Page 150 of Bleed

I pick up my wine glass, rounding the island toward her. “Why’s that?”

“Because I’m an emotional bitch and you barely have emotions.”

My mouth pulls into a frown, steps slowing to a stop.

“It seems like you’d be the only one reaping the benefits in that scenario,” she continues, apparently oblivious to the way she just insulted me.

“I assure you, I have emotions just like anyone else,” I mutter.

She clucks her tongue. “Uh huh.”

“I simply don’t display them as openly as most.”

She arches a dubious brow. “Sure.”

My frown deepens. “I suppose you’ll just have to wait and see.”

Her eyes narrow with suspicion before she turns and continues into the living room.

I follow, deciding not to dwell on her apparent belief that I’m completely soulless.

She claims one end of the sofa, and I sit beside her, but evidently not close enough. She immediately scoots across the cushion until her hip is pressed against mine, turns sideways, and throws both legs over my lap.

Apparently, personal space is no longer something I’m permitted to have.

Stranger still, I don’t want it.

“So.” She drags a pillow behind her back to prop herself up, balancing her wine glass against her stomach. “What else can I expect with this bond?”

I take a sip from my own glass as I consider the question.

Much of what was once known about blood bonds has been lost. Vampires have existed for millennia, but reliable documentation is remarkably scarce, particularly regarding the bonds that became increasingly rare as our population grew more detached from humans. Ancient texts contradict one another. Accounts have been exaggerated, mistranslated, or gradually reduced to mythology.

Until James and Taylor, I didn’t even believe in them myself.

Now I’m part of one.

The scientist in me finds the prospect of studying the phenomenon exhilarating. The rest of me is still struggling to comprehend that Beatrix will remain at my side long enough for us to discover the answers together. No relationship I’ve had has ever promised that kind of permanency.

“Well,” I begin, lowering my free hand to her calf, “based on what I’ve compiled, you’ll share in some of my gifts now. Increased strength, accelerated healing. Your aging should cease entirely once the bond has stabilized.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know all that.” She waves a hand dismissively. “Taylor told me.”

Of course she did.

“What else?” she asks, green eyes bright with anticipation.

I swipe a hand over my chin. “There are accounts of rarer abilities manifesting between bonded pairs. Telepathy. Telekinesis. Premonition. Heightened sensory perception. The information I’ve gathered is inconsistent, but–”

“Oh shit, that’s right!” Bex exclaims, sitting up so quickly that wine nearly sloshes over the rim of her glass. “Taylor and James can totally read each other’s minds now.” She blinks at me, and I can practically see the wheels in her head turning. “Will we be able to do that?”

“It remains to be seen.”

Her excitement abruptly dims. She sinks back against the cushions, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.”

“Why?”

“My brain’s a messy place.”