Page 83 of Forsaking All Others

‘Christ, please, surely I don’t deserve this torture?’

She undoes her seatbelt and moves to sit on my lap.

Clearing my throat, I reluctantly put my arms around her.

“We have twenty-four hours,” she breathes into my ear. “I’ve waited twenty-four years to find my man — this is the sign I’ve been waiting for. Let’s not waste another minute.”

Sighing heavily, I flick my eyes to the back of the plane where a bedroom awaits, doors open.

‘At least if I’m fucking her it’ll keep her mouth shut, or not…at the very least it’ll make the time fly. It’s what she wants...if it will make her happy, why not?’

The director, seeing where I’m looking, shakes his head and mouths the word, ‘no.’

‘Yes, that would be breaking the rules.’

The thought cheers me a little, and I rise carrying her just as my phone rings.

“One moment,” I murmur, placing her back into her seat and moving to the bedroom to speak privately, closing the door behind me.

“Wolf, thank fuck,” I groan as I hear his welcome, “you’ve literally saved me from myself.”

“Just a quick call,” he says, chuckling at my tone. “After our last conversation I wanted to make sure you weren’t thinking of topping yourself or anything crazy.”

“Would that I could,” I mutter. “No, I’m embracing your philosophy. I’m showing them all a good time.”

“Well, you’ve always been surrounded by pussy, more than any vampire I’ve ever known; you should be in your element — unless you took on a vow of chastity while you were away on your sabbatical.”

“You know that would never happen,” I snort.

“Atta boy,” he laughs, “they’re there for a good time, not a long time. Make it worthwhile for all concerned. After all, you know what they say; the nicest way to kill a cat is stuffing it with cream.”

“Jesus, no. I think you made that up.”

We both laugh.

“Anyway, Wolf, while I’ve got you, have you heard from Falcon? I sent him a blood sample from one of the competitors and I haven’t heard anything back.”

“The one with the freaky blood?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll ask him about it. We’re visiting tomorrow night.”

“As part of your plan to keep the princess in love with him?”

“Ah, something like that,” he answers evasively.

“Wolf,” I sigh. “You can’t tell me half information and expect me not to notice.”

“I’m helping him with Suzume,” he says quietly. “Some boyfriend of hers is concerning him. I offered to rough him up a little to encourage him to set his sights in another direction.”

“Sounds just like a Falcon plan,” I chuckle. “And not in a good way.”

“That’s what Angie said. She got wind of the proposal and has summoned me. I expect I’m going to be right royally reamed. She has a temper, that one.”

I laugh quietly.

“Yes, she does. I feared that might be dulled somewhat after…”