"I can't just…" I found my voice and glanced up at Ethan. "I can't just sit around trapped in this house away from the world. It would be like prison."
"A beautiful prison." Ethan smiled.
I chose not to smile back. I didn't want to encourage him or encourage my body to lean any closer to his. His body was like a magnet, even if I fought against the pull — I still couldn't help it. I found myself inching my chair closer. When it scraped against the floor, everyone smirked but Ethan.
He seemed angry.
Angry, yet he'd been the one to do that to me.
"I don't care," I said, ignoring the thumping of my heart in my chest and the fact that the closer I got to him the more it raced. "I can't just sit around here being worthless."
"You won't," Stephanie piped up. "Your life will be relatively normal. Ethan can even get you a job if you want… close by… so he can keep an eye on you, of course."
"A job?"
"Work," Ethan said slowly. "Isn't that what humans live for? A divine purpose? Though, if you'd rather stay here and cook and clean, you won't get any complaints."
"A job would be nice." Anything to get me out of the house or compound.
"Fantastic," Ethan said, his teeth snapping together.
I had a sinking feeling it was anything but fantastic, but I wasn't about to bend over backward and let him make yet another decision for me — regardless of how much I wanted to launch myself at him and never let go.
It was the bond.
Nothing more.
And that really sucked if you asked me, because someone like Ethan… well, he was the type of man, person, being that you wanted to want you. Not just because he had no choice, but because he couldn't imagine existing any other way.
Ashamed of my thoughts — or maybe just embarrassed — I returned to my stare-down with the kitchen table.
"Drystan owns a book shop," Stephanie suggested. "When Genesis isn't with us fighting crime, she can go there. God knows she'll need to get away from Ethan in order to have some breathing room."
Ethan rolled his eyes.
"Drystan?" I repeated. "He's immortal too?"
"Ancient." Mason nodded. "Another werewolf obsessed with books. It should be a good arrangement."
"Arrangement," I tested the word. "And when I'm not at the book shop?"
The others fell silent while Ethan reached across the table and grabbed my hand. My skin buzzed to life at his touch. "I teach you everything you need to know about us… about your job, about the humans' place with us… and I take you to your first Gathering."
"Like a party?" I gripped his hand tighter, pulling strength from him that I didn't know I needed but lusted for, nonetheless.
"Yes." He shrugged. "In fact, if you're up to it, we can introduce you this evening."
"Oh." Waves of pleasure washed over me as he released my hand; his fingertips dancing along the pulse in my wrist. "I think I can probably manage that."
"The others will love to meet you," Stephanie encouraged, placing her hands on my shoulders.
"How many others are we talking here?" I squinted. "In my studies it said that the oldest leaders… you guys…"
Alex choked on his laugh.
"…only number in the hundreds."
The laughter died, amusement gone from Alex's eyes.
"Four of us," Ethan answered. "There are four Elders left, and Cassius makes five. The rest are relatively younger, but they number in the thousands."
"For just Seattle?" I squeaked out.
"Of course." Ethan rolled his eyes and released my hand. The temperature in the room dipped. My hand itched to reach back and grasp his. "Immortals are able to live in society, you know. Most of us either have a job in the real world or have had in the past until it began to bore us."
"Weird, I was always told you kept to yourselves."
"We aren't good at keeping to ourselves, just like we aren't good with sharing." Alex grinned. "Isn't that right, Ethan?"
Ethan growled while Alex walked around the table and held out his hand. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you truly are? It's extraordinary… the color of your hair, the light of your eyes, the—"
Ethan kicked Alex in the back of the legs, sending him colliding into Stephanie. His laughter was the only thing that made me think that Ethan wasn't going to kill him, since his eyes had gone completely black.
"Need more blood?" Alex asked in a soothing tone. "Don't want you accidentally attacking your mate tonight in front of God and everyone."
My gut clenched. "Do you, um, take my blood?"
"Please." Alex laughed. "Like Ethan would… he's been celibate from blood for over a hundred years."
"Until now," I whispered.
Ethan looked away, his eyes getting blacker, if that was even possible. "Until I tasted you."
A small part of me hoped I tasted good to him.
Oh you do, came Alex's voice in my head. Like pure sin.
I felt my cheeks heat.
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Stephanie, help Genesis get ready for this evening… keep her occupied while I go meet with Cassius."
"What?" I yelled. "You're going to meet with him? After what happened? After going to all this trouble to protect me?"
"Hear that?" Alex cupped his ear. "Her blood roars for you, Ethan."
Ethan seemed to focus on my mouth as his fangs descended over his bottom lip. Holy crap, was he going to bite me again? My breathing slowed.
His eyes went from black to green then back to black again as he cupped the back of my head and brought me close, his teeth grazing my neck.
With a hiss, he pushed me away, almost hard enough for my chair to topple backward if Stephanie hadn't caught it with her hands.
"Go," he said in a hoarse voice, "before I drain her."
I didn't need to be told twice that it was dangerous just being next to him. I bolted from my seat, ready to protect myself, if need be, when Mason moved to stand in front of me, bumping against Ethan's chest. "Not necessary to scare her shitless, vampire."
Ethan looked over Mason's shoulder, his body calling to mine, singing, beckoning, even though he was dangerous, even though he'd just threatened me, I wanted to push Mason out of the way more than I wanted air.
"Take care of her," Ethan barked. "I won't be long."
"Stay alive," Alex said in a cheerful voice. "And do tell Cassius hello."
Stephanie put a protective arm around me and whispered in my ear. "It will get better, you know. He's just angry and confused."
"And I'm not?" I wrapped my arms around myself. "This morning I woke up, and the only thing on my mind was if I wanted eggs for breakfast or a protein shake."
"And now," Alex offered with a slight shrug, "you get to worry about two immortals wanting your blood. No big, right?"
"Is that you trying to make me feel better?"
"No…" He smiled. "But this is." His blue eyes lit up just as Mason shoved him out of the way and Stephanie began tugging me back up the stairs.