didn’t tell me much about the man other than his talents in the sack (which honestly, I could have guessed just by looking at him). “But is he a straight shooter? He wants to meet with me before the Gathering.”
Rob gave the barest of shrugs. “I haven’t heard much dirt on him. You’ll have to form your own opinion of the man. Apart from his charms.” He raised his mug to Jenessa who raised hers in kind, but didn’t drink.
“I’d be more than happy to feel him out for you, Anja,” she offered, an eager light coming into her pretty, blue eyes.
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Knock yourself out. Maggie’s got his number. You can tell him you’re my envoy or something, if you need an excuse to chat him up, that is.”
“I might have to do that. A girl can’t work all the time, can she?”
“Speaking of which – what’s the scuttlebutt around the Order HQ about me coming to power? Are they freaked out or okay with it?”
Jenessa set her mug down, lacing her fingers together in thought before she replied. “There is definitely a watch and wait attitude going around. I heard Frost say it could be a positive thing, so that’s encouraging. I know many of them are scared though. They know how you feel about the Order’s policies. And Stone said something about getting in good with you to keep you from banishing the Order from the West.”
“Could I even do that? I thought the Order wasn’t subject to my rule.”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “It was office chit chat. I’ve no idea if there’s any truth to it or if Rome would rain destruction on your head for even breathing it aloud.”
Not a pretty picture. “Right. And thereby ends the topic of banishing the Order from our lands for the foreseeable future. Besides, I don’t want to banish them, I just want to tone down the death toll. Do you think we stand a chance of all getting along together?”
“You’ve come this far. I’m betting on you to pull it off,” Rob winked.
“From your lips…” I smiled, distracted then by the sight of them twitching into an almost smile and I lost my train of thought. Was it getting warm in here? Maybe I just needed to hunt.
I excused myself to go run some cool water over my wrists, pressing a wet paper towel to the back of my neck when that didn’t help much. I felt Rob approach a split-second before he appeared beside me in the mirror.
“You need to feed.”
I met his eyes in the mirror, wondering how it was he could always tell. “I know.”
His gaze slid away from mine, jaw tightening before he gave a single nod. “Jenessa’s gone on her way. I’ll take you.”
He didn’t sound all that happy about it, and I could imagine why. I wouldn’t want to watch the woman I love get all grindy over her dinner choice either. Suddenly it seemed like the worst idea in the world for him to be the one to take me. I didn’t even really need him to. My control had gotten much better, and I didn’t anticipate any problems in finding a suitable subject.
“You don’t have to. Gunnar can come with me if you think I need someone watching over me, or I can go another night.”
“No, it’s fine. You need to keep your strength up. Just… watch who you choose then, yeah? Pick someone who’ll give you as much as you need.”
“Are you offering?” My mouth went dry at the question, fangs descending the tiniest bit at the idea. His body swayed toward me, telling me he wasn’t immune to the idea either, but his voice was controlled when he spoke.
“I can’t give you what you need.”
“That’s debatable.”
“It’s really not.” Rob stepped out of the bathroom, refusing to look up at me again. “Come on then, you’d better get going before all the people have gone off the streets for the night.”
Grateful I wouldn’t have to take my whole security staff with me, I threw on
Rob gave the barest of shrugs. “I haven’t heard much dirt on him. You’ll have to form your own opinion of the man. Apart from his charms.” He raised his mug to Jenessa who raised hers in kind, but didn’t drink.
“I’d be more than happy to feel him out for you, Anja,” she offered, an eager light coming into her pretty, blue eyes.
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Knock yourself out. Maggie’s got his number. You can tell him you’re my envoy or something, if you need an excuse to chat him up, that is.”
“I might have to do that. A girl can’t work all the time, can she?”
“Speaking of which – what’s the scuttlebutt around the Order HQ about me coming to power? Are they freaked out or okay with it?”
Jenessa set her mug down, lacing her fingers together in thought before she replied. “There is definitely a watch and wait attitude going around. I heard Frost say it could be a positive thing, so that’s encouraging. I know many of them are scared though. They know how you feel about the Order’s policies. And Stone said something about getting in good with you to keep you from banishing the Order from the West.”
“Could I even do that? I thought the Order wasn’t subject to my rule.”
“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “It was office chit chat. I’ve no idea if there’s any truth to it or if Rome would rain destruction on your head for even breathing it aloud.”
Not a pretty picture. “Right. And thereby ends the topic of banishing the Order from our lands for the foreseeable future. Besides, I don’t want to banish them, I just want to tone down the death toll. Do you think we stand a chance of all getting along together?”
“You’ve come this far. I’m betting on you to pull it off,” Rob winked.
“From your lips…” I smiled, distracted then by the sight of them twitching into an almost smile and I lost my train of thought. Was it getting warm in here? Maybe I just needed to hunt.
I excused myself to go run some cool water over my wrists, pressing a wet paper towel to the back of my neck when that didn’t help much. I felt Rob approach a split-second before he appeared beside me in the mirror.
“You need to feed.”
I met his eyes in the mirror, wondering how it was he could always tell. “I know.”
His gaze slid away from mine, jaw tightening before he gave a single nod. “Jenessa’s gone on her way. I’ll take you.”
He didn’t sound all that happy about it, and I could imagine why. I wouldn’t want to watch the woman I love get all grindy over her dinner choice either. Suddenly it seemed like the worst idea in the world for him to be the one to take me. I didn’t even really need him to. My control had gotten much better, and I didn’t anticipate any problems in finding a suitable subject.
“You don’t have to. Gunnar can come with me if you think I need someone watching over me, or I can go another night.”
“No, it’s fine. You need to keep your strength up. Just… watch who you choose then, yeah? Pick someone who’ll give you as much as you need.”
“Are you offering?” My mouth went dry at the question, fangs descending the tiniest bit at the idea. His body swayed toward me, telling me he wasn’t immune to the idea either, but his voice was controlled when he spoke.
“I can’t give you what you need.”
“That’s debatable.”
“It’s really not.” Rob stepped out of the bathroom, refusing to look up at me again. “Come on then, you’d better get going before all the people have gone off the streets for the night.”
Grateful I wouldn’t have to take my whole security staff with me, I threw on
Similar Books
