Page 126 of Rescued By the Beast
My jaw locks.
"Fine," I hiss, holding back the anger and frustration that threaten to overflow. "Meet me at the office in ten minutes."
"I'm coming with you," Sandra says.
I start to shake my head, about to say that it's dangerous, that I don't want to put her at risk, but she cuts me off before I even open my mouth.
"I want to look into the eyes of the person who cursed me, Mark. I want to face that witch. Whether as a woman or a cat, I'm going."
The determination in her eyes is overwhelming. She is a force of nature, so perfect in her essence, and I find myself completely surrendered.
I am incapable of denying my female anything; she has me in her little claws.
"Okay, we'll go together."
Chapter 35
Sandra
I go upstairs to get dressed, grabbing a green dress from the wardrobe and a pair of knee-high boots. As soon as I come downstairs, I find Mark waiting for me at the door. He hands me a thermal cup, and I take a sip without hesitation.
"Mmm..." I moan, closing my eyes for a moment. "How I've missed a good strong coffee in the morning!"
Mark stares at me with a frown. It's not irritation with me; I've already learned that I never need to be afraid of him.
But something is bothering him.
"Damn, Kitten, I'm sorry. You went too long without real food. I tried to prepare the best I could when you were a cat, but I couldn't use seasonings or risk harming you."
I stand on tiptoe and seal his mouth with a kiss.
"You were perfect for me, Mark. It wasn't your fault. To be honest, I never ate as well as I did here, even when I was stuck in cat form."
"I find that hard to believe..." He lets out a sigh, but his eyes soften. "I'll make it up to you right now, I'll take you out for a fancy breakfast.
"No need, people are already waiting for us. Just coffee is fine."
"I'm the boss, love. They can wait."
In the end, I manage to convince him to stop ata drive-thru, and we eat in the car. By the time we arrive at the company, thirty minutes have passed since we left home. Maybe I should feel guilty for making him late, but theegg cheese baconwas too good for that...
I walk alongside Mark through the company, hand in hand, and we are greeted by curious and surprised looks from the employees as we pass by. I am slightly embarrassed by the attention we are attracting, but when I look at Mark's face, I see an expression of pride, as if he were introducing me to the world with quiet satisfaction.
I can't help but smile foolishly and snuggle closer to him.
When we reach the third floor and stop in front of the meeting room, Mark interlaces his fingers with mine in a firm, possessive gesture. As soon as the door opens, the muffled conversations cease immediately, and all eyes turn to us.
Ted, Balthazar, and Jack are seated around the table, but it is Viklaus who catches my attention. He stands apart, a discreet shadow in the corner of the room. I don't know if it's the environment or if it's him, but something seems different. He is even paler than usual, even for a vampire. There are dark circles under his eyes, as if he hasn't slept in days.
Mark takes a few steps towards the vampire, leading me along by keeping our fingers intertwined. I silently observe the exchange of glances between the two. On Mark's face, a trace of concern is masked beneath his relentless façade.
"How are you?"
Viklaus doesn't answer right away. His gaze pierces Mark, his dark eyebrows rising slightly.
"I should be asking you that, Mark." His voice sounds impassive, as always, but something in his red eyes betrays a slight glimmer of vulnerability. "I'm sorry for..."
"No." Mark shakes his head, interrupting him firmly. "No need to apologise, I just want to know if you're alright, Vi."
