Page 164 of Vampires of Eden

The older vampire sets his shoulders back, his jaw working as he turns and stalks toward the door. Raphael intercepts and follows Lord Cherrington as he passes. Before he walks through the door, the manservant flips his gingery head around and mouths, “Sorry.” They both disappear into the larger room.

I exhale an audible breath as Alexander leans forward with his elbows on the table. He rubs his palms against his face and up to cradle his head.

“Nice guy,” I say calmly, but my hands tremble as I reach forthe champagne bottle to re-fill my glass. “Charming. I think we’re going to need another bottle. Or three.”

As I pour, Alexander shakes his head. He doesn’t speak.

With my glass topped up, I give him and myself a moment to decompress because that was… a lot. I take a long sip and breathe.

Soon, though, the quiet turns awkward. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Alexander drops his hands and sits back hard. He stares down at his lap. “I don’t know what to say. WhatcanI say? I keep apologizing to you—but no matter how many times I apologize, something else comes up.”

Alarmed, I set my glass down. “Rabbit, you do not have to apologize for someone else’s behavior?—”

“Shouldn’t I?” He lifts his head, distraught. “I wanted us to have a fun night out, so that I could show you that Central is not all bad! That we can do this and I can keep you safe, but I couldn’t even manage one night. The things he said to you… I can’t stop that monster from stalking me. How did he even know I was here?Fuck.”

“Well, then, you learned two important lessons tonight,” I reason. “That you can’t control other vampires’ behaviors, and that it isn’t your responsibility to protect me.”

Alexander slouches against the booth and it makes the back of his hair wild. “I don’t want vampires saying and doing rude shit to you because of me.”

I shrug. “It’s inevitable. And it isn’t you, per say. It’s society at large. When I decided to walk this path with you, I accepted this outcome. I knew it would happen. Now you have to accept it… Besides, I’ve heard much worse.” I frown and shake my head as I reach for my glass. What did he even call me? Sickly?

Pretty weak as far as insults go. Do better.

I take another long swig. When I’m done, Alexander has his head turned against the seat. Still slouched and watching me. “I don’t know if I can just accept it,” he says quietly.

“You have to.”

He sighs. “I love you.”

A hiccup springs from my throat. Beaming, surprised, I blink and swallow. “I love you, too.”

“I don’t want you to suffer because of me.”

My eyebrow lifts. “It’s starting to feel like we’re talking in circles. Are you drunk?”

“No.” He shifts his head forward, looking blankly over the empty room. I hate that the wonderful mood we had is ruined. I resent Lord Cherrington for that first and foremost.

“You pulled rank on that old bastard,” I comment.

“I have never, ever had to do that before.”

“It was sexy.”

“It was weird.” Alexander lifts his hand and rubs his temple. “But nothing else that I’ve said to him has penetrated that thick leathery head of his. It’s like I had to figure out a language that his egotistical and haughty ass would understand.”

“Regardless, it worked. He backed down almost immediately. Well done.” I smile, but Alexander only sighs and drops his hand at his side, as if he’s stuck in an absorbed, despondent state.

I reach and lightly trace the curve of his thigh with my fingertips. “Is it still possible for us to enjoy tonight? It would be nice if we didn’t let him take this evening away from us.”

He turns to look at me again with glassy eyes. “I am sorry.”

“You don’t need to be.”

Alexander nods and pushes himself up straighter. With one hand, he runs his fingers through his hair to quell it. I take hold of the other, tentatively slipping my palm within his. He wraps his fingers around mine and grips me.

“Are you hungry?” he asks.