He glared. “Still you.”
Sighing, I sat down on the bed. “I’m sorry for…” I waved my hand over him. “That.”
He looked down. “Oh, a simple chemical reaction to your kiss.”
“Huh?” I looked where he was looking and then nearly burst into flames. “Um….”
He was still staring. “Though it’s quite large? Is that normal for a human?”
Still blushing, I looked away. “How would I know?”
“You’re a woman.”
“So?”
“So you’ve lain with human men.”
My eyebrows nearly met the sky. “Excuse me?”
“Siren.” Cassius seemed confused. “It was your glamour. Therefore, you practiced seduction, mainly of humans, did you not?”
“Not! Most definitely not!” I yelled. “I never… slept with them!”
“Silly, who sleeps? You fornicate.”
“Please don’t say fornicate. In my bed.”
“Would you rather I stand and say it?”
“Why? Are you so ancient that simple manners during conversation escape you?”
“Sorry… You fornicate in bed… please?” He looked even more confused.
Alex’s laughter from down the hall didn’t help. “Sirens love manners in bed!”
“Shut up!” I yelled slamming the door in his face and glaring back at Cassius. “Look, maybe we should talk about what I saw, and then you can start my training.”
Cassius clenched his jaw. “You saw a memory, nothing more.”
“But—”
“And you’re training…” He heaved himself out of the bed and stood on wobbly feet. “…begins as soon as Mason cooks meat.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, we feed you again and then lesson time?”
“Yes.” Cassius leaned toward me and whispered, “Why do you smell so good?” His eyes dilated as he reached out to touch my skin.
“I’m a Dark One. I think that’s part of the attraction, right?”
“Right.” He stumbled over his words. “Yes, that’s it, of course. We should… eat.”
Cassius
“SLOW DOWN, TIGER.” ALEX LAUGHED at my expense, but I was too hungry to care. Why was I always so hungry? As if my stomach was in constant anger at its emptiness?
I chewed then swallowed. “I am not a tiger.”
“Sar—”
“—casm,” I finished for him. “I’m not an idiot, but name calling is lost on me. I’ll slow down when this—” I patted my stomach. “—is full.”
“You’ve had three steaks.” Mason spooned more steaming green beans onto my plate. “You’re going to put us in the poor house with the way you’re putting away food.”
“Impossible. Immortals have endless amounts of resources and money.”
Alex reached for one of my green beans. “Not with the way you’re eating.”
I stabbed at him with my fork and growled, “Get your own.”
“I don’t need food. I just find great satisfaction in trying to steal yours. What are you going to do about it?” His smile deepened. Damn I wanted to punch him. “Fight me?”
“Poke the bear, and when he wakes up from his hibernation he may just remove your intestines with a fork.” I lifted my fork in the air and matched his smile. “And it pleases me that the only time you could ever beat me in a fight would be when I’m this weakened. Sirens aren’t known for their muscle.”
“No.” Alex’s lips twitched. “But we are known for our prowess in bed. Try not to be jealous, Dark One.”
I snorted. “The last thing I’d be jealous of is the poor humans that stumble into your bed while you promise eternity only to fan your own narcissism.”
“My touch saves lives.” Alex chuckled. “Or so I’ve been told.”
Mason plopped down between us and snarled as he started slowly, methodically, slicing his meat into tiny pieces.
Pieces fit for a mouse.
Mason had always been more sensitive than the others, so I kept my mouth shut… or tried, that is, until he started lifting the fork to his lips.
Alex’s eyes went so wide I thought he was going to explode on the spot.
We both watched. Waited.
But the minute the meat was brought to Mason’s lips, he frowned and set the fork back down.
Alex let out a defeated sigh and looked away.
“Mason.” I licked my lips and pushed my plate away so I could lean across the large wooden table. “You honor her by trying.”
Mason had once been mated. But the curse of the humans had taken his mate’s life during the night. He’d woken up to her cold in his arms.
I had seen it coming.
But I was never allowed to alter those types of futures, the ones that dealt with life or death.
That was above even the Archangels.
We were not allowed to play Creator. It was not our place, would never be our place. It was why, saving Genesis a few weeks ago had gone against everything I’d been taught.
Thankfully, Sariel had agreed with our decision as had the Creator, or we would have all been… nothing but dust.
“The scent of meat reminds me of her,” Mason finally said, his voice gruff. “She loved steak.”