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He swiftly shakes his head. “That’s not what was going on. If one of those werewolves was your alterum dimidium animae, you would’ve known. I think it happened because you already had—have—a alterum dimidium animae and you were—are—Jules’. And something was getting stolen from you both. And that connection between the two of you rose for a moment as the loss happened.”
“What loss?” I might have an idea, but I don’t dare utter the words.
Legend scratches his chin. “I’m guessing Liberty didn’t tell you this part about the alterum dimidium animae tradition. Otherwise, you probably would’ve figured it out on your own.” He sighs. “When two werewolves share the alterum dimidium animae connection, they’re only intimate with each other.”
“Oh.” Suddenly, Jules never being with another werewolf makes sense. “I guess I sort of broke that tradition, then.” My voice sounds so hollow. “Jules is probably severely disappointed.”
“No, he isn’t. And I never want to hear you say that ever again.” His gaze burns into mine. “I’ve known Jules for a bit, and he isn’t like that. He cares about you. And the only thing that’s going to change now that you’ve told him about the attack is that the killer instinct he’s always lacked just might come out.”
Worry stirs in my chest. “You think he is going to kill his cousin?”
“If not, he’s at least going to torture him slowly, quite possibly for the rest of his life.” Silence hovers between us. “Does that frighten you?”
“No.” The truth falls off my tongue, startling us both. “Does that make me a terrible person?”
“You’re not a person, so no.” He rotates, bringing his knee onto the counter. “And there’s nothing wrong about wanting those wolves to suffer.”
“Maybe … But I’m not sure I want Jules to have their blood on his hands just because something was done to me.”
“Then you should talk to him about it.”
“What if he kills the wolf before I see him again?”
“I doubt he will.” He hops off the counter. “More than likely, he’s going to lock up the attacker and try to get some answers out of him.” He rolls up the sleeves of his shirt. “Try to figure out why he attacked you to begin with.”
“I’d really like to know that, too.” Not that it can erase anything. I simply want to understand some of the stuff my attacker said to me while he brutally pinned me to the ground.
“Well, hopefully we’ll get some answers.” He starts for the door. “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. I need to get some blood to drink. You want me to get you some food while I’m out?”
“Yes.” I slide off the counter. “Before you go, there is one more thing you need to tell me.”
He glances over his shoulder at me. “What?”
I fold my arms across my chest. “Why you’re called Legend.”
“Fine.” He sulks. “Just know that the story makes me look like a really big vampire prick, but I’m really not.”
“I know that.”
“We’ll see if you still think so after I tell you.” He reclines against the door. “I got the name Legend about a century ago after I won a bet.”
“What was the bet?”
He groans, pinching the brim of his nose. “My friends and I had a bet going to see who could sleep with all the Vampire Eternal’s mistresses first.”
I crinkle my nose. “How many were there?”
“I really don’t remember. But no vampire had ever slept with all the mistresses before, and since vampires hate the Vampire Eternals, they all started calling me Legend after I won the bet. The name isn’t really that far off from my real name—Legion—but the more decades that pass, the more I’ve started to hate my nickname.”
“Didn’t you just get thrown into the Common Realm for doing the same thing?”
“I only slept with one of their mistresses that time, and I actually liked her. It wasn’t just for a bet.”
“So, when you won the bet, did you get imprisoned in the Common Realm? You always acted like that was your first time there.”
“It was my first time there. The bet happened way before that law was put into place. But I still got punished for what I did.” He points a finger at me as I start to open my mouth. “Don’t bother asking what the punishment was. I’m not going to tell you.”
“Oh, fine.” I yawn, stretching my arms above my head. “I’ll let you off the hook for now.”
