Scotty had always considered me spoiled and arrogant. I wasn’t, but he’d never even given me a chance.Whatever.“So did you two have a nice visit?”
With a secretive smile twitching the corners of his lips, he tilted his head. “We did. We ended up talking mostly about you, though.”
“Why?”
“Because Lysandro’s behind at work. He’s spent so much time out here with you that he’s running himself ragged, but since you haven’t told anyone else in town what’s going on, he had no choice but to come.”
“I didn’t make him do anything,” I spat out.
Scotty rolled his eyes again. “Ah, there’s diva Ego. I was wondering where he went. Although, I don’t remember you pouting so hard in the past.”
“I’m not…” I trailed off at the whine in my voice, realizing my lower lip was indeed jutting out, and I’d crossed my arms over my chest like a child. “Whatever.”
Scotty snorted and leaned back, crossing his feet at the ankles. “Anyway, to answer your questions from earlier, I probably smell like old books because I was at the library. Which I’m assuming is obvious at this point. Lysandro really needed to stay there and get some work done, but he would’ve made time for you, so don’t get your feelings all hurt or worry that you’ve been an inconvenience to him.
“It’s not like he needs sleep.” He chuckled like that was a fun fact or something. “Well, he needs some, but not like what you need, baby vamp.”
“Excuse me,” I said, affronted.
He snickered. I sure was getting sick of feeling like the butt of his inside jokes. “Sorry, not sorry. Lysandro calls you fledgling, which to him, you are, but to me, you’re a cute, little bitty, baby vamp.”
How dare he!I sat up taller, back ramrod straight. “I don’t think Dro would approve of that.”
Scotty clucked his tongue. “He told me not to let you use any of those nicknames. He doesn’t like it. Be respectful and call him Lysandro.”
Annoyed all over again, I said, “I’m sorry. How about I refer to him as Master Vampire? Is that passable?”
Scotty narrowed his eyes at me. “Hmm. I feel like that’s a decent workaround, but he’s not your Master, is he?”
I deflated. “Well, he’s all I’ve got.”
Scotty blew out a breath. “I’m sorry, Ego.” He sat forward, focusing on me intently. “What your creator, or whatever he is, did, turning you and then leaving you with no explanations, sucks. I can’t even imagine how you’re feeling right now.”
“Forsaken,” I murmured unintentionally. He didn’t need to know that. No one needed to know that. The only person who’d understand the full weight of that word for me was Sky, and I really didn’t want to drag him into this mess.
Scotty’s face softened, distracting me from my pain. He was so young and beautiful. I’d found him attractive even when he was glaring at me, but when his guard came down, he radiated a contentment that I’d never found in my life. I’d thought I was on my way to it as a sound witch, but…
“Ego, it really sucks that some fuckwad turned you without your consent, and then abandoned you. I’m not taking away from that, but whether you call Lysandro by name or Master Vampire, you have him, and you need to be grateful enough to listen when he speaks. Acting like a child isn’t going to get you anywhere. Do you hear me?”
I heard him, but I still didn’t like it. I was so fuckin’ angry. I didn’t want to learn how to be a vampire. I wanted to be a sound witch. I wanted to hang out with Sky at the pond during the day and enjoy yoga and meditation with him, Chance, the High Priestess, and Elyse in the mornings. I wanted to stop into Witch’s Brew in the afternoon for a caffeinated beverage. I wanted to…
My fangs grew as I growled, “It’s not fuckin’ fair.” Then I was up, flipping my comfy couch, and descending into the madness that had been waiting to claim me.
Chapter 11
Scotty
Satisfied,I sat back as Ego’s body moved through the room so fast it was as if he was flying. My pulse sped up with excitement as he tore pictures off the walls, threw the wingback chair next to me across the room, flipped an end table, and then crushed his goblet with one squeeze of his hand.
Damn, he was strong now. When he headed to the pillar, the one that had alerted me to Dead Air and Ego being one and the same, I jumped up and bolted across the room, laying a soothing hand on his shoulder when he made a fist and pulled back to punch it. I wasn’t sure if that column was decorative or if it would bring half the room down if he punched it with his considerable strength.
Ego stopped mid-throw. “Why are you still here?”
“Where else would I be?”
He ripped away from me, striding to the other side of the room. “You should be scared of me,” he said with his back to me.
Deciding that touching him again in this moment might be a mistake, I made my way back to my chair and dropped down. “Why?”
