Page 100 of Twice Bitten

“As long as you promise not to do anything weird.” My heartbeat kicked into a gallop.

“Weird is subjective,” he said, which didn’t give me any comfort at all.

I glared at him, but Alric’s lips twitched. With a huff of annoyance, I closed my eyes.

His fingers slid over my face and settled at my temples, feeling magic, cool, and ancient against my skin. Images flickered through my mind; images of the Prime in his youth, young and handsome, dressed in old-fashioned clothing, something that might have been a toga, smiling and carefree. The years passed by, the images grew dark and then darker, bloodier, and more violent.

My breath came out in a wheeze. I put my hand over his, tears streaming from my eyes. “Alric,” I breathed. A woman, dark-haired and stunning, swam in my vision, smiling at him. They walked hand in hand. More years went by, and she disappeared. Grief, raw and never-ending, filled me.

Alric sucked in a shocked gasp and let go. He stumbled back from his chair and stared at me. “Wha—what was that?”

I dashed the tears away. “I have no idea! Did you do something to me?”

His eyes were wide with horror. “Alex.” His voice sounded guttural. “That’s—no.” He shook his head. “That wasn’t me.”

“Well, it sure as shit wasn’t me!”

But he stared at me like he’d seen a ghost. “What did you see?” I asked.

He tore his gaze away and sank back into his seat. “Images. Of you. When you were young, through the years.” He exhaled and picked his mug back up. “That should not be possible.” Our eyes met once more. “You saw things too.”

I nodded.

Alric’s eyes closed for a brief moment. “Did you see her?”

“Who was she?”

Alric didn’t answer for a while. He picked up a napkin and wove it between his fingers. “My wife.”

A gasp escaped me. “Alric.” I reached over and took his hand. His fingers were cool and roughened with use. Whatever and whoever he was, Alric hadn’t always been someone who let others do his work for him. “I’m so sorry.”

He pulled his hand away and tucked it onto his lap. “It was a long time ago.”

His rejection stung. I swallowed and looked down at the coffee in my mug. “She was very beautiful.”

“Yes,” he said hoarsely. “She was many things. Beautiful. Kind.” A harsh laugh escaped him. “And far too good for the likes of me.”

I glanced up. His face looked tortured. “No,” I said softly. “She loved you. She chose you, Alric. It doesn’t matter what you think about yourself. She thought you were good enough, and she married you.”

Humans, witches, and shifters were multifaceted. Why couldn’t vampires be the same? After all, they’d once been human too. Seeing Alric in that light made me realize he was capable of profound, unselfish emotion. I wasn’t sure what to think about the discovery.

He inhaled and nodded once. “There is something I need to show you.” Alric gathered up the scattered breakfast, carefully tucking everything away. “Do you have time to come to the Hive?”

I drained the rest of my coffee. “For a little while. Can Leo bring me back home?”

“Of course.”

I helped him clean everything up. When we were finished, I grabbed my purse. “Ready when you are.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

Alric was uncharacteristically silent on the drive to the Hive. Leo gave me a quizzical look in the rearview, but I looked away. The Prime’s pain belonged to him. I wouldn’t share what I learned, but the information had given me a strange insight into Alric’s character.

That woman had loved him with her entire being. I’d felt the depth of her emotions when she looked at him. Someone who was loved that much could not be entirely evil, could they?

The Prime had lied to me, yes, but I’d done the same to him. He’d brought me breakfast, paid to have my home cleaned, purchased clothing and other items for me, all to what end? What were his intentions?

The never-ending questions were driving me mad.