Page 12 of Bane of Hate and Silver (Primordial Inheritance #1)

While preparing for the night’s events, Monica did Jules’s hair twice.

Jules had watched as Monica took her own hair down and put it back up four times.

Now, she sat in front of her travel mirror with a pencil to her eye.

Jules watched as she drew a perfectly angled line on her top eyelid.

“Give me five more minutes, then it’s your turn,” Monica said.

“Oh, no. You don’t have to do that,” Jules began. “I’m fine going like this.” Jules waved her hand over her own face.

“Come on, Jules. It’s not like you can see to put it on yourself. I only want to do a little bit. I don’t even need to use foundation. I mean, for being dead, your skin is perfect. Please, let me do your eyes at least,” Monica begged as she finished applying eyeliner to her second eye.

Jules never did anything to enhance her appearance, humans were drawn to her regardless, no need to help them see her in the crowd when all she wanted was to blend in. The pleading look in Monica’s eyes broke her resolve.

“Just this once.”

“Yay!” Monica shrieked. She held up the mirror, inspecting herself closer. “That is so weird,” she commented aloud.

“What is?”

“I know you’re back there. I can see your t-shirt hanging in mid-air, but you just aren’t there.” She pointed to the mirror in front of her.

Jules shrugged, it’d been centuries since she’d seen her own reflection. “Punishment for being a walking nightmare, I guess,” Jules replied.

“You take that back right now!” Monica chided. “You are not a nightmare. You are awesome! Say it.”

“I… am… awesome,” Jules repeated, to appease Monica, but her face crumpled distastefully on the last word.

“Good but not great, now come sit so I can put some eyeliner on those iridescent, silver eyes of yours.”

Jules did as instructed, a giggle slipping out as the blush brush hit her face. It was a weird sensation, being tickled by soft bristles. Monica did her makeup and then her hair, curling it into soft red waves.

Jules had just managed the zipper on the black dress when the doorbell rang.

“They’re here,” Monica shrieked, almost dropping the mascara tube she was holding. Jules had been expecting Tai to walk in unannounced like always, but it seemed he was taking this anniversary as seriously as Monica was.

“Go answer it, Jules,” Monica pleaded. “I want to make an entrance.”

Jules smiled, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, and walked from her bedroom to the front door. She could hear hushed voices on the other side of the door as she reached forward to open it.

She smelled it before she saw him. “Hi Jules,” Tai greeted. “Monica inside?”

Jules didn’t respond but stood frozen in the doorway.

“Jules?” Tai questioned.

She nodded but didn’t take her eyes off the man who was supposed to be her date.

“Have you two met?” Tai was looking from Jules to her date and back again.

“Not officially,” he said. “I’m Luca.” He held out a hand toward her.

Jules looked down at it, not sure whether to shake it or break it.

“Jules, Luca. Luca, Jules. Now you have,” Tai said when Jules made no move to take Luca’s outstretched hand. Tai shrugged and then stepped around Jules to enter the house and find his girlfriend.

After a few more long seconds, Luca pulled his hand back and dropped it to his side.

Jules watched as Luca’s eyebrows drew together. He looked down at her with a concerned expression. She was surprised not to see the hatred of his pack reflected in his face. “Are you alright?” he asked cautiously.

“Not…” Jules found her voice. “Not really.”

He reached a hand out like he may try to comfort her.

One step back, her eyes narrowed, appraising him.

This wolf was truly as beautiful as she remembered.

Perfectly muscled, warm bronzed skin, and very tall.

He probably had twelve or fourteen inches on her petite stature.

But more importantly, he now knew exactly where she lived, and Jules had no way of knowing what he might do with that information.

Luca’s breath caught. The vampire was just as alluring as he remembered.

Even if her expression told him she wasn’t sure whether to kill him or not.

Although, that was kind of hot too. He couldn't help it. His gaze followed the lines of her. All the way up, from her black heels. Up that velvet dress that hugged every curve, even the ones she had hidden under her hoodie the first time he’d seen her.

Up to her slender neck, to plump lips he would die to have on him.

Two captivating and ancient eyes, all the way to her curled auburn hair.

He was having trouble breathing. She wasn’t breathing either, but he guessed it was for other reasons.

“Shall we go?” Tai said as he reappeared near the door with one arm draped around Monica’s waist.

“Monica I…” Jules began to say.

