Page 91 of Of Flame and Fate
“So you thought he was reacting to Celia and Aric’s relationship,” I determine.
“Exactly. We dismissed it as smoke that would eventually clear. We never thought it would become this.” He gives me the side-eye. “Are you certain the leeches were telling the truth?”
I can’t sniff a lie, that doesn’t mean I can’t pick up on one. “I don’t see why they’d lie, aside from trying to screw with me. But the info I received was pretty detailed. Like I mentioned, he apparently took his time searching for the one.”
My fingers draw invisible circles along his jeans when I catch the concern spreading along his features. “What’s the big deal? I’d think you’d be happy, or at least happy he’s moving on and giving up on Celia.”
“What do you know about the woman?”
His question surprises me. “Nothing,” I admit. “Just that there is one and he’s set on marrying her. I’ll be honest, I can’t see Misha settling down.”
“Babe,” I press when he doesn’t appear to settle. “Why do you care who he’s with?”
“Because Misha never does anything without getting something in return.” He stops a few feet from the gates leading in, using the last few moments of privacy to further elaborate. “As a master, he could impregnate a female if he willed it to happen.”
This is yet another WTF moment. “He canwillhis sperm to procreate?”
“Yes,” Gemini answers, as if sperm-commanding was the most natural thing in the world. “For a long time, there were rumors that he and Ileana Vodianova had made an agreement to conceive. Do you remember her?”
As the most powerful she-vamp in the world, Ileana is a little hard to forget. She’s stunning, the kind of woman you don’t want to take your eyes off and not simply because of her beauty. She’s as lethal as her perfect smile and could probably kill me with it.
“I take it she can order her eggs to accept the sperm?” He nods. Of course she can. “But they didn’t, right? I mean, I would have remembered that birth announcement.”
“No, and for that we’re grateful.” He huffs. “Nothing good would have come from that union.”
If I’m being honest, I like Misha. He was there for Celia when death came knocking and she threw open the door. Still, I’m not stupid to think he’s innocent or that he doesn’t have an agenda. Being good to Celia doesn’t necessarily make him a good guy.
Gemini quiets, not wanting to say more, at least not in front of Johnny. “Anyway,” I continue. “After Uri was attacked, he didn’t want to take any chances with his girlfriend’s safety and returned to Transylvania intent on bringing her back to the compound.”
“Is she human?” he asks me.
“I didn’t ask,” I admit. “Although I probably should have. Mostly, I was too shocked by the news.” I shrug. “I guess I’ll find out in a few hours.”
“You’re staying?” Johnny asks, perking up.
“You’restaying?” Gemini asks, growling. It’s not really a question, more like an annoyed statement.
“Just long enough to get you settled and meet Misha’s lady friend,” I tell Johnny, keeping my attention on Gemini. I stroke his shoulder. “I promise, it’ll just be you and me tonight.”
Every now and then, I piss off my wolf to the point that my gentle touches and soothing voice do jack shit. This is one of those moments. My wolf isnotpleased.
“I thought you’d be happy.” He looks at me, knowing I’m lying. “All right, perhaps happy is too strong a word. Just look at it this way, I’ll get the goods on the future missus. If there’s anything crazy or creepy going on, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Can’t the wolves stay, too?” Johnny asks. “We can all party with the vampires.”
“What?” he asks when Gemini snarls a curse and Bren all but laughs in his face.
“We’re not there to party,” I tell him. “And trust me when I say it’s not in anyone’s best interest to have the wolves hang with Misha’s undead peeps.” I don’t add that I’m also tired of scrubbing fur and vamp blood off my cute clothes. Poor guy is freaked out enough.
Gemini eases off the brake, stopping directly in front of the wrought iron gates. A deep voice booms from the closest gargoyle head. “Who dares invade the House of Aleksandr!”
Gemini rolls his eyes. “Just open the damn gates, Hank,” I call out, knowing he can hear me through the glass.
“Fine,” he grumbles.
Gemini barrels down the wide slate driveway the moment the gates part. I do a double-take when I find Johnny cowering in the corner, clutching the arm rest. “Don’t do that,” I tell him.
He glances from side to side. “I’m not doing anything.”