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She drops onto the mat next to me, groaning at the ceiling. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she grumbles.
I don’t bother getting up. “This isn’t exactly ideal for me either,” I shoot back, unease prickling along my spine. Having Calla in tune with my emotions is not something I considered when deciding to turn her, which is my bad. It’s also very fucking inconvenient. Just because things have evolved with us doesn’t mean I want her to be able to sense what’s going on inside me at all times. And I can tell by the pissed off expression on her face the feeling is mutual.
She sits up and crosses her legs, facing me. “Can we, like, turn it off?”
I turn my head to look at her. “That would be a no.”
“Fuck me,” she mutters.
“I know you’d like me to, but we have other things we need to do.”
“Shut up,” she barks, getting up off the floor, and paces for a few moments. “Maybe Tessa can do a spell to block it or something.”
I clench my jaw at that because as much as I don’t enjoy every aspect of this connection, the thought of using magic to alter it feels inherently wrong. “We’re not doing that.”
She scowls. “Then what do you suggest we do?”
I rake my fingers through my hair, standing from the mats. “I don’t know at this very moment. Perhaps we can work together and learn to block each other out when necessary.”
“So all the time?” she shoots back dryly.
I chuckle humorlessly. “And you were worried you’d lose yourself when becoming a vampire. I can say with the utmost confidence that you’re still the same pain in my ass you’ve always been.”
Calla flips me off with both hands. “I’m going back to the room.” She heads for the door, but I move faster, crossing the room in a second to block her exit. “Atlas,” she warns.
“Hang on a minute,” I say.
She lets out an exasperated sigh. “What is it?”
“I don’t want you to eat anyone you may encounter between here and the room. Should I go with you?” I’d rather run on the treadmill for a while, but this is more important.
Calla scowls. “No. I think I can make it on my own.”
I search her eyes as she holds my gaze. “You won’t bite anyone on your way back upstairs. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.” Her voice is level and honest.
I nod and step aside to let her leave. “I’ll be up soon.”
“Okay.” She opens the door, then freezes and turns back to me, letting the door close. “Hang the fuck on. Did you just glamour me?” Before I can answer, she continues, “You totally did.”
She’s damn right I did. I’m not taking any chances. With everything going on in the news and the increased number of hunters, we can’t be too careful.
“Just when I thought the playing field was even,” she grumbles under her breath.
I hold back an amused grin. “If it makes you feel better, the others won’t be able to anymore.”
“Just you. Let me guess, perks of siring me? Or is it because you’re extra special and was born a vampire?”
“Probably a bit of both,” I tell her. “Now off you go.” I open the door for her, waiting for her to leave.
She shoots me one more wildly unimpressed glare before she turns and walks out of the fitness center toward the bank of elevators down the hall.
Once she’s on the elevator, I let go of the door and walk toward the row of cardio machines as it closes. Instead of getting in a short workout as I’d planned, I frown when my phone starts buzzing in my pocket. I pull it out and sigh as tendrils of dread wind through my chest.
I sit on one of the workout benches and answer the call with, “What is it?”
“Hello to you too, son.” Simon’s deep voice comes through the line, and I grit my teeth.
