again and left me to trail behind him. I rolled my eyes at his back but found myself grinning all the same. I’m a vampire I mouthed to his broad shoulders and perfect hair.
15
Cara
I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following Lucian and I for the entire walk back to my apartment. He insisted he’d “sense” it with his mysterious powers, but I still couldn’t shake the tingling on the back of my neck.
I let us in the front door, then paused. “You know, I never invited you in. Is that a myth, too?”
Lucian nodded. “Some of my kind have put great effort into misleading humans. The more weaknesses they think they know, the less able they will be to harm us.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Scared of us little humans, are you?”
He flashed a cocky half smile. “We’re outnumbered. And we do have to sleep, despite your attempts to keep me up at all hours of the day and night.”
“That’s fair.”
I had just pushed the door open when something smelly, large, and hairy flashed past me and Lucian.
Vlad turned to face us both with his arms spread out wide. He was wearing one of his stained medieval king get-ups again and laughed loudly. “Finally. It has been ages since I’ve been inside a human’s dwelling.” He gave me a conspiratorial look. “Can’t come in unless we’re invited, you know.” He dragged out all of his syllables like the perfect caricature of a vampire from some movie in the 1800s.
I planted my fists on my hips, trying not to grin. “Is that right?”
“Oh, yes,” Vlad said. “And don’t even get me started on garlic.” He winced at the thought, hissing a little. “I promise you this. Put garlic in my sauce, and you’ll get an introduction to my impaling room.” He licked his lips, eyes going wider at the thought.