CJ tilted his head thoughtfully. “So not begin?”
Bogdan’s jaw flexed. “BOG. DAN.”
The humor died immediately. Bogdan wasn’t reacting like a normal person mildly annoyed by children. He looked genuinely irritated that the conversation existed at all. Clearly, he wasn’t used to people speaking to him so casually. Or challenging him. Or being human around him.
I hated him more every second.
“Dinner’s ready,” I said tightly.
We moved into the dining room. Bogdan pulled Winnie’s chair out for her before she could sit. The gesture should’ve looked gentlemanly, but it only looked possessive. I clenched my jaw so hard, I was sure I heard a tooth crack.
Winnie sat automatically without looking at him.
The kids exchanged nervous glances.
I started serving mostly to occupy my hands before I committed felony assault. I prepared rotisserie chicken, pasta, and roasted vegetables. Just a normal dinner for a normal, absolutely psychotic vampire evening.
The kids picked at their food.
I noticed immediately neither Winnie nor Bogdan touched anything, not even their water. They weren’t even pretending. Bogdan simply sat there, smiling faintly while watching all of us. No, it was more than watching. He was studying us with some kind of evil-ass smirk on his face.
I caught CJ staring openly at his teeth. Bianca elbowed him discreetly. Billie kicked both of them under the table because subtlety had never once entered her body.
Nobody spoke for almost a full minute.
Finally, I asked, “Are you okay, Winnie?”
Her eyes flicked immediately toward Bogdan before returning to me. “I’m well.”
Lie. Again.
Every word out of her mouth sounded rehearsed.
I set my fork down carefully. “Winnie?—”
Bogdan stood so suddenly his chair scraped violently backward.
The kids jumped.
Hell, I jumped.
Bogdan looked around the table slowly. Then smiled. “This is becoming dreadfully tedious.”
The room went still.
He folded his hands behind his back almost casually. “I suppose the suspense is killing me.”
Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
“I am Winifred’s sire.”
Silence.
“I am over five hundred years old.”
Billie’s mouth dropped open.
CJ whispered, “Dear God.”
