“You don’t, do you?”
He chuckled. “Not my style. Slayers are useful to those who make enemies for themselves—or those who spend their time gallivanting around the world on some sort of quest, I suppose.”
Being stuck here, he’d never needed any.
“Fair enough. All right, I'll make dinner—and hot chocolate," she announced. "Any preference?"
Reaching the kitchen, he leaned against the doorframe and smiled, watching her open cupboards and pull out ingredients with familiarity. She truly was at home here now.
"Lex?"
Alexius didn’t think she’d said his name before. He certainly hadn’t expected her to shorten it. But he liked it.
A lot.
He tilted his head. "Hm?"
"Any preference for dinner?"
He laughed. "Quite the perfect housewife. There's an apron in the cupboard if you'd like to wear one."
She rolled her eyes. "In your dreams."
"Undoubtedly. And anything will do. Put me to work, if you'd like. I can chop onions and peel potatoes. Whatever you desire."
Avani laughed. "In other words, you don't trust me in your kitchen?"
He winced. "Well, there was quite a bit of washing up last time."
She had made a wonderful earthy stew with meat so fresh he suspected she’d hunted it down, but the kitchen had been left in a state of complete and utter chaos. Why she even used half of the stuff inside, he had no idea.
She narrowed her eyes. “I’ll do the washing up."
"Or you can let me serve you. I'll be your sous-chef. Command, I obey."
Avani snorted. "Yeah, right. I totally peg you for a follower."
"You'll find I can take direction very well when I'm inclined to." He held her gaze, and to his satisfaction, she blushed. That was a rare occurrence.
"All right. How about some risotto? I'll need two shallots—diced, if you would."
By the time she'd warmed up some milk, he'd peeled and diced them. She turned, and groaned. "Vampire speed. Way to make the rest of us feel inadequate."
He laughed. "No, actually. Using our powers to go faster takes up some energy. I don't do it without cause. But I did train under a French chef in the eighteen hundreds. He whipped my cutting technique into shape." He rolled the knife between his fingers and asked, "Next?"
"You're such a show-off. Mushrooms, please."
He turned some music on and worked on a batch of wild mushrooms in companionable silence.
"Hey, did you catch what Eirikr said about me?"
Alexius tilted his head, intrigued. Eirikr hadn't paid much attention to Avani, other than announcing that he liked her, no doubt to get on everyone else's nerves. What he knew of the ancient suggested that Eirikr was a highly proficient psychic; he’d read Alexius’s fondness for Avani, Levi’s desire to get along with him for Chloe’s sake, and he’d naturally decided to fuck with all of them, no doubt just for his entertainment. The man lived in an empty cave, after all. Every time Alexius felt like despairing over his own cage, he told himself, “At least I’m not Eirikr.” The elder was bound to know a thing or two about boredom, even though he had cable now.
Alexius closed his eyes and focused his memory on the trip to the cave, replaying everything in his mind, a neat trick he rarely used.
"Immortal wolf," Alexius echoed. "That's what he called you. Perhaps he sensed your sire's energy in you."
"Oh, yeah, that's probably it. All right. The food will be ready in ten minutes."
She hoisted herself up on the countertop, grinning. Alexius couldn't help it, he always smiled back at her. An automatic reaction.
"Where did you learn to cook?" he asked, washing his hands.
If her first meal and the smell around the house from this one was any indication, she was good at it. He didn’t even like mushroom risotto. When he made it.
“My friend, Julie, actually. She…” Avani grimaced. “She was always into cooking and that sort of thing. Then, she lost her parents early and started to do it every day. We hung out in the kitchen a lot, and I picked up a few things.”
Her voice had changed, becoming darker and colored with sadness.
Alexius finished drying his hands and threw the towel back on its hook before coming to stand next to Avani. "There's more to it. Tell me."
He wanted to know everything. Especially what made her sad. He'd fix it.
"Just something I learned today. Turns out, her guardian was a vile fiend who deserves to choke on his testicles."
He chuckled. She had a way with words. "Oh?"
"The new alpha. He used to force himself on her. I never knew. That makes me feel like a terrible friend.”
Alexius blinked. "How would you like me to murder him?"
She laughed, apparently under the impression he was joking. "I wouldn't. I'd prefer doing it myself. And I might just get an opportunity, depending on how things go on the full moon.”
