pull a John. Okay, maybe I am, but only a little bit. But mostly it’s just this knee-jerk reaction to the fact that you’re a vampire. I mean…” Christoph ran both hands through his hair, eyes turning heavenward. “I know you’re not like Lev or those other vampires. So don’t think I think that you are. I just arrived a few hours ago. This is new to me.”
He looked at Analie. She just stared at him, then gave him a weak thumbs-up.
Apologizing was not a skill Christoph had honed. Fighting was.
“But, I swear, if that bastard Max ever shows up, I will tear him apart.”
“You’re very romantic,” Analie commented dryly.
“I mean it.”
Mouse didn’t know what to think. She’d bared some pretty raw emotion that she’d thought had been buried long and deep enough not to hurt her anymore. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. Knowing that all those times Analie flinched unthinking from her when she moved too fast, or from Alec when he placed a hand on her, was due to those horrible stories didn’t do a thing to make Mouse feel any better.
Mostly because she was sure some of her own heinous acts committed for her love and devotion to Max might have made their way into Goliath legends. Hearing those stories was too much of a reminder of the person she had been, and the evil she’d done for the sake of her own or Max’s pleasure.
She really wished she had the bear Ari had given her.
When Christoph started speaking, she didn’t listen at first. Too involved in her worries—but then he startled some choked, silent laughter out of her with the comparison to a snake. Fitting enough, she supposed. And Analie urging him along was amusing, though she was not so ancient that she could ignore she was embarrassed that Analie told Christoph she liked him.
The thought of him or Analie actually meeting Max made the sluggishly pumping blood in her veins feel as though it had very abruptly turned to ice. Frantic, she scrabbled for a pen and paper, though since she never took anyone in her room, she couldn’t find anything to write on right away.
As soon as she found what she was looking for, she hurriedly scrawled another note, practically tearing her door off its hinges as she rushed out.
Don’t EVER try to face Max, just RUN
It scared the hell out of them both that she was moving at about the same speed as Royce had when he attacked Ashi and Christoph—not just a blur, but too fast to be seen until she paused in front of one and then the other. If not for the obvious fright and concern on her features as she dashed back and forth, intent on making both Weres see what she wrote, it would’ve been incredibly intimidating to Christoph.
Analie, not being able to see the finer details, squeaked in surprise at Mouse’s speed and almost threw herself off the couch, but by the time she’d even had the thought Mouse was already across the room. Christoph jumped back, but it was far too late and he wound up moving only six inches before crashing to the floor.
Analie looked at the note and then at Mouse, offering a weak smile. “Hell, if he moves like you do, it won’t matter if we run.”
“Thank you for that comforting thought, Analie,” Christoph grumbled from the floor.
“If we ever see him—”
“If I see him and you’re squinting at what I’m staring at—”
“We’ll run. We promise. Right, Christoph?”
“Yes, Ms. Tannerson.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Mouse relaxed only marginally when they promised. She started using her hands to sign, realized belatedly that they couldn’t possibly understand her, and threw her hands up in frustration. She scribbled something else down on the pad before tossing it at Analie and moving at a much more sedate pace over to Christoph, offering her hand to help him back to his feet. This time, she moved deliberately slow, self-conscious for having reacted so badly and trying to make up for it by being careful and unhurried.
Max = as old as Alec
Faster, stronger than me. BAD news. Stay far away.
Christoph tried not to seem hesitant as he grabbed Mouse’s hand. In comparison to hers, his own hand was massive, but she pulled him to his feet with unnatural ease. He couldn’t ignore the chill to her fingers, either, as if she’d been running her hand under a cold tap. Christoph nodded his thanks, trying to wrap his wits around all of this.
“Okay,