Page 25 of Never Run from an Immortal

He put his foot to the floor, the force of their acceleration throwing Rae back in her seat, a grin spreading across her face that he caught out of the corner of his eye. Aidan pressed down on the accelerator a little harder, fighting a smile.

“I don’t have a driver because I enjoy driving,” he told her. She was attempting to hide her elation, but it fell from her in waves, pressing against his skin. Aidan did his best to ignore it. “How did we meet? How long have we been seeing each other? How does a human become an Odalik? All questions we’re going to be asked tonight, and it’s going to be much, much easier if you let me in.”

A sigh. “Do you let people intoyourhead, Vampire?”

“Only by invitation. I have to initiate contact.”

“Well, that’s not going to work, is it? What if I’m in trouble?” Rae placed a palm over her heart, the back of her other hand against her forehead, her voice light and teasing.

Aidan could compromise. If he couldn’t get into her head without permission, and it pained him to accept he couldn’t—not without shattering her mind; not without tearing every piece of charmed jewellery from her body first—he was confident none of his other Providents could. He threw the car into a corner without letting off the accelerator, and Rae reached for the handrail above her, her delight spiking higher.

“Fine. It goes both ways. I can live with that,” he admitted.

“You’re only nice when you want something, you know.”

He said nothing but peeled back the smallest sliver of his mind, a space just for Rae. He knew it was pointless. She wasn’t going to agree, and all he could hope was that the otherProvidents didn’t notice his real reason for making her his Odalik. None of them would question his desire for a walking feedbag because that was how most Vampires saw humans, and no doubt the reason Rae hated his kind.

She was watching the city whirl by, and he wondered if it was the first time she’d been in a car. They were a common sight in Demesia, but only owned by the very wealthy. Vampires, mostly, in the city, because the roads were better in Demesia than anywhere else in Mazyr, and she didn’t seem like the type to willingly get into a vehicle with one of his kind. Which meant she truly did need what she’d asked for—money and protection. All for Omnia.

Aidan’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel at the thought. He’d tasked Baelin and his team with Omnia as a priority, seeking out each member to take them down one by one as soon as he gave the command. Something told Aidan he was going to need all the leverage he could get with Rae. All of this had been too easy, but he hadn’t figured out what she wanted yet, or what she truly stood to gain.

She was silent beside him, eyes on the city as it blurred outside the window, the streetlights casting flickering shadows over the exposed skin of her thigh. She was a means to an end, and there was only one way Aidan could see this ending. That he had to repeat that thought to himself as the slit of her dress slid higher, he chose to ignore.

Baelin had let the other council members know they were running late, but Aidan already knew as they neared the restaurant, his PAD buzzing relentlessly in his pocket, that it was Lia calling him and considered what he should tell Rae about the other Provident. Lia would no doubt try to cause a scene. Sysmus too.

Rae had said it was the ISA working with Torrin to carry out their tests, but Aidan didn’t believe it. She hadn’t seemed to,either, and had only let a pulse of disappointment taint the air around her when they’d discussed it briefly earlier.

He pulled up outside Cosia, the soft lights illuminating Rae’s face as she looked out over the docks.

“Pretend we’re into each other, don’t get eaten. Any other instructions for me?” She adjusted her silver bangles, and he wondered what spells she’d enchanted them with. They were different from the ones he’d seen her wearing before; most were very fine, some twisting, some were several pieces fused together, all her own creations, and he found himself admiring the artistry of them.

“Don’t take those off,” he said, flicking his chin at her wrist as she reached for the door and the lock flicked up beneath her touch.

“No problem, Vam—Vale.”

“You might actually have to call me by my name tonight.”

Rae made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a scoff. “Absolutely not. It’ll be our cute couple’s quirk. Farren and Vale. We sound like a bad detective duo.” She clapped her hands together and shot him a smile, eyes sparkling. “You can make up the rest.”

She didn’t wait for his response, she was already leaving the vehicle, and Aidan swore under his breath as he exited the car to join her.

Cosia belonged to Sysmus. The grovelling bastard had practically begged for the dinner to be held there, Baelin had told Aidan earlier. Rae made an approving noise as she took in the venue, and he slid an arm around her waist and paused. “I might need to do more than just put an arm around you tonight.”

“You old romantic, you.” She looked up at him and winked. “Are you asking for my consent?”

Aidan held her stare as he waited. The slightest blush crept into her cheeks, and she dipped her chin an almost imperceptible amount.

A steward opened the doors, but Aidan ignored them as he positioned Rae in front of him, his body flush against hers, one hand splaying possessively across her ribs. If they were going to sell this, he needed to treat her like a Vampire Odalik, and that meant putting her first in every part of the night ahead. He’d had her round ass pressed up against him back in the cell, but now the backs of her thick thighs pressed against his, her full figure soft and warm beneath his touch.

“That had better not be your dick, Vale,” she murmured over her shoulder, her chin tilting up so her gaze met his. The corner of her mouth quirked as if she were fighting back a smile, and her pulse ticked in her throat. He answered by wrapping her hair around his fist in silent warning, easing her head back an inch further. Rae didn’t resist, and he saw the challenge in her eyes, the opportunity to screw this up before they’d even set foot inside the venue.

The steward cleared her throat at the door.

“Just a little harmless role play,” Rae explained without taking her eyes off Aidan. “He lets me pretend I’m the one with all the power and then I let him fuck me senseless. Win-win.”

The steward paled as she disappeared through the doors, babbling over her intention to announce their arrival, and Aidan forced down his rising temper as Rae eased her hair from his fist, a smile tugging at her lips.

“What? That’s what they all want to hear, isn’t it? Now she’ll go and tell her colleagues and they’ll all tell their bosses, and your entire council will know in about three seconds how great our sex life is.” She smoothed her hair but didn’t step away from him, and he knew she was going to be pushing his buttons all fucking night.

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