Page 109 of Soul Sucker

“But what were they? And if you really shapeshift into a chicken or some kind of bird, why wasn’t the wolf pack salivating at the thought of eating you up?”

“I have no idea.”

Ella wrapped a towel around her waist. “You are impossible.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“We’re supposed to be mated.”

“I thought you didn’t believe that was true.”

“Oh shut up.” Ella flounced out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. She wasn’t going to get dressed again. Pink bunny pajamas would do fine. She waited until the shower shut off and dragged a comb through her hair before returning to the kitchen.

Vadim appeared with a towel wrapped around his hips and nothing else. Ella nearly swallowed her tongue. He pointed at a pile of paper on the countertop.

“I picked up your mail.”

“Thank you.” She didn’t bother to ask him how or when he’d managed that. She wasn’t talking to him more than was absolutely necessary. To have something to do she pulled the pile toward her and began to sort through, keeping all the take-out menus and chucking the coupons and unsolicited credit card offers in the trash. Her hand stilled over a familiar brown envelope from Otherworld.

“Shall I make some coffee?” Vadim inquired.

She stared at the envelope. “Herbal tea would be better.”

“Do you have some?”

“Sure, it’s behind the bag of coffee.”

“It’s out of date.”

“It’s a bag of dried leaves! It won’t kill you.” She opened the envelope and studied the single sheet.

“Anything important?”

“Just a reminder to return my letter accepting or declining my OCOS mate.”

Vadim put two mugs on the countertop. “You haven’t done that yet?”

“Shutup! I’ll do it when I feel like it.”

“But it is already, as you might say, a done deal.”

“I know that.” She put the letter down. “Why are you so worried?”

He returned his attention to the mugs and filled them with water before putting them in the microwave to heat. “I’m not.” His smile was full of sensual satisfaction. “Do you want to take this to bed or have it out here?”

In answer, she pointed at the bedroom. He picked up the two mugs, added the tea bags, and went ahead of her, only to stop short at the door.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Rossa. Not now.”

She peered around him and saw the angelic looking blond Fae lounging naked on her bed again.

Rossa nodded at Vadim. “Making progress, I see. She’s letting you sleep in here instead of on the couch.”

“No, I’m just bringing her tea through so we can talk before we go to bed.”

Rossa winked at Ella. “He’s such a liar, isn’t he? It’s no wonder he got into so much trouble in Otherworld.” She glanced up at Vadim, whose expression was uncompromisingly blank.

“What exactly did he do?”

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