Page 136 of Craving Carla

She looks at me with those big, vulnerable eyes, and something shifts inside me. Before she can respond, I pull thedamp cloth from her forehead and stand from the bed. I drop it in the hamper, then head downstairs to the kitchen.

I make her a bowl of fresh fruit, slicing apples, strawberries, and bananas, and adding some grapes for good measure. I fill a tall glass with ice water, then glance at the refrigerator, knowing there’s a gallon of blood inside that I should drink from. My throat burns at the thought, but I close the fridge without taking it. Carla needs me more than I need to feed right now.

I make my way back upstairs to where she’s waiting for me in bed. I sit down and place the food in front of her, then begin to play with her hair as she eats, twirling the curls around my fingers.

“So it’s a waiting game,” I say, watching as she takes a bite of fruit.

She chews thoughtfully, then looks up at me. “Are you disappointed? That you got a broken mate like this?”

I laugh, genuinely amused by her question. “What’s broken about you?”

I shift on the bed, turning to face her more directly. “I think what Tabatha means by ‘the veil won’t lift until you’re ready’ is that you aren’t sure of yourself yet.”

Her eyes meet mine, curious and wary at the same time.

“That worthless human at the restaurant was ready to strike you,” I remind her, the memory burning fresh in my mind.

Carla stares at her bowl for a moment, then looks back at me.

“You’re a Blackwood witch,” I continue, my voice hardening. “You should have melted his fucking hand for even raising it.”

She blinks, startled by the intensity of my words.

“You’ve got to stop accepting scraps from humans and the supernaturals here,” I tell her. “But not to worry, I’ll be handling that from now on.”

“Tabatha knows that Alexis has my blood,” Carla says, changing the subject slightly. “And whatever samples she tookfrom Verde and Petra. She said this is what she was worried about.”

She looks at me, her expression turning inquiring. “Did you ever find out why she wanted to meet you?”

I shake my head. “No. I never responded to her, and she sent me another cryptic message after Bobby retrieved Verde and Petra. She said she took that response as a decline and that all is fair in love and war.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Carla asks, surprise evident in her voice.

“Do you really want the gory details of corporate warfare?” I counter, raising an eyebrow.

Carla sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly. “It bothers me that even Tabatha says I have a lack of confidence. How is that fair? I’ve been living in the worst places imaginable because the world hates me for who I am.”

I pull the bowl from her lap and set it aside, then pull her into my arms. “You shouldn’t be asking—begging,” I tell her firmly. “Fuck them. And now you don’t have to worry about that. You have me, your spider children, and now an army of 200 men who will die for you.”

I tilt her chin up so she’s looking at me. “It’s not a question of whether or not they will accept you. Medina Shadow already has. They’re breaking ground, building a palace for you now.”

“How do Damon and Kade feel about you having such a big coven?” she asks.

I shrug, lifting her chin to place a soft kiss on her lips. “And you have me, baby. And I don’t care how anyone feels about the decisions I made for my coven. Amir has already said I’m a vampire ahead of my time.” I chuckle, shaking my head. “Whatever that means.”

“Amir approves of my coven,” I explain, running my fingers through her curls.

“Are you going to turn more men?” she asks, her eyes searching mine.

“No,” I say with certainty. “I’m resigned to a life here with you. The men of my coven is all that will be.”

A question occurs to me as I watch Moria and Kemnebi on the wall, still observing us silently. “Do your mated children reproduce? Will Moria and Kemnebi make spiderlings?”

Carla shakes her head. “No. They’re just paired up, but Moria will never lay an egg sac.”

She looks thoughtful for a moment. “I never actually saw the mother of the egg sac that hatched when I got them. It was as if Fate herself created it and them, just the same way I was created.”

“I learned about that,” she continues, her voice growing softer. “Fate gave Tabatha’s coven a baby—me. And she thought that I was the answer to their prayers, the sacrifice they made.”