Page 21 of Blades and Bone

“I wasn’t worried, but it explains why Mirabella is more interested in the west.”

“She’s not going to stop unless she is stopped. There have been vampires like her before. Tyrants who ruled through fear and believed having fangs meant they could take whatever they wanted. If nothing else, we have a duty to stop her to protect others.”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

“Would you rather surrender and swear to her? Because I will tear my own veins open before I do that.”

“I have no intention of swearing to anyone outside of my family.”

Hamish lifted his eyebrows. “That’s what I always thought, too.”

Chapter Eleven

It was ridiculous to lie in bed next to a man, his husband, and not touch him, yet that is exactly what happened when they went to bed. Hamish stared at the ceiling. He’d thought dinner had gone well, comparing notes about their families and other things.

“So I guess we aren’t consummating the marriage.” He probably should’ve kept that to himself, but there had to be some benefit to this arrangement, especially if he wasn’t allowed to see other people.

Not that he was allowed to do much.

The number of times he’d reached for his pocket only to remember that his phone was confiscated was annoying.

Brodie grunted and rolled over. “I barely know you.”

“I know more about you than I did about some guys.” Which was probably also the wrong thing to say. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to do anything. It was just weird lying there. Married. Is this what it was like when people had been married for thirty years and hated each other?

He did not want this to be the rest of his life.

“That says more about you than me.”

Hamish glared at Brodie in the dark. “Are you a virgin or something?”

“No. But I think it’s prudent to wait rather than leaping. Especially since you had no idea until today.”

“Fine.” He rolled over, not entirely sure why it was bothering him. Perhaps he’d expected Brodie to be more interested since he’d known for longer.

“But it’s nice to know you’re thinking of me,” Brodie sounded a little too smug.

“Oh, I am, but not in the way you’re hoping.” Could he find a way to make Brodie’s death look like an accident? No, because everyone would blame him, regardless.

“Planning ways to kill me in my sleep?”

“If I were going to kill you, you’d be awake and begging.”

“Is that how you like your men?”

Hamish snorted. He’d walked into that one. “You won’t get to find out.”

“I didn’t say never. Just because I was told doesn’t make the reality less uncomfortable. I have a stranger in my house, and in my bed, and this is it for the rest of my life.”

“I did suggest that since it’s political, we should see other people.”

Brodie was quiet for far too long. “It could only be other humans. You can’t marry another vampire, and I have never wanted to lie to a human about what I am.”

“Garrick…” Hamish shut his mouth before anything else fell off his tongue.

“Ah, he fell in love with a human, told the truth, and Ann didn’t approve?” Brodie moved, and the sheets rustled. “Why don’t we put humans aside and give this a chance?”

“You have my phone, and since I can’t go anywhere, it’s not like finding one is going to be easy. If I can’t hunt guests or staff, getting blood will also be hard.” He heard the edge in his voice and hated that he couldn’t erase it. He wanted to blame the fact that it had been a very long day, and his life had been turned inside-out in all the wrong ways.