But suspecting that Hollywood monsters might creep around in the dark was considerably different from being their houseguest.
She was still weighing the pros and cons of cowering in the bed, when the door to the room was pushed open and Styx’s mate, Darcy, peeked her head inside.
“May I come in?”
Anna instinctively smiled. Darcy didn’t look like a werewolf. Actually, she looked like an adorable urchin with her spiked blond hair and huge green eyes in a heart-shaped face. She also possessed one of those in-love-with-life-and-everyone-in-it personalities that made you melt on the spot.
Even the grim-faced Styx hadn’t been able to conceal his absolute adoration for the woman.
“Of course.”
Pushing the door wider with her foot, Darcy entered with a large tray that she set on the bed next to Anna.
“I thought you might be hungry.”
Anna sucked in a heady breath of the delicious scents filling the air. “Actually, I’m starving.”
“Good.” With a charming lack of formality, Darcy planted herself on the bed, tucking her bare feet beneath her and staring openly at her guest. Anna hid a smile, thinking the woman looked more like a teenager than a fearsome beast in her ratty jeans and T-shirt. “I brought a fresh-fruit salad and zucchini lasagna. I’m afraid I’m a vegetarian so I didn’t have any meat in the house at such short notice, but I can get whatever you want tomorrow.”
Anna blinked in surprise. “But I thought…”
“Yes?”
Ducking her head in embarrassment, Anna took a bite of the lasagna. “Nothing.”
“Please ask me whatever you want, Anna.”
Anna swallowed, inwardly wondering about the etiquette of asking about a person’s species.
“I just thought that Cezar said that Styx’s mate was a werewolf.”
“I am.”
“Oh.” Anna lifted her head to meet the amused green gaze. “But you don’t eat meat?”
Darcy wrinkled her tiny nose. “I won’t bore you with my life history, but basically I was genetically altered so that while I possess a few werewolf traits I never shift and I never feel the pangs of bloodlust.” She gave a sudden chuckle. “Well, except on those occasions when my mate needs to be put in his place.”
Ah, a woman after her own heart.
Anna smiled as she took another large bite of the pasta. “If he’s anything like Cezar I would think that he needs to be put in his place on a daily basis.”
“It does seem to be a vampire trait.”
Actually Anna was quite certain that it was a man trait.
She popped a piece of watermelon in her mouth. “This is delicious.”
“I can’t take credit.” Darcy reached out to nab a breadstick. “I lured away Viper’s housekeeper, who happens to be an artist in the kitchen. She’s helping me to open a new health-food store that offers prepared meals.”
Anna polished off the last of the lasagna before her sticky-fingered companion could snag a bite. “If this is anything to go by it’s going to be a fabulous success.”
Together they demolished the fruit salad, and with a deep sigh of pleasure Anna wiped her hands and set aside the tray.
Once Anna was comfortably settled on the mound of pillows at her back, Darcy returned to gazing at her with that open curiosity.
“Cezar mentioned that you are a lawyer?”
“In L.A.”