You and Katrina seem to have a very caring dynamic, and I’d venture you’re both in love, but I get the impression you two have a somewhat unconventional relationship.”
Caleb considered it was a pretty good read on Tanisha’s part. He and Katrina had attended both a movie premiere and a jazz concert with Tanisha and her husband during the past two weeks and he was gratified to find that all four of them seemed to get along quite well.
“Conventional is an antiquated term, don’t you think?” he countered. “There’s usually more to a couple’s relationship than what’s presented to the outside world. There is always something that’s only known between just those two people. What’s important is that a couple arrives at mutually agreeable terms for the structure of their relationship.”
“So true,” she readily agreed, but frowned. “However, I’m usually pretty good at reading people, and I think Katrina has more than just a protective nature about you.”
Caleb tensed slightly as he considered the direction in which the conversation was going.
“It’s subtle, but I noticed a couple of times that her eyes follow you when you’re across the room from her. It’s like she always has you on her radar. Take the other night at the movie theater, for example. Katrina and I were chatting near the refreshments area waiting for you and William to return from the restroom, when three rough-looking young men walked into the lobby. You exited the restroom just as those guys walked past you. Well, one of them bumped your shoulder as he passed, and I noticed Katrina’s eyes narrow. The way the light caught them, I thought for just a second her eyes were almost glowing.”
Caleb’s expression turned serious, and he listened closely to what Tanisha was telling him. It was something Katrina hadn’t mentioned from that night.
She continued, “It was just an effect of the lobby lights, I’m sure. But her expression made me think, just for an instant, mind you, that she was ready to plow through a lobby full of people just to get to you. It was like she was a canon ready to fire, you know? Frankly, she looked dangerous.”
He nodded and tried to appear only casually interested in what she was telling him. But inside, his mind was racing as he easily imagined the event. Although it wasn’t as if he had never seen Katrina with a dangerous look about her, either. He reflected on how intimidating and feral she could appear when provoked or angry. But then, that’s an alpha vampire for you.
Tanisha laughed. “Well, I was thinking I would hate to be the person who tried to hurt you. Katrina suddenly seemed to be wired as tightly as an attack dog.”
He grinned, “Well, it’s true that her martial arts knowledge would come in handy in a dark alley.”
Her expression turned more serious and introspective, and she asked, “Caleb, was Katrina ever in the military or law enforcement?”
“No, not that I know of. Why do you ask?”
She shrugged. “No reason. I have a younger brother, Richard, who’s an Army Ranger, and he gets that same look in his eyes sometimes. He’s seen some heavy combat duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, and once in a while he can almost appear scary to me. I thought that a couple of Katrina’s expressions reminded me of Richard’s.”
Caleb reassured her, “Nope, no combat zones for Katrina. She’s the most loving, gentle, and kindest woman I’ve ever known. But I suppose that, much like any of us, Kat probably has a dark side.”
His thoughts mulled over what Tanisha said, and he confessed that Katrina intimidated him on rare occasions as well. Yet, he loved her more than life itself. Moreover, he had to be on guard that his conversations with Tanisha stayed well away from any hint of his mate’s vampire nature. Rule number one of his oath to Katrina was to ensure he never revealed her true identity to anyone.
However, it wasn’t as if the other six rules were any less important to him. He was ready to reveal to Katrina any knowledge or suspicion of anyone who might have determined her true existence or nature. He would never willingly give or submit himself to another vampire. And he certainly would only partake in Katrina’s blood when she offered it to him.
That’s handy, he thought, recalling how her blood had saved him from possibly dying of a horrible case of the ’flu. As for the fifth rule, he was not to