It was a casual remark. He had no way of knowing about his slip of the tongue. Pet. That’s what I called Thea. I meant it affectionately. Or had I known all along that I meant to keep her?
“Just find a familiar that pleases our parents, knock her up, and move on with your life,” Sebastian added. “You need the blood anyway. Even your wife will understand that. She can’t argue with your need to feed, and from what I hear about marriage, she’ll be happy to let you keep fucking your pretty human if it keeps the peace.”
Something snapped inside me. One minute, I was listening, disgust snowballing inside me. The next, I had Sebastian by the throat. His feet dangled a foot from the ground. Sebastian opened his mouth, but the only sound he made was a gurgle.
“Stop calling her my pretty human,” I roared. “Stop talking about fucking her or keeping her on the side.” My hand crushed into his larynx. Blood beaded from where my fingernails had broken his skin.
A firm hand clapped onto my shoulder. “Julian,” Benedict said my name gently. “Put our brother down before you pop off his head by accident.”
“It wouldn’t be an accident,” I seethed.
“Believe me, you have my empathy, but you don’t really want to behead your brother.”
I wasn’t entirely certain that was true. Slowly, I forced my fingers to relax until he fell on the floor. Sebastian touched his neck gingerly. When he pulled back bloody fingers, he chuckled. “I told you it was bad.”
“You’re doing that infuriating thing where you act like I’m not here,” I warned them. Another surge of adrenaline hit me, but I managed to stumble back to my chair. Benedict picked up the bottle and poured us all another drink.
“It seems like things are a little more complicated with your human than you’re admitting.” Benedict held up a hand in surrender. “No judgment. We’re here to help. Sebastian told me something was up.”
I glared at Sebastian. But he didn’t even have the decency to pretend he hadn’t been gossiping behind my back.
“Now, where is your girlfriend?” Benedict asked, choosing each word carefully, so he wouldn’t set me off.
“She went to a party.” I downed my Scotch with one swallow and beckoned for another. As a vampire, it was hard to get drunk–but not impossible. I aimed to try.
Benedict sank into the chair opposite of mine. His drink remained untouched in his hand. “I’ve never seen you like this before. I mean, I understand the urge to rip Sebastian’s head off–”
“Hey!” Sebastian interjected. “This is what I get for trying to help.”
Benedict continued, ignoring him, “–but it’s not like you to be so…”
“Grouchy?” I offered.
“No, you’re usually grouchy,” Sebastian said. Clearly, he wasn’t worried I would finish what I’d started with his neck.
“Violent. Possessive.” Benedict settled against his chair. He swirled the amber liquid in his cup. “I’ve heard stories about recent blood-rage and blood-lust outbursts.”
“Mother is exaggerating,” I said.
“Is Bellamy?” he asked seriously. “No wonder the rumor is that you’re off the marriage market.”
“I was never on the market,” I said bitterly. This was turning into the worst family reunion ever.
“You never will be at this rate.” Sebastian dipped his finger into the bottle’s neck and then flipped it over. Pulling his finger free, he wiped away the blood on his neck from our disagreement. The wounds were already healed. No permanent damage had been done, and he didn’t seem angry with me.
I just couldn’t understand why.
“What’s going on?” Benedict asked. “What’s so special about this girl?”
I shifted forward and leveled a searing gaze at them. “If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone. Not Mom or Dad. Not even Lysander or Thoren.” The last thing I needed was more of my brothers involved in this mess.
“Your secret is–”
“I need you to promise.” I dragged a nail across the palm of my hand. Blood welled onto the spot, and I stuck my hand out.
“Seriously? A blood-vow?” Sebastian laughed, but he shut up when I turned a furious look to him. “Fine! Keep your gloves on.”
He slipped his own gloves free and repeated suit. Reaching over, he shook my hand. “I swear to never tell anyone that you are batshit crazy because you’re my brother, and I love you–even though you tried to kill me.”
“I’m holding you to that,” I said gruffly. “And I’m sorry I tried to kill you.”
Sebastian shrugged. “It happens.”
Benedict watched the exchange in silence. I looked at him and waited. Sebastian might complain about being asked to make a blood-vow, but he’d always say yes. Benedict was more careful with the secrets he agreed to keep. Committing to a blood-vow was a somber choice for him. He had to be wondering what secret I was keeping that required such an extreme measure.
Finally, he stood and removed his calfskin gloves. A moment later, he made the vow. “I’ll take your secret to the grave.”
I sighed with relief. They waited expectantly.
“Thea is a virgin,” I said before I lost my courage.
“I was not expecting you to say that,” Sebastian admitted, sounding on the verge of laughter.
Benedict wasn’t nearly so amused. “What the hell are you thinking? Is this why you’re practically ripping people’s heads off for mentioning her? Virgins and blood-lust don’t mix, dickhead.”
“Thank you,” I said dryly. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Seriously, Julian. You need to let her go before it’s too late.”