Luca cut her off, “of course,” he said. There was no way she was getting away that easily. Smiling, Luca gestured for Jules to accompany him to Tai’s mother’s car.

The stunning vampire’s eyes widened momentarily and then settled in a scowl and a glare that could kill if it wanted.

If this vampire turned out to be just a gorgeous, soulless murderer, then he’d follow Carson’s orders and report her. If not, and he was right about her, the possibilities were endless. Luca rolled that thought over in his mind and smiled to himself.

Monica and Tai walked a few steps ahead of them to the vehicle. Luca walked her to her door and pulled it open for her. She looked up at him. Her eyes wary and body stiff. He smiled again and leaned over to be closer to her ear. “If looks could kill, little corpse, then I’d already be dead.”

This earned him another death glare.

He held out his hand for her. “Will you get in the car?”

“For Monica.” She ignored his outstretched hand and stepped into the car. “Touch me and die.”

“I have no doubts that you mean that,” he said, shutting the door and walking around to the other side.

They rode in silence, but Luca continued to steal glances at the icy figure sitting as far from him as possible.

Which was difficult seeing as his legs didn’t really fit in the back seat.

His knees were spread wide and still jammed against the seat in front of him.

When the car jostled his knee bumped her thigh but her posture didn’t change.

Head held high, she stared straight ahead.

“Dang it,” Tai said from the front seat. This pulled Luca’s attention away from his date. “Sorry, everyone. We need to make a pit stop.”

As Tai got out to fill the car with gas, Monica rambled. “It’s so great of you guys to do this for us. Luca, do you know where we’re going?” But before Luca could tell her that he wasn’t telling, she moved on. “See Jules, I told you that it wouldn’t be so bad…”

Just then, Tai stuck his head back inside the car. “Stupid thing is telling me I have to see the cashier. I’ll be right back,” he said and then unexpectedly leaned across the car and kissed Monica on the lips.

Monica kissed him back, giggling and blushing simultaneously.

Luca thought he saw a smile flash across the vampire’s face, but he couldn’t be sure. It happened too fast.

Monica looked down and gasped, “oh! Tai may need his wallet.” She grabbed it off the seat. “I’ll be right back.”

“Monica, no…” Jules started to say, but she was already gone.

“So, was all that ‘peace and love’ bullshit or what?” Luca asked as soon as the door shut behind the human girl.

“Excuse me?” she turned an angry glare on him.

“You said…” he trailed off. “Look that doesn’t matter right now. Before they come back, I need to say something,” Luca said. He watched as Tai shifted from one foot to the other while standing in line and Monica clung to his arm happily. “We’re both here for our friends, correct?”

The vampire didn’t justify his question with an answer.

“I don’t know about your human friend, but Tai doesn’t know about me. I would really like to keep it that way.”

“Monica knows about me,” Jules said coolly.

“Really?” Luca asked, stunned. Monica couldn’t really understand how dangerous Jules was and still be comfortable around her, could she?

Jules nodded.

“Wow,” Luca said. If Jules was a cold-blooded killer surely, she wouldn’t tell a helpless human her secret and let them go on living. He studied her face as she studied his.

After a few moments Jules broke the eye contact. “If you don’t try to kill me tonight, I won’t tell them about you.”

“That’s an easy deal to make. I have no intention of killing you.

” With his secret safe, his ease returned.

He stretched his arms up over his head. Leaning his head back on his palms he took up even more space in the back seat.

“I could think of some other fun things to do with you but…” he smirked over at her.

“Touch me and die, dog man.”

Jules resisted the smile that threatened to escape at the sound of the werewolf’s laughter. Brazen, confident, beast … Jules’s thought was cut short and her head jolted up when the front car doors opened; Monica and Tai reappearing.

“At least you two are becoming friends,” Monica said.

“That’s a stretch,” Jules mumbled.

“She hasn’t killed me yet though,” he added.

Monica and Tai laughed.

“I knew you two would be a good fit,” Tai said.

“You meddlesome busybody,” Monica chided and laughed at the same time as the car’s engine sputtered to life.

Luca’s leg bumped her again as he sat forward to add something to the story Tai was telling Monica about work.

She took the moment to glance at him. He was massive.

Tall, tan, and muscled. His arms and legs straining against the jeans and suit jacket he wore.

But his facial features were soft. He seemed to radiate light like the sun she could no longer soak in. His smile was sunshine incarnate.