do you want?â
Her beautiful face wore a frown as her thick, poignant voice was like music to my ears.
A soulful slow beat from her iPod greeted me as soon as the door was closed.
âHow long are you going to stay away from me?â I asked.
âNot too much longer.â
âI need an exact time frame. We are married and we have to make our bond stronger. You have to stay by your husbandâs side. Do you understand that?â I sat on a chair that was in the corner of the room.
âI love the way that sounds, Rain⦠However, you didnât give me much of a choice that night when you bit me. I never asked or agreed to becomeâ¦thisâ¦â
I leaned back in the chair and rubbed my chin. âI understand, but I really wish youâd get over it. I donât want you to keep holding that over my head forever. I want you to love me the way that I love you. Right now, youâre not connecting with me the way you should. That makes me believe that youâve broken our bond. Have you slept with anyone else, Essence?â
She didnât blink or stutter. In fact, it was as if she had been dying to tell me the truth all along. âYes...â
I took a deep breath and exhaled. âWhy?â
She shrugged. âI just did.â
âWho is he?â
âI canât tell you that.â
âIs he human?â
âNo.â
With a deep frown, I badgered, âAnother vampire?â
âYes.â
âDoes he know that youâre married?â
âYes, he knows everything.â
I didnât need to hear any more. There was no need to find out who this other vampire was. Instead of cutting her head off or ripping her heart out, which I couldâve done at that very moment, I fled from her dorm.
CHAPTER 21
AZURA
A s soon as I got home from closing the club, Onyx called. I rarely came home alone. My male companion had his hands all over my ass. All I was trying to do was get him into my room so I could fuck him. With my annoying phone ringing from my pocket nonstop, I had to answer it. Only someone in my family would be trying to get to me so desperately.
âHold on, baby,â I said. âMy cell is ringing.â
I reached in my pocket to retrieve my phone. It was Onyx. â Bonsoir, mon frère. â
âHave you heard from Legend or any news about Chantal?â
âNo. Why? Whatâs up?â
âHeâs not answering his phone. I just met Chantalâs husband in the alley while leaving Vaisseau.â
âUh-oh. What did you tell him?â
âI told him I never heard of Chantal. He proceeded to tell me that he was going to find her with or without my help.â
I walked over to my couch and sat down, signaling my lover for the night to hold on. âHoly shit. Do you think he knows anything about us? He came right to the club. How did he know where to start searching for her?â
âShe came to Paris with her best friend, Jade. From what Legend told me, Jade had to return to Chicago without Chantal. Iâmsure Jade told Chantalâs husband everything she knew. She came to the club with Chantal, and she saw Chantal go home with Legend.â
âI was afraid this would happen.â
âWe have to warn Legend.â
âDid you try to go over to his place?â I asked.
âNot yet, but I need to.â
âWe canât let Mother and Father know anything about this.â
âExactly. Get some rest,â Onyx said.
âAll right. Iâll talk to you later.â
He hung up and I asked my male lover for the night, âYou ready?â
He nodded.
âBring your sexy ass over here.â
CHAPTER 22
RAIN
A t times, I wondered if my family set the standards too high since I couldnât completely live up to the standard that was set for me. I planned to test the theory about my day-walking powers one day, but not until I felt like it. Other things were on my
C. J. Cherryh
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