He followed Roan and Julian into Julian’s private office.
* * * *
The lovely blonde woman passed Kaja another drink.
“I don’t know if I should.” Kaja giggled just a bit. The drink was doing strange things to her head. She knew she really shouldn’t drink more. She was becoming intoxicated. Yes. That was the word she was becoming. Drunk. Funny feeling. Still, when her new friend pushed the glass in front of her, Kaja leaned forward and took another sip.
“Oh, live a little,” her new friend said. “Come on, it’s only two. Julian doesn’t allow anyone more than two drinks here. Although, we might be able to get the very nice bartender to sneak us one more.”
Kaja focused on the bartender. He was an attractive young vampire with dark hair and a slender body. Jeremy. He’d introduced himself as Jeremy. Well, Jeremy might be attractive, but he had nothing on her Dante. Her Dante was the most beautiful man in the world. He was kind and gave a very good spanking. He had all the best sex toys.
She giggled again. She was losing it. “I don’t think I can handle another one, Ashton.”
“It’s Ashley, sweetie,” her new friend said. “And I’m really surprised you’ve made it this long. You have some kind of crazy metabolism.”
Kaja wasn’t sure what the pretty blonde was talking about, but she seemed so nice. Everyone was being nice to her. “I will have to tell the machine at home that I like these drinks. And when it is rude to me from now on, I will make it pay.”
Ashley regarded her. “You should. Those machines can really get you. Today, my mirror told me my hair didn’t look good. Bastard. Bad programming. It’s supposed to be supportive. It’s supposed to tell me I look good.”
“You do look nice,” Kaja offered. In the few weeks she had been on this plane, she had noticed that women liked to be told they looked pretty. She liked it herself. “My mate tells me I look nice.”
Ashley smiled, but it seemed a bland thing. “Does he? He never really noticed with me.”
“He tells me often, though mostly when I am naked. He likes me to be naked. A lot. He gave me the option of coming to this place naked. I did not think it was a good idea. You vampires seem very attached to clothing. Alana is always trying to buy me more clothing. And shoes. I only have two feet.”
Something Ashley had said skittered at the back of her brain. What had she said?
Oh, her mind was foggy. It had felt good just a minute before, but now there was a queasy feeling in her stomach.
“I thought she had four.” Jeremy, the bartender was staring at her. He didn’t look so nice now. “I saw the press coverage of the freak.”
“Shanimal,” Ashley said with a frown. “She’s a shanimal, not a freak.”
Kaja hated that word. The room was starting to spin a little. “I am not a shanimal. I am Kaja. I am Dante’s.”
He’d said it. She was his. She wasn’t going to let these vampires make fun of her. She was the consort of Dante Dellacourt, and more than that, she was a good person. She was worth respect with or without her fur.
“Yeah, I know that’s what he told you.” Ashley sat forward. “You’re different than I thought you would be. I’m actually really sorry this is happening to you, but you should know that I’m Dante’s mistress.”
Kaja felt a growl deep in her throat, but she couldn’t force it out. “You are not.”
She pulled out one of the tablets that vampires seemed to always have on their persons. “I’m really sorry, but this is who your husband really is.”
A video started. There was her Dante and this woman. He lay back and allowed her to service him. His cock gradually became long and thick. He finally ordered her to climb on top of him.
“He never lets me do that,” Kaja grumbled. “I told him it would be fun.”
Ashley’s mouth dropped open in apparent surprise.
“This was before we were married. I can see the date stamp. I know when we were married.” And beyond that, it was so obvious to her that Dante wasn’t engaged in the sex. Oh, Ashley was very attractive, but he didn’t even tie her up. He couldn’t be too involved. This was how Dante had sex when he wasn’t in love.
Dante loved her. Some silly video wasn’t going to make her question that. She’d felt it in her bones.
“Fine. How about our afterglow? Maybe that will convince you he isn’t what you think he is.” Ashley turned the volume up.
They were talking. It penetrated her brain. They were talking about Dante finding a consort. His father had demanded it. Ashley told him to find someone unsuitable.
Kaja turned and smiled at Ashley. “Oh, I know this about my husband.” She groped for the proper words. What had Susan called him? It seemed like the right word for him now. “He is a dumb-ass.”