Bound’s eyes widened and he tried to sit up in bed…only to sink back down again.
“Angel,” he rumbled. “You came back.” His eyes widened. “And you brought food!”
Gaze looked to where his brother was staring and saw that the lovely Elite was pushing a little hovercart which was filled with plates and bowls covered in golden domes.
“Yes, I came back.” Alexa lifted her chin, her dark eyes flashing. “I didn’t want the two of you to starve to death—that’s not the kind of hostess I am. I thought we could have a meal together and get to know each other,” she added.
“It’s very kind of you,” Gaze said, nodding thankfully.
“And we’d love to get to know you better,” Bound rumbled.
Gaze saw the little Elite’s cheeks go dark with a blush at his brother’s tone but she kept her chin high and pushed the hovercart to the side of the bed.
“Do you think you can sit up with some help or should I feed you?” she asked Bound.
“I can sit up—if Gaze helps me.” Bound grimaced. “Not used to being so weak.”
“You’ve just lost a lot of blood,” Gaze told him. Going around the side of the bed, he levered his brother up so that he was sitting on the edge of the bed with some pillows propped behind him. “Oof—you weigh a metric ton!” he complained.
“Not my fault I’m the Dark Twin—we’re always a little bigger,” Bound pointed out.
“A little bigger? I thought I was going to kill myself dragging your ass down the street to get you into Lady Alexa’s hovercoach!” Gaze told him as he settled beside his brother on the edge of the bed.
“Can’t help it you’re a shrimp,” Bound said good-naturedly. “I mean, you’re not even seven feet tall!”
“Are most Kindred at least seven standard feet then? Because you both seem like giants to me,” Alexa said. She had a small smile on her face as she busied herself with taking the golden domes off the plates on the cart before them.
“Most are,” Gaze allowed. “But my brother is right—Twin Kindred always come in pairs and the Dark Twin is usually a little bigger than the Light Twin. Grumpier too,” he added. Though his brother had been uncharacteristically cheerful since coming back to consciousness and setting eyes on Alexa, he thought.
“I see.” Her eyes flicked over both of them and then she turned her attention to the food. “All right—I hope you like this. I made you what my mom always made me when I was small—Phuka noodle soup and fresh baked bread.”
“It smells amazing.” Gaze’s mouth was already watering. It seemed that they were just going to eat and pretend the weird shock of desire they’d all felt earlier hadn’t even happened. He supposed that was fine with him—if it was what Alexa wanted, well, they ought to be respectful of her wishes.
“Dig in.” Alexa finished dishing out bowls of soup to the two of them and cutting them slices of the warm, crusty bread. “There’s fresh butter and koi’lah honey as well, if you want them,” she added, indicating the two little condiment pots on one side of the cart.
Gaze wanted to be polite and make more small talk, but he just couldn’t. His stomach was rumbling and the soup and fresh baked bread smelled incredible. Dropping all pretense of conversation for the present, he dug in and began to eat.
THIRTEEN
Lexi watched with satisfaction as the two of them ate. Her mother used to say there was nothing worse than a picky eater and she was glad to see neither of the Kindred warriors seated across from her seemed to fall into that category.
They ate neatly but quickly at first, all but inhaling the large tureen of deep red soup with its chunks of vegetables, curly Phuka noodles, and shredded meat. But after their first hunger was sated, they slowed down and appeared to savor the food.
“Did you make all this yourself, Angel?” Bound asked, raising his dark eyebrows at her curiously. “I mean, no disrespect, but in a place this fancy, I’d think you’d have automatic food replicators or the like.”
Lexi gave an inner sigh—she had just about given over trying to get the Dark Twin to call her by her proper name.
“I made it all,” she said, smiling. “As I said, the soup was my mom’s recipe. The bread is mine, though,” she added. “I own a small bakery on Zetta Prime and the seven-grain bread is one of my best sellers.”
“It’s the best I’ve ever tasted,” Gaze said earnestly. “And I’m not just saying that because I was starving.”
“Fuckin’ delicious,” Bound agreed and then winced when his brother elbowed him in the ribs. “Ow! Still healin’ over here, okay?”
“Watch your language,” Gaze told him. “Alexa is a lady.”
Their interaction between the brothers made Lexi smile—she couldn’t help it.