Page 57 of B Negative
Twenty
My research had gonefrom low key perusing to color coordinating highlighters and pens. Anything that might be useful with the witch situation, I jotted down, along with anything useful and informative about life as a supe.
It wasn’t until well after one pm that B and Sherrie woke up. Sherrie hurried off to her place with a promise to return as soon as she could, leaving B looking dreamy-eyed and far away.
“Focus, B,” Sunny said as she caught him up on the witch sitch. “Get your head in the game.”
He shook his head, trying to clear the fog from his gaze. “I’m sorry, guys. I just never thought that I’d be mated. To anyone, really, let alone a gorgeous, smart, refined Cypress City vampire.”
“So you two are mates?” I asked.
He nodded. “We went through all the stages last night.”
“All of them?” I asked. “I thought it was important to wait between each stage or else it might not set properly.”
Sunny and B shared one of those glances that said they knew something I didn’t and that I was about to get upset about it. “What? What don’t I know?”
“It’s likely the king told you that to give you time to come to terms with your new life,” Sunny said.
I wanted to be angry about it.
I really did. My jaw even set itself in preparation.
But I just couldn’t find the fire. Couldn’t make myself be upset over Julian wanting to give me space to accept a new life. Would I have appreciated it more if he’d said as much? If he told me we could go as fast or as slow as I wanted? Yes. Definitely.
But I was beginning to see, as much as his attempts to make me comfortable and safe weren’t great, his head and heart were in the right place.
Just then, my phone rang, the tone the unmistakable sound of a video call. I snagged it, heart stopping when I saw Julian’s name across my screen.
“Um, can you guys gimme a sec,” I asked, not wanting to risk the living area in case any parts of our conversation were picked up by passersby.
Sunny and B shuffled out, both grinning, and I swiped to answer but not before putting the phone at my most flattering angle.
“Hi,” I said, aiming for neutral but ending up way closer to excited than I wanted.
God, his face on my screen was exactly what I didn’t know I needed. I felt myself relax fully for the first time in hours and sank way back into the cloud chair.
“Eden, you look…” he paused and my mind toyed with all the words he might say. Divine. Ravishing. Gorgeous. Hell, I’d go for fuckable. “You look well.”
Dick.
“Thanks,” I said, not meaning it in the least.
“I’m calling because…” he trailed off, looking uncomfortable as he did.
Was he trying to—
“This isn’t easy for me,” he started.
“What’s not easy?” I asked, rounding my eyes and pitching my voice higher.
He leaned closer to the phone. “I am a king, Eden.”
“I’m well aware.”
“It is not in my nature to apologize. To do so is a sign of weakness, and I was taught never to show weakness.”
“OK. Talk to you later then.” I gave it a beat and then went to end the call.