Etain had a boyish grin on his face as he led her to the vendor that operated at the edge of the eating area. He sat her down and went to the stand. Micah stood behind her waiting. When Etain returned and handed her a paper wrapped item she smiled in delight. "Crepes! I love crepes!"
Micah leaned in and took a bite of her treat. Licking his lips he groaned. "Damn that's good." He looked around. "Be right back." He jogged off to another food stand.
"Are strawberry and chocolate okay?" Etain asked.
"Perfect. I could eat these everyday and be happy," she closed her eyes happily and took another bite.
Etain nudged her and pointed. She looked over and saw that the crepe vendor was watching them anxiously. "She knows who I am," Vivi asked in the barest of whispers. Etain kept smiling but gave a slight nod.
Vivi took another bite. "Gods! These things are amazing! Can we come here more often?" she said in a louder voice.
The crepe vendor covered her face with her hands in delight and began to clean her tiny stand in a fit of happiness.
Etain smiled wide. "Of course my love," he answered. Under the guise of kissing her cheek, he whispered in her ear. "Softie." He sat back and continued eating his own snack.
Micah came back over and sat down on her other side. "You have to try these!" Micah held up a long, skinny orange stick.
Cautiously she took a bite and chewed quickly. "What is that?"
"Good?" he asked eyeing her knowingly.
"Better than good."
"They're sweet potato french fries dipped in a brown sugar and cinnamon glaze. They are my ultimate weakness," he confessed.
"I can see why."
She and Micah exchanged bites so that they could each enjoy the other's dessert. Etain finished his and simply sat at her side with his arm draped across the back of her chair.
They were just walking past the hospital, about to head back down to Level One when a tall, dark-haired wolf shifter stepped in front of them. "Is this her? The murderer?" he demanded.
Vivi gasped. "The what?" she whispered.
Etain and Micah moved to stand in front of her. Micah eyed the man a confused look on his face. "Cainan, this is the amazing doctor I was telling you about. The one that developed the treatment for the children. You said that you thought that she must be an amazing person and wanted to meet her. I don't understand the change in attitude."
"That was before I knew who she was, who she really was. I heard her name on that announcement they made about Prince Gavriel taking over, how she was a DuSang. A murderer born of a murderer!" he raved.
"My mate is no murderer," Etain said cordially.
Vivi felt her blood turn to ice. She knew without looking that Etain's expression would be murderous. She knew she was right when the shifter took a step back.
He recovered quickly. "Don't you think it's strange that Prince Magnus was fine until she arrived? How do we know she didn't do this to him?" Gasps were heard all around them. Vivi looked to their left and right and realized that both shifters and vampires had closed in around them to watch what would happen.
Vivi brought her hand to her throat. Little did he know his words stuck at her very core. She had hurt Magnus, just not in the way he was implying.
"See! She looks guilty!" he crowed.
"Would you please refrain from saying hateful things about my mate? I will happily turn her pain, into your pain," Etain offered almost off-handedly.
Cainan paled, but persisted. "Do you know who her father was? What he did?"
Etain nodded. "Of course. I was here for it."
Cainan was about to respond when Stefan pushed his way through the crowd. "What in the hell is going on? Etain? Cainan?" He looked from one to the other.
Etain's eyes never left the angry shifter in front of him. "Your pack member feels it necessary to say terrible things to my mate hurting her very soul. For that alone I could rip out his spine." Etain's even voice made the violent words that much scarier.
Stefan's eyes widened at Etain's demeanor. "Cainan, you want to tell me what this is all about?"