AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"He'd do that?" Nikki asked.
Thane's head was stuck in the fridge as he put things away. "The Church tried to turn me into a meal for a succubus last week. So why not? Figure I owe them a bit."
"Valkyrie!" Roarke snapped.
Standing up, Thane groaned and glared at the man. "Does it matter?"
From the side of the room, a pretty little brunette giggled. "Does if you ever meet a succubus."
"Thought you were all just eidolon and the labels were a holdover from myths."
"Mm," the girl purred, eyeing him. "Except that society has an influence. Most of us assumed we were myths at first. It's how we came to terms with what we had to do. We convinced ourselves we were something else, usually something we knew all about from stories, and it's tainted the way we ..." She looked to Cain, hoping for help.
"Refuel," he offered. "Hunt, if you prefer."
"And our weaknesses," Dahlia said.
He stepped around the half wall to see her better. "And what weakness does a valkyrie have?"
She cocked her head, a smile forming on her lips. "I'm not very good at running from a fight."
Nikki chuckled. "And they have a fondness for strong, strapping warriors to steal away."
Dahlia shrugged, refusing to deny it. "Typically, only those who can beat us."
His eyes were locked on hers. "I haven't beat you, babe."
"No?" She held up the three clavum. "Which one of these did you choose to not put into my back?"
His jaw clenched, then he turned, heading for the door. "I have a few more bags in the truck. Feel free to help yourselves."
ChapterTen
THANE
He tromped down the stairs, trying to put the admission behind him. She hadn't meant that the way it sounded. She couldn't. Knowing Dahlia, she was just yanking his chain, and he wasn't about to hang around long enough to let an entire room of undead see him get all stupid about it.
Because yes, he was being stupid. She liked warriors, and he sure felt like one. She knew he'd let her live, and it sounded like she was impressed instead of pissed. He also knew she'd done the same for him. And yet, the way she'd said that sounded like it meant more than just a fair trade. It sounded like she felt something because of it, and Thane did not want to get his hopes up.
So for now, he'd just focus on getting the bags of groceries out of the truck and into her fridge. He knew the eidolon ate. He'd seen enough do it when he'd been hunting them. Dahlia had consumed plenty of drinks at plenty of bars and clubs as they got to know each other. The difference was that Thane couldn't live on sex and partying. While Dahlia and her kind used food as entertainment or camouflage to blend in, he'd need it for sustenance.
He also needed to make sure his brother knew he was ok. So, as Thane hit the second floor and kept going down, he pulled out his phone, found Laird's contact, and pulled it up. So far, things were a go and he was still alive, but how to say that in a way that wouldn't raise any eyebrows?
Thane:Made it! She's hot! Not sure about her choice of friends though, so playing it by ear.
There, that should do. But before he even made it to the parking lot, the door opened again, then closed. It could have been a neighbor, but he had a funny feeling it wasn't. This apartment complex was just a little too quiet for the neighborhood it was in, and Dahlia had told him most of the people living there were eidolon. In other words, everyone who mattered was probably in her apartment, so Thane paused. He honestly expected to see Dahlia. Instead, it was Roarke who'd followed.
"Need a hand with the bags?" the man asked.
Thane sighed. "Sure. Just kinda curious why you've suddenly taken an interest in me, though."
"Cain." The guy made no attempt to grab the bags. Instead, he moved to the opposite side of Thane's truck, then crossed his arms on the edge of the bed and leaned over them. "You know he's about six thousand years old?"
Thane's head jumped up. "Seriously?"
That wasn't what he'd meant to say. Clearly, Roarke was using Cain's history to keep from answering the question, but since he'd brought it up, Thane wasn't dumb enough to let the chance pass him by. But shit, six thousand years? He'd thought Dahlia was old. This guy had been around twice as long!
Roarke just nodded slowly. "Yup. Although, you have to realize that he probably spent half of that in the abyss. Personally, I have no clue how the man is still sane - but he is."
