Valerius looked surprised by her words. "I begrudged him every breath he took," he said quietly, then changed the subject to discuss his recent move from Washington, DC, to the den of iniquity that most people fondly called New Orleans.
As they headed back toward the house, Vane flashed in beside her.
Bride's heart wanned instantly at his presence.
"Sorry it took so long," Vane said before he kissed her on the cheek. His scent surrounded her, making her heart pound at his presence. It was good to have him back with her.
"They let you see him?"
He nodded.
"Is he any better?" Valerius asked, surprising her with the depth of sincere concern that she heard in his voice. While they had dined, he had told her about the night the Daimons had attacked Vane's pack and how he, Acheron, Vane, and Fang had fought them off.
Most of all, Valerius had told her how the two wolves had reacted at the death of their beloved sister.
How the last sight he'd had of Vane was him carrying his sister's body away for burial.
"No," Vane said with a sigh. "He's still comatose."
"My apologies." Valerius took a step back and inclined his head to them.
"Since you are here now, I shall take my leave to attend my duties."
Valerius took three steps, then paused and turned back toward them. "By the way, Vane, you have a most charming mate. It would indeed be a pity for the world to lose such a treasure as she. My sword is ever yours to command and my house is here for you so long as she needs protection."
He turned with an imperious whirl and quickly left them alone.
Bride didn't know which of them was more stunned by Valerius's noble declaration. "What did you do to him?" Vane asked her.
"Nothing. We just had dinner and toured the house and grounds."
He shook his head in disbelief. "See, you really are magic." He picked her hand up and placed a sweet kiss on her knuckles that made her stomach quiver.
Placing her hand in the crook of his arm, "You look lovely tonight," he said, then made a single long-stemmed rose appear out of nowhere.
Bride took it from him and smelled it. "If you're trying to seduce me, Vane, you're a bit late. At this point, I'm pretty much a sure thing for you."
He laughed. "In my world the only thing that I'm ever sure about is that someone is most likely lurking in the next shadow to try and kill me."
She stopped and frowned. "You're not kidding, are you?"
"I wish I were. It's what makes being with you so frightening to me. I can't shake the feeling that I'm going to lose you somehow."
She placed a finger over his lips. "Don't talk like that. Have faith."
"All right," he said, kissing her finger. "Tell me, what would you like to do tonight?"
She shrugged. "I don't care as long as I'm with you."
"You are easy, aren't you?"
"Shh," she said, holding her finger up to her lips. "Don't let anyone else know."
He smiled. "Tell you what. I haven't eaten yet. Want to go grab some beignets and then take a carriage ride around the Garden District with me?"
Bride's eyes actually teared up at his offer. She'd lived in New Orleans all her life and had never taken a carriage ride before. They were terribly expensive.
Her father had always thought they were a waste of money for someone who lived in New Orleans, and as a teenager, she couldn't afford the one hundred fifty dollars.