He lifted his mug of chocolate. “Here's to small mercies."
She hopped down to check the food.
"I don't see you in the Wolvswoods. I can't picture it. I've been there before; it's beautiful. The wolf village seemed quite quaint from a distance. But that place is too small for you. Too confining. I can't imagine you have much in common with most of your pack."
"Yes, and no. I'm pretty much a homebody. I like my space, like most wolves, and I'm happy reading books, watching movies. I need to use up energy, of course, but most of the pack is in the same boat, so I could spar every day if I wanted to. In many ways, the pack suited me. Especially after wi-fi was installed. Plus, it was safe. Safer than the rest of the world for a lone she-wolf."
He could imagine that.
"But I admit it wasn't all that in many other ways. I couldn't have a conversation about philosophy, or personal beliefs; their stance on many things just pissed me off. Werewolves aren't sexist, exactly—females are respected. When they're dominant fighters. The way the submissives—males and females—are viewed and treated infuriated me. I never understood it. It's not how I was raised. For the first part of my life, I lived in a world where seeing others as inferior based on genetics wasn't okay. So, I couldn't quite connect to most of them. Let alone have a relationship with anyone."
That did intrigue him. "No one in your pack caught your eye?"
She laughed. "They're all more or less easy on the eyes. Wolf genes tend to be pretty awesome. Unfortunately, they have brains and mouths they choose to use. The alpha's son—the wolf you helped me get away from—was one of the most attractive guys, comparatively. He also believed he was entitled to me, because, well, he wanted me. And he thought that it was my duty to comply. Others agreed. There's a lot of inbreeding—they have to be careful when they mate, to avoid their direct cousins. As a wolf changed by Knox himself, with no ties to their bloodlines, I was a prize." She grimaced. "Some of the most disgusting ones thought I should just give free pussy, actually. Join their harem in the Pleasure House and pop out their babies." She looked down to his hand, and laughed, grabbing his wrist and lifting it to her eyes. "I thought I smelled blood."
He'd clasped his fist so hard during her story that he'd broken the skin, his anger getting the better of him. It healed as they watched it.
"Sorry. That's just pretty messed up."
And it made him want to punch something. Bite into someone. Hard.
"Yeah. One of the many reasons why I'm not sorry I'm out of the pack. I just want them to leave me alone. If it ends badly and there's violence…well, I'd feel pretty shitty. For what it's worth, not everyone is horrible in the pack. And they took me in. Took care of me for twelve years."
"Because they wanted you to breed their mutts. Whatever happens to them, they've earned it." Alexius could feel darker instincts that hadn't been quite so wild in an era burn inside him. If he listened to himself, he'd go there right now and wipe out every single one of them.
"Not all of them," Avani reminded him. "Besides, only a couple of guys made themselves a nuisance. The others knew I'd kick their asses if they so much as walked in my personal space."
He had to laugh. “You know, I didn't think shifters could resist their instinct to give in to lust. A weaker woman would have caved, just to get release.”
Shifters were as much human as they were animals, and their beast had needs; touch, sex, hunting, and eating fresh kills were some of the essential parts of a werewolf’s life.
Avani snorted. “Oh, I didn't say I was a prude. I went to Edinburgh with the rest of the pack once a month. Knox sent out guards to make sure everything went smoothly. We left around noon and came back the next day. Let's just say, I used to take full advantage of those twenty-four hours."
He had to quiet the stupid part of him that protested at the thought of her touching anyone. He was envious of those who’d gotten to kiss her, taste her, fuck her. Which was ridiculous and uncharacteristic.
He leaned in, his voice teasing, though he didn't doubt there was no amusement in his eyes. Just heat. "Twenty-four hours, huh?"
She winked. "When I could find two or three guys in a row."
Fuck. He felt his cock harden, imagining a partner who had that sort of endurance and libido. She might just match him.
“Sounds to me like you should find one man who can go the distance.” He barely recognized his voice, the heat so thick he sounded hoarse with need.
"If you ever see one, point them my way." She grimaced. "Wait, am I flirting? I’m not supposed to flirt with you.”
He lifted a brow. "Oh? Is there a rule I don’t know about?”
Avani sighed, plating their food. "I was pestered as soon as I grew boobs. I never want to be awkward and harass guys who aren’t into me. It's my only rule when it comes to men, actually." She was quick to change the subject. "Food's ready. Hungry?"