His eyebrows shot up. “Abottle, sir?”
“Yes. I need to get drunk.”
The server looked first at me and then at Alaric. The poor man appeared confused about why we were sitting together whenAlaric seemed to hate me. It confused me too, but Maverick’s warning rattled in my brain. Alaric might act like a dick, but I knew he’d keep me safe if trouble came our way.
And while Zane and Kai were AWOL, I’d rather not be alone in a restaurant packed full of humans who might turn on me at any moment.
19
Alaric
Raven’s presence did nothing to improve my mood. She now had two soul-bonded mates, although the incubus seemed unhappy about it, which puzzled me. Had the witch accidentally fallen onto his dick?
Unlikely, which meant completing the bond had been an intentional act.
The witch’s pretty violet eyes scanned the menu. Until she’d sat down opposite me, I’d been hungry, but the sight of her in her figure-hugging jeans and cute, fluffy, white sweater killed my appetite stone-dead.
How could I eat delicious pizza when the only thing I wanted to eat was sitting across a small table from me?
She smelled divine. A combination of vanilla and coconut with a subtle hint of something dark and smoky. I inhaled deeply, letting her scent wash over me while the menu distracted her.
“What’s a calzone?” When I glanced up, she pointed to the menu. “I’ve only had the pizza they serve at school.”
Pushing down my surprise that she hadn’t eaten pizza a million times like the rest of us, I said, “Calzone is when they fold the pizza dough in half with the filling in the middle.”
“Is it nice?”
I nodded before the buzzing in my pocket distracted me. Another message from my father. He’d also tried calling dozens of times. The only reason he’d not sent his team after me was because I’d cast a highly illegal obscuration spell before I left. It would wear off in a few days, but we should be back by then.
In the meantime, he could go fuck himself.
It wasn’t as if I needed to be present at his stupid dinner parties or even at Kinara’s funeral. Dad was busy trying to spin the many unauthorized online stories about the demon attack, so Kinara’s funeral would be a low-key affair for family only. No press allowed. My being there would make no difference. I didn’t care enough to want to pay my respects.
Like I’d told Raven, Kinara had not been a nice person.
Irritated by my father’s continual attempts to make contact, I turned my phone off. He’d likely lose his shit when I finally got back, but if what Raven believed was true and the vampire prince lived, then my father was living on borrowed time.
Our pizzas arrived, along with a glass of orange juice for Raven. Thanks to some good food and several glasses of tequila in my stomach, I slowly relaxed, and with Raven sitting so close, the pain in my chest eased. To my surprise, her company wasn’t too objectionable.
She took her last bite of pizza and groaned.
“Oh my stars, that was amazing! Like, the best thing I’ve ever eaten!” She sat back and rubbed her belly with a rueful grin.
Her boundless enthusiasm for a simple pizza brought a smile to my lips. After living in the lap of luxury for my entire life, very little impressed me these days. Certainly not a pizza.
“Here, you missed a bit.” Without thinking, I leaned across the table and wiped a smudge of tomato sauce from the corner of her mouth. Her tongue flicked out and caught my thumb before I could remove it.
Our eyes locked. The noise of the pizzeria faded until there was only her. Flames flickered between us; she had me ensnared in a spell. The shriveled tether in my chest tightened, reminding me who she was and why I needed to keep my distance.
At least for now.
Knowing my father might soon live to regret his actions over the last twenty years had given me hope. Hope that this intensely annoying witch sitting across from me could be mine.
“Would you guys like to see the dessert menu?” A chirpy voice shattered the spell. I jumped back while Raven coughed and shook her head, dazed.
“I believe my friend wants ice cream, so yes.” Raven tore her gaze away from me and looked up at the server with interest.
“Ooh, yes! What flavors do you have?”
