my new wife.”
She spun to find Creed leaning against the counter. She hadn’t heard him enter. Bad werewolf. She should have smelled him the moment he came down the stairs in the other room. Vampires had a vivid scent, earthy and yet refined, perhaps a little sweet.
Damn, she was off. It was the house. It was filled with new and odd smells. And it was so open and vast. She couldn’t acclimate.
Or it might be nerves still.
“You’ve no food,” she complained.
“Never had a need for it.” He stared at her head, a curious grin toying with his expression.
“Yeah? Well, I require food to survive. I’m famished.”
“I’ll send Housekeeper out for something. What do you like?”
“Anything edible. Preferably meat, fruits and veggies. A nice porterhouse steak would fit the bill. You seriously don’t eat? Must save on the grocery bills. Please tell me you don’t have a fridge with bags of blood in here somewhere. That would so make me retch.”
“Wouldn’t want to see that. Though now that you’ve put the unsavory image in my brain it’s stuck there.”
“You’re welcome.”
She closed the fridge door and turned to face him, crossing her arms over her stomach. Now she scented him strongly. Dark, spicy, brewed together with some kind of masculine musk.
“And just so you know,” he added, “I don’t do bagged blood. It must be warm and have a heartbeat.”
“Peachy. Thank you for that image.”
That pleased him enough to grant her a lift of brow. “Turnabout is fair play, and all that.”
She’d give him the point. But only because he wasn’t so awful to look at during the day, even though the shades were pulled on all the windows, reducing the daylight to a dim mire. Hair blacker than the dress she’d worn last night feathered about his face. Eyes equally dark studied her curiously.
“What’s wrong, vamp? You’re staring again.”
“Your hair.” He gestured, his fingers tracing a loose circle between the two of them, but gave up trying to figure it out. “Yesterday it was…and now it’s…”
“It’s called violet. You like it?”
Head tilting, he seemed to search for something nice to say, but decided silence was best.
A shake of her head swung Blu’s shoulder-length violet bob. The long bangs that dusted her eyelashes tangled in the silken strands and she blew upward to disperse them.
“I think it’s one of my better colors,” she said perkily. “Goes with the skirt, too.”
He studied her plaid pleated miniskirt, drawing his eyes the length of her legs, where she twisted the ball of one foot on the floor. She was barefoot, the only way to go when not out partying.
“You’re quite a loud dresser, aren’t you?”
“Loud?” Blu chuckled heartily. “This is but a whisper, buddy. And it’s me, take it or leave it. I like to play with my looks. You don’t like it? I don’t much care. Now where’s the housekeeper? What’s her name?”
“Housekeeper.”
“Yeah. What’s her name, and I’ll go tell her what kinds of food I like.”
“Housekeeper,” he stated again. “That’s what I call her.”
“You’re not serious?” Blu did air quotes, and repeated, “‘Housekeeper’? Poor chick. Doesn’t even garner a name from her employer? Bet you’re loads of fun at the office Christmas party.”
“I don’t celebrate Christmas.”
“Of course not. Because you’ve banned fun, right?”
“And I think you’ve fallen into the fun barrel, gotten stirred up and tumbled out the other side.”
“If that’s a comment on my clothes, I’m not biting. Color is my thing. I don’t like to blend in.”
“One would think a wolf would prefer more natural camouflage, or an understated look.”
“So you’re all up on my breed now, are you?”
“Not at all. I know only a little.”
“Which is obviously less than nothing. So! I’m heading out for a jog after I find the housekeeper with no name. Where are the best places to run around here?”
“I don’t think that’s wise.”
“I didn’t ask your opinion. I need some directions. You got a computer? I’ll check the neighborhood on Google. We are at the edge of a city suburb, yes? I think I saw some houses last night. Kinda far off though. This is like Green Acres to me.”
“I mean, you shouldn’t go out alone. In fact, I insist you do not. It’s not safe.”
Blu swung a look at the man. He was serious.
“Dude, I’m a werewolf. If some mugger tries to take me on, I’ll give him what for. Not like anyone would be out here in the boonies, anyway.”
“There are wolves and vamps camped outside the estate.”
“What?”
“I’ll show you on the security cameras if you must see. I checked this morning. I suspect both factions will be keeping a close eye on the two of us.”
“Well, that’s unfair sportsmanship.”
“I agree. And I suspect if you go out alone they may not simply observe. The vampires might threaten you and the wolves, well…”
Yeah, she knew what to expect from the wolves.
“Ever hear a wolf do a catcall?” She winked. “Those guys are randy as hell, always.”
And a very good reason for her to stay nice and safe tucked inside. Yet seclusion here with the enemy was not going to be a day at the park.
“I had assumed so. And you being the lone female wolf in the vicinity…Well, your safety is my concern.”
“You say that like you love me so much,” she mocked.
“I…”
“I know, I know, you promised my father. You take those marriage vows so seriously, like some honorable knight’s vow to protect and serve.”
“I’ve served under three French kings and various vampire tribes. I’m accustomed to taking vows and standing by them.”
“Whatever.” She peered out
