Page 15 (1/2)

"We’ll see" And with that as her only preamble, Monica bit into my wrist

Chapter Sixteen

Monica’s bite hurt

I’d experienced pleasurable va under the thrall and knew it didn’t necessarily have to be painful when a vamp sampled the wares Granted, my dream-sex love nips from Holden weren’t exactly the best source to draw fro at the thin skin of my wrist

I tried to jerk away, but Monica held fast, her diminutive hands like little claws in my arm until she’d had her fill and pulled aith a satisfied ahhh Cradling an to close on their own, I gaped at her like she’d…well…bitten ht maybe she’d poke nawedto hurt," I re to be honest here So, I guess we both lied, Miss McQueen"

She sat back in her chair, closing her eyes, and I got tosure I was as far out of her reach as I could be while still rehtful se in spite of the child’s face she wore "Unique is certainly a word for you"

"I told you"

"But you left out so much"

"And now you knohy" My wrist hole and sered under the surface

Monica licked her lips as if chasing a drop that ht hold the answer to so to get from me

"How is it even possible?" she asked

"You saw my past You know as ged, letting my healed wrist drop back to my side I didn’t question whether or not she’d be able to see the gesture Blind,around her at all times "Maybe I shouldn’t be, but I’ anymore because I knew she’d tasted the whole truth of ht had eased off Whatever would happen to me now, it was out ofas I could

Now eless child

So much for Calliope’s theory that I’d have time to decide my own future That was Monica’s job For the first ti to thinkto do withto do with this roove of ht there were no surprises left" Then she laughed She laughed louder and longer than she had with Sig, and the sound was pure joy "Oh, darling What a delight you are to me"

"You’re welcome?"

"Come here"

I didn’t want to, but I still went back to her chair, though I opted not to sit this ti to truly surprisefan of surprises myself There are too many of them in my life"

Monica shook her head "Live a few thousand years and you’ll see Nothing will surprise you anymore, and the world willagain What wonder"

"Are you…u ht words When they didn’t co to herself, Monica retrieved her cross-stitch "You have not betrayed the council to your lovers You’ve told them you’re a vampire, which was h I will tell the council you have kept as many secrets as you have shared"

"You want me to tell them I’m a olf?"

"Heavens no, child Are you soft in the head?"

"Then what?"

"I will tell Sig"

"But he--"

Her white gaze piercedthe confession inthe truth He is the head of the Tribunal, and his confidence is the only one I need to take That is what I will tell the council What he decides to share is his decision alone"

"And Juan Carlos?"