threw up her hands and stalked toward the door, trying to flee without having to answer. Angus casually got in her way so she couldn’t escape.
“Well, lass?” he asked, beard bristling as he grinned.
She huffed silently at the much larger vampire, gesturing impatiently that he should move. He did nothing of the sort, the others looking on with mild amusement and barely hidden curiosity, awaiting her answer.
This was like getting grilled by the pack when something was afoot that you didn’t want to talk about. Analie felt sympathy for Mouse, but wasn’t about to step in and call attention to herself. Besides, she was just as curious as the others.
Mouse looked very much like she would like to strangle Angus, if only she could reach his neck.
The others started goading and encouraging her to answer, and she finally snapped, signing something with savage jerks of her hands. Judging by the satisfied looks on the others’ faces, she’d just agreed to go ask him, though as soon as Angus moved out of her way she disappeared, the sound of her apartment door slamming coming only a moment later.
Clarisse laughed. “Bets are on for how long it takes her tae do it.”
“$20 on tomorrow night,” Reece said.
“$50 on two hours from now,” said Wes.
Angus grinned. “$50 on an hour and a half.”
Analie had been Mouse’s satellite up until now, carefully making sure to stay near her at all times. Now she was hanging out in room full of (relatively) unfamiliar vampires. It made her jittery.
“Five dollars on one hour,” Analie spoke up.
So far she’d bet ten dollars total on the two wagers. That was big money for her, and she dearly hoped she’d win at least one. It looked like she was going to have to dip into her savings account for Freddy’s upcoming birthday.
Wes glanced at Analie. “Can I switch to an hour, too?”
Clarisse smirked. “Sure, why not?”
“I’ll keep watch,” Wes said, grinning.
“Excellent! I’m going tae watch a movie. Ye lot can join me while we wait, if ye like.”
“Aye,” Angus replied.
“I’ve got to finish getting ready for work, but thanks,” Reece said, waving and heading out.
“I want to see a movie!” Analie said, excited. It had been a while since she’d watched something. Her Saturday movie nights with Freddy had been abruptly cut short and even though he visited, they hadn’t built up the courage to ask anyone for the use of their television. Though Royce had told her she could ask for anything she wanted, Analie felt too indebted to request something so expensive for herself.
Clarisse led the way back to her apartment, ignoring Lisa’s sour look. The other vampire left, taking refuge in the foyer. Angus immediately made himself comfortable on her couch, and vetoed every movie Clarisse mentioned until she chose one in exasperation that sounded suitably violent for his tastes.
* * *
An hour later, Wes came rushing in.
“She did it! Ha! Pay up!”
Clarisse blinked, pausing the movie. “Aye?”
“You bet your ass.”
“The proof?”
“I just saw her go upstairs looking like she was going to her own funeral. What the hell else would she be doing?”
“Ha! So she hasn’t asked him. Not yet.”
Wes groaned and ran his hand down his face. “Come on.”
“It’s as good as done if she asks him,” Analie told Clarisse. “He won’t refuse her. Betcha anything.”
“She might procrastinate past the hour. I’ll bet ye she twiddles her thumbs outside the door, or leaves and comes back later,” Clarisse declared.
“Ye’re ruddy daft, woman!” Angus said.
“Am not!”
“Are!”
“Not!”
“But if Christoph answers the door, she has to stick around,” Analie pointed out. “She can’t just bolt with him right there.”
* * *
Mouse stopped outside Christoph’s apartment, gritting her teeth in frustration. She figured Clarisse had started a betting pool on this, too, and wasn’t too happy about it. She wanted to get it over with so she wouldn’t have to listen to the sly comments and questions anymore.
If he said no, well… fine. Then the rest of the house would bug him to give in instead.
Mouse eventually summoned the courage to knock on the door. She almost fled right then and there. For once, she was grateful both for the fact that she was a vampire, as no blush would mar her skin, and that she was mute. She wouldn’t have to stammer out the words, she could just write what she wanted to say without risking sounding like an idiot.
At the knock, Christoph tossed the magazine he was reading onto the nightstand. The least he could do