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“I plan to keep you even with your ill-conceived notions. I am still interested in knowing how many men you’ve been so close with before. After all, you appear to be an expert on the matter. So how many relationships is that, Christine?”

“You’re an asshole.” This night was so not going as planned. Now she wished she’d kept her bra and underwear on because the bare feeling only left her feeling more vulnerable.

“So I am,” he said with a shrug. “But you didn’t answer my question, which tells me you’re hiding something, Christine. Could it be that you’ve never lived with a man, never been in one of these ‘relationships’ that you sound so familiar with?”

“I want you to go. Now, please.” She was close to tears, something she never did, and if she didn’t get him out of here, she might not ever forgive him. She looked away from him, tightening her arms around her stomach.

He didn’t say anything for a long minute. She prayed he’d just listen to her and leave, but when he didn’t she couldn’t say she was really surprised. He was Dmetri Demidov and he did what he wanted, when he wanted.

“Not yet. You’ve got me genuinely intrigued, Christine. How many?” She stared at the tile of the kitchen floor as if memorizing the cheap design, her jaw clenched tight.

His laughter mocked her silence. “As I thought, you’ve never done it. Why don’t you quit while you’re ahead and trust me on the matter? I know better.” Anger surged inside her, mixing together with burning humiliation until she wanted to scream in his face. Instead, she kept her voice calm, collected, and lied. “Two, I’ve been in two.” The lie didn’t stumble from her tongue, surprisingly. She actually said it smoothly as if it was the truth. The number wasn’t merely random either but based off two Alphas she’d had sexual encounters with more than once. That was the closest thing she’d had to a relationship.

“Two.” He made a scoffing noise and shook his head despairingly. “And why don’t I believe you?”

She’d had enough. Christine ducked around him, storming to the front door. She threw the door open so hard it whipped back against the wall and slammed into it with a loud bang.

“Get out.” She glared at him with the last of her bravado. The fancy diamond earrings he’d bought her swung in her ears with their slight weight.

He came to her casually, as if he was taking a stroll, not being ordered out. “I’ll go, but I’ll be back tomorrow and we’ll try this again.”

“Don’t bother.”

He stopped in front of her and in a quick transformation, his expression turned possessive, feral. For a moment, he reminded her of a lykaen male, fuming over his woman. The kind of look she’d seen the Kategan men give their mates.

He leaned down, meeting her face to face. “I want you, Christine. God knows why I do, but I do. This little...problem between us will be figured out, one way or the other, and then you’re coming with me. You are mine.” He didn’t give her a chance to move or shy away, but grabbed her by the neck and planted a hard, searing kiss on her that she felt all the way down to her toes. It ignited something inside her, made her feel weak and strong all at the same time.

When he pulled back, he didn’t look at her but turned and left. Christine weakly closed the door after him with trembling fingers.

She leaned back against the door, her entire body feeling numb. “I love him.” Hearing it come from her mouth sent her into a fit of hysterical laughter. She slid down the door until her bum hit the ground. She did. It explained everything. Why she cared so much, why he got under her skin, why it hurt so much when he walked away.

“You told him to go,” she argued to herself.

But I didn’t want him to, not really.

More laughter came, the sound high and unsteady. What would he think if she told him?

Would he still want her to come with him? The thought had her laughter trailing off.

She needed to talk to someone. She needed help and she knew just who to talk to.

Chapter 19

Christine took a deep breath but it didn’t help to give her any courage. Still, she made a fist and knocked on the door. It felt strange coming here, even stranger coming here at night, unannounced. For a long minute, she didn’t hear any voices or footsteps and her hopes deflated like a popped balloon. But then she heard it, hard booming steps—demonstrably male.

The door flew open in a whoosh. “What?” came the growl.

Jackson Marsh was a good-looking man if one preferred rugged, previously human, now turned vampire types. But Christine accepted him, as all of the pack members did, because he was Vera’s and that was enough.

“I would like to talk to Vera.”

He rolled his eyes and called over his shoulder. “Vera, babe, you got company.” He didn’t move to let her in but stood in the doorway blocking it off like a barricade. “What do you want with her?” The way he asked it made her feel like he was a cop interviewing her for a crime she’d committed.

She stood straight and tried to keep her voice steady under his intense scrutiny. “I just want to talk...girl stuff,” she hedged.

An eyebrow flew up and before he could say anything, Vera elbowed his side and squeezed in front of him. Her cheeks were flushed a pretty rose color, and her eyes were bright.

Being mated must be suiting her well. Christine had never seen the Kategan sister so happy, and that was even with the occasional fights she and her mate got into.

“Hey, what’s up, Christine?”

“I came to talk. If that’s okay.”

Vera’s mouth formed a little circle as understanding settled in. It made Christine shift back and forth on her feet. She never talked to other girls about men, probably because she didn’t have many friends and because she never had “relationships” as Dmetri enjoyed pointing out.

The bastard.

“I completely understand, come on in.” She turned to Jackson and gave him a little push.

“You, too, move big guy.” He grunted but moved.

“Is this about Dmetri?” he asked.

Christine bit her lip, which did nothing to help the awkwardness of the situation. Talking to a girl about her ex when her mate was in the room was not easy.

Luckily she was saved from answering. “Of course it is, babe. Why don’t you give us some room?” She snuck up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. He looked down at her with a stern frown on his face.

“I don’t like this.”

“I know sweetie, but I promise it won’t take long and besides I’ll repay you tonight with something special.”

His eyes darkened as he looked down at her. The love and heat in his eyes was enough to make Christine blush and jealous all at once. It took some more promises and sweet kisses, but then finally Jackson grabbed his jacket off the rack and left.

“Good, now down to business,” Vera said, rubbing her hands like an evil doctor. “Take a seat. I’ve been waiting for you to stop by. I knew it was only a matter of time.” Christine laughed. “Really, it’s that obvious?”

“Of course, and I think this calls for a drink. What do you prefer?”

“Tea is fine.”

Vera’s eyes lit up. “Wait, I have a bottle of wine that Sarina gave me as a wedding present. I’ve never touched it and we don’t keep much alcohol in the house because Jacks has a past with it. He’s fine with social drinking a beer or two but no hard stuff in the house. What do you say I pop that baby open and we give it a taste?”

“That’d be great.”

Vera all but ran into the kitchen in her excitement. She had the bottle popped open and glasses filled in under a minute. “Sarina said this is expensive wine. That means it’s good, right?”