Page 4 of Their Crowned Mate
I could tell my words had struck a nerve from the way his jaw clenched, but he held back. "Is that why your vampire went MIA?"
Guess it was only fair to trade one gut punch for another. But before I could respond, his gaze softened and his hand twitched at his side like he wanted to reach out before he thought better of it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
"No," I murmured. "It's true. But no matter where Alexander stands, Cole and Marcus are with me. Always."
"Maybe so," he conceded. "I hope that's true. You deserve it."
Now I was the one at a loss for words. I had never expected Aurelius to say anything like that.
"I should go check on the others," he said after an awkward pause, standing. "When you're ready, just come downstairs and we'll go."
I nodded, staring at the door long after it fell shut. I still didn't know what to make of Aurelius, but it was becoming increasingly clear that I still didn't have him figured out. Not completely.
Damon and Jax were in the kitchen by the time I finally showered, got dressed, and made my way downstairs with the duffel bag I had packed for the trip, even though I hadn't exactly expected it to be overnight.
"Ah, there she is," Damon said cheerfully, as if he hadn't just been a part of the group that had floated the idea to keep me against my will. "Hungry?"
I eyed the skillet he was cooking on the stove, and the scent of sizzling eggs and sweet bell peppers made my stomach growl. It was always a tossup what my body's reaction to the scent of food would be these days. "We should really get on the road."
"Come on. Sounds like you ate an angry bear," Damon protested, getting a stack of plates out of the cabinet.
I knew he was the chef of the group, but I couldn't help but be skeptical that he was making breakfast because I was there, which immediately put me on edge that he had something up his sleeve. I didn't like thinking that way about him—even if he had rejected me—because poisoning my food just seemed a bridge too far, but I couldn't help it.
"I'm not really that hungry," I lied.
"We both know that's not true," Damon said, scooping a heaping pile of steaming eggs and vegetables onto one of the plates and practically shoving it into my hands. "Sit. Eat."
Aurelius was nowhere to be seen, so I reluctantly took a seat at the counter as far from Jax as possible. He was already eating in silence. For a shifter, he'd mastered the brooding thing better than any vampire.
"I have to say, I'm a little surprised you're still here," Jax said finally, his words dripping with disdain. "I thought for sure you would have taken off in the middle of the night."
I rolled my eyes, having to fight not to dig into the food on the plate in front of me, at least until Damon had taken a bite of his own. And I was going to make sure it was from the same eggs he'd given me. I knew I was being paranoid, but could I really be blamed, all things considered?
"I thought about it," I admitted. "But then I realized there's no point."
He scoffed. "Oh?"
"Because even if you guys are complete idiots and you try something like keeping me here against my will, it's not like you'd succeed," I reasoned, giving them both a pointed look. "And my deadbeat 'father' would be the least of your concerns if that happened."
Jax snorted a laugh, taking a swig of his orange juice.
Damon heaved a sigh before turning off the stove and settling on the stool across the counter. "Come on, Lavinia. We're in an awkward position here. You can't deny that."
"I won't," I said with a shrug. "But it still doesn't have anything to do with me."
He scowled, and I could tell he wanted to say something more, but his gaze traveled down to my untouched place. "What, you think it's poison?" he asked dryly. When I didn't answer, he rolled his eyes and took a heaping forkful off my plate before shoveling it into his mouth. "There. Happy?"
I hesitated, because Iwasstarving. I'd hardly been able to hold anything down the day before because of my nerves, and after a night of restless sleep, I was even hungrier. I finally took a bite of my eggs and realized they tasted fine. They smelled fine, too, so maybe I was being a little bit paranoid.
"I'm not happy," I said, "but I'll eat."
He shrugged and went back to his own food, and the three of us ate in silence. It was an uncomfortable silence, but it was still better than the alternative. At least this way we could all pretend like nothing was wrong. And if all went well, I wouldn't have to see either of them again for a long time. Maybe ever.
The fact that I actually felt a twinge of sadness at the thought made me feel like the fool I probably was for still harboring anything other than malice toward these two.
I looked around when I'd finished half my plate since Aurelius still hadn't materialized. "Where is Aurelius?" I finally asked when I realized he might not show up at all. "He said to meet him downstairs and he'd take me home."
They exchanged a look.
