Filthy rich VAMPIRE

Chapter 43- Thea

I woke to find Julian asleep in the chair. He was still dressed, and it looked like he hadn't moved an inch during the night. I stared at him for a moment, trying to process everything that had happened in the last twelve hours. I'd been covered in snakes, his mother knew the status of my virginity, I'd been covered in snakes, and, apparently, I was Julian's mate. Whatever that meant. Oh, and I'd been covered in snakes.

Was he my mate?

I needed to know more about this whole mating thing, but how could I ask him? Jacqueline said he seemed to be fighting it. Why? It felt like my head might explode from the sheer number of questions that wanted to come out. But as I watched the sharp lines of his face, softened by sleep, a deep ache swelled in my chest.

Yesterday, I wasn't sure if I could stay.

Today, I wasn't sure if I could leave.

I slipped quietly from the bed and tiptoed into the en suite bath. Closing the door as quietly as possible, I went about my morning routine. Between getting dressed up last night and knowing I would be expected to again this evening, I decided to skip makeup altogether. I splashed a little cold water on my face and reached for the towel.

Julian handed it to me.

"Oh my god!" I clutched my chest as my heart tried to escape through my throat. Taking a few deep breaths to calm myself, I glared at him in the mirror. "Make some noise!"

"I could demand the same," he said dryly, but his face remained contorted with anxiety. "You weren't in bed when I woke up."

"I didn't go far. You were still asleep." I patted dry my face before applying some sunscreen.

"Still..." His hands found my hips as he leaned to nuzzle my shoulder. He lingered there, his eyes closing for a moment as he inhaled. "I'm sorry."

I should push him away, but I didn't want to. After everything he kept from me, I should be angry. I should demand answers. Instead, I only wanted to stay like this, with him. It felt so simple in these moments that I almost forgot how complicated our relationship was becoming.

"Sorry for what?"

"Do you want a list?" His eyes met mine in the mirror. "To start, I should have told you about tethering."

"You think?"

"I'm not sure why I didn't," he admitted, planting a kiss on my shoulder that made me shudder with pleasure. "I'll tell you whatever you want to know about weird vampire shit."

"Really?" I arched an eyebrow, debating if that was a sign that I should ask him about what Jacqueline had said. For some reason, despite the offer, I wasn't ready to ask about it. The truth was that I just didn't believe her. Julian barely knew me. He couldn't possibly want to be stuck with me for the rest of my life. I might not understand what vampire mating was precisely, but I'd seen enough nature documentaries to understand the basic concept.

"But first," he said, and I caught my breath waiting for his condition, "I want to take you on that date."

"Now?"

"Yes." He paused, his eyes darkening slightly. "Sooner rather than later."

"Because we have the theatre tonight." I sighed. Attending a theatre in Paris sounded like a dream. Unfortunately, knowing I would be attending with an audience of vampires sent that dream into nightmare territory.