Page 49 of A Vampire Bewitched
Speaking of which, this brought her back to her original inquiry. “Wouldhe kill me, Aiden? Like he did Eliana?”
“I don’t think there’s much of a chance of that,” Aiden hedged. “Vampires are extremely territorial and protective over anything, or anyone, they consider theirs. I believe that protective trait will keep him from letting anyone harm you, including himself, although he may need some convincing. Eliana was unfortunate. However, though he cared a great deal for her, she wasn’t his mate.”
Lowering his voice, he confided, “Personally, between you and me, I think there was something a bit off with that female. That whole thing seemed a bit dodgy to me. I think there’s more to that story than any of us know, including Nik.”
The bedroom door suddenly flew open. It crashed into the opposite wall and was left hanging askew on its hinges.
Emma jumped up guiltily from the couch, coming face to face with over two hundred and forty pounds of thoroughly enraged vampire standing in the doorway, wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his narrow waist.
Chapter 26
Too alarmed to appreciate the view of Nikulas’ naked torso, Emma anxiously racked her brain to come up with an excuse for her and Aiden to be in there with the door closed. “We’re not…this isn’t what it looks like!”
Aiden, on the other hand, did not appear to be intimidated. “Nikulas! Just the leech we wanted to see! We need to have a quick life and death chat with you, mate. It will just take a second. Why don’t you come sit with us?” He patted the cushion Emma had abandoned.
Fists clenched at his sides and fangs bared, Nik growled, “Get away from her, Aiden.”
Aiden smirked at Emma. “See what I mean? A complete arse. If it were anyone else but me, there’s no doubt I’d be learning I can’t fly by now.”
Nik stalked further into the room, his eyes never wavering from Emma. “Leave us,” he snarled in Aiden’s direction.
One side of Aiden’s mouth twisted as he contemplated the ceiling. “I think you owe me an apology first.” Crossing his legs, he swung one foot up and down. “And I won’t be leaving until I get it.”
As Nik’s fury reached the eye-glowing level, Aiden’s foot stilled. He yawned, then slowly stood up and stretched his back. With a wink and a, “I’ll see you in a few, poppet”, he casually sauntered through the busted doorway.
Emma watched him in disbelief. She couldn’t believe it. The loon was leaving her here alone with a growling, enraged vampire.
She scowled at Aiden’s retreating back. Or maybe she could. Ignoring her pounding pulse, she tried not to sound as nervous as she felt. “We were just talking, Nikulas.”
“Talking,” he sneered. Taking several deep breaths, he lowered his voice. “You are to stay away from him, do you understand?”
Now he was just being ridiculous. They’d only been talking. “He’s your best friend!”
“He’s also a notorious womanizer,” he gritted through his teeth. “And I don’t want you anywhere near him when I’m not around.”
“You’re being ridiculous, he—” Before she could finish what she was saying, he was around the couch and all up in her personal space.
“I said, STAY AWAY FROM HIM!” he bellowed inches from her face.
Nervousness forgotten, she shoved at his bare chest with both hands. “Back off, blood sucker! I’m dealing with enough here without having to deal with your irrational jealousy! In the last 48 hours, I’ve been told I’m a witch, told there are such things as vampires, kissed senseless, given my first orgasm, dragged from my home, and brought on a recon mission to rescue my sister from some deranged, immortal, sadistic bitch. I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I’ve had just about ENOUGH out of you!” She shoved him again. It was like hitting a stone wall, so she stomped around him. “I’m going to get something to eat, and then we’re leaving to go get my sister, because I want to GO HOME!” Abruptly coming to a halt, she turned to him again and shoved her finger in his face. “YOU are not to speak to me again until you can stop yelling.”
Leaving him standing there slack-jawed, she flounced out of the room to go make something to eat, only to find Aiden sitting at the bar, beaming at her.
As long as she was at it… “And you! There’s something seriously wrong with you, do you know that?” She waved her hands at him. “Other than the whole being a vampire thing.”
As she stomped angrily around the kitchen to make a peanut butter sandwich, Aiden looked down at his shirt front. “What ever do you mean? There’s nothing wrong with me.”
A few minutes later, Nik—dried off and fully dressed—wandered out of his bedroom to come and sit next to Aiden at the bar. With a sheepish look at Emma, he told them, “Sorry about all the yelling, and for being such an asshole lately. I’m not sure where all that’s coming from.”
Emma shot daggers his way, while Aiden sought to make amends. “No worries, mate. And I apologize for clocking you in the head earlier.” Giving each other a masculine, one-armed hug and pat on the back, all appeared to be forgiven. “Get yourself a bag, you’ll feel better.”
Nik got up from his stool and cautiously sidled around Emma, giving her a wide berth. She glared at him out of the corner of her eye and slapped her bread together.
Aiden frowned at her and pointed with his chin toward Nik, silently beseeching her to follow suit.
In response, she narrowed her eyes at him and savagely ripped off a bite of her sandwich with her teeth.
His eyes widened, but then he smiled at her warmly. Lord only knew what was going on in that crazy head of his.
