Page 104 of Caller of Crows

To his satisfaction, Keegan looked confused for a second, then annoyed. "I can't know everything."

"You saw that I'd do anything to save him, yet you didn't realize what he was to me?"

Keegan crossed his arms in front of his chest. As always, he was hopelessly clueless in matters of the heart and unwilling to admit it. "I was concerned with other things."

"Like manipulating my actions." Altair shot the other vampire a sharp look. "I'm demoting you until I think that I can trust you again. You can clean up puke from the club floor for the next little bit of eternity."

Keegan huffed but didn't complain.

In another coven, he would have been beheaded for his crimes. They both knew that.

Altair was being extremely generous with his chosen punishment, and Keegan wasn't dumb enough to whine about his good luck.

They regarded each other for one more moment, but when Altair made to turn around and leave, Keegan's expression softened. "I am really glad he's not hurt," Keegan said softly. "And that you survived."

Altair nodded, and then turned around and headed back to his chamber without another word. He didn't need any more explanations about Keegan's motives right now. Right now he only wanted his bed, and his mate curled against his side.

ChapterTwenty-Eight

To Sven's relief, Altair did not require him to remain in a locked room all day the next day. After Sven had breakfast, Altair gave Sven a small tour of the coven's base. The place was larger than Sven had assumed from what he'd seen so far, containing several bedrooms, two separate dining rooms, a large storage area, a well-equipped rec room, a couple of different offices, as well as the small infirmary which also included the space where Altair had first drawn blood from him.

"We've got a few cells downstairs as well," Altair explained as they ended their tour in what seemed like a large living room. "We don't use them much anymore."

Sven nodded as he sat down on the black leather couch in the middle of the room. It was the most comfortable-looking piece of furniture Sven had yet laid eyes on in the vampire lair.

A second later, Altair sat down next to him, one arm draped possessively across Sven's shoulders as he pressed a kiss to the top of Sven's head.

"How's your arm?" Altair asked gently. "Does it hurt?"

Sven shook his head. "It's just a bit itchy. I can't wait to get rid of this." He motioned at the splint.

"You've only had it for a day."

Sven shrugged. "It's already been too long." His eyes traveled over the vampire's body. Altair had looked awful yesterday, but now, less than a day since Altair had battled with Nephariel, his skin had healed considerably. He almost looked completely recovered. "Wish I had your healing powers."

"Those come at a price," Altair reminded him.

Sven blew out a breath. He shouldn't have said anything. Now Altair was going to wonder again if Sven wanted to be turned.

Heshouldwant to be turned, shouldn't he?

That way he could spend eternity with his vampire, have the ‘forever' that Altair had promised him.

To Sven's surprise, though, Altair let the topic drop before it had really started. He stood from the couch and summoned one of his crows. "This is Lissa. She'll be staying with you today while I take care of coven business."

"Lissa?" Sven asked, eyeing the crow. "Your crows have names?"

"Why wouldn't they have names?"

"You never introduced them before!"

"Ah." Altair smiled. "Well, this one thinks it's rude when I don't introduce her. She's a very dignified bird."

The crow cawed at Altair, then settled herself on one of the wooden tables, ruffling her feathers and observing Sven closely.

"I see," Sven mumbled, eying Lissa skeptically. She did have rather intelligent-looking eyes. "So you'll be my guard dog today. Guard bird."

Lissa squawked indignantly.