[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Drinking from a glass is tame in comparison."
Meryn started to grin. "Would you drink from a man?"
Gavriel nodded.
"Would you drink in a van?" she asked her eyes dancing.
"I don't see why not," he replied.
Elizabeth stared at Meryn as she continued.
"Would you drink from an actor?"
Again Gavriel nodded.
Laughing Elizabeth shook her head at Meryn.
"Would you drink on a tractor?" Meryn could barely get the words out she was laughing so
hard.
Gavriel frowned. "Maybe from a farmer if the need were dire."
Her mate's serious answers to Meryn's macabre Dr. Seuss questioning made the scene all the
more hilarious.
"Don't, please, Meryn." Elizabeth gasped.
The men were staring at them as if they were crazy. When they had both caught their breaths,
Aiden frowned down at his mate.
"I can never understand what you say," he complained.
Meryn shrugged. "That's not my fault, I tried to indoctrinate you into the wonderful world of
the gamer geek, but it's like you have some sort sci-fi/fantasy narcolepsy. It's weird. The second I try
to show you something you fall asleep."
Aiden grimaced. "I can't help it, it makes me tired."
Meryn looked back to Gavriel. "What does that taste like?" she asked.
Colton laughed and Darian groaned before reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. He
took out a twenty and passed it to Colton.
Colton shook his head and tucked it into his shirt pocket. "I told you she would ask."
Darian scowled at his friend. "I should have known better."
Gavriel regarded Meryn, his eyes kind. Elizabeth knew her mate wasn't mad. Meryn wasn't
asking to be rude, she just wanted to know. She had no idea what a huge breech of etiquette it was to
ask a vampire about blood.
"It has the viscosity of thick cherry syrup, the intoxicating jolt of your morning cappuccino and
the comforting savory taste of a hearty winter stew," Gavriel held up his glass and winked at Meryn.
She licked her lips. "Can I try?"
Aiden shook his head. "No Meryn, it wouldn't taste the same for you. You've licked a cut
finger before right?" he asked. She nodded. "To us blood simply tastes like meat or hamburger, it's
nowhere near as enticing as it is for a vampire," he explained.
She blinked at him. "Wait. Your blood tastes like hamburgers? How is that fair? When I lick a
cut on my finger all I taste is copper." She frowned down at her finger.
Aiden looked around the table. "Blood tastes like hamburgers to you guys, right?" he asked.
Elizabeth nodded, as did Colton. Keelan and Darian shook their heads.
"To me, blood tastes like earth." Darian was now frowning at his own finger.
"It tastes like ozone to me, the way ozone smells anyway," Keelan contributed.
Elizabeth glanced around the table. Now all the men except Gavriel were staring at their
fingers. "How did we not know that? I always assumed it tasted the same for everyone," she asked.
Ryuu walked in and set a platter of fresh pastries in front of them. "That's because our people
are so concerned with being proper that they forgot how to be curious. Meryn has no preconceived
notions of etiquette so when she wants to know something she asks. Curiosity is valued and
encouraged amongst humans, whereas we value tradition and status." Ryuu's explanation seemed to
weigh the room down. Finally Meryn broke the silence.
"So basically I kick ass, yet again," she said seriously and reached for another pastry.
Elizabeth couldn't help it, she began to laugh. Aiden shook his head smiling and Colton began
to flick crumbs at Meryn. Meryn's inborn need to avoid tension and confrontation led her to be
slightly silly, but that also meant those around her were usually smiling.
Elizabeth picked up her own pastry and took a bite. She had lucked out, it was a spinach and
feta mix. Humming happily she finished that pastry and reached for another. When she had consumed
two more she noticed that her mate had yet to eat anything but was instead on his eighth glass of
blood. That was more than four times the normal blood requirement and still he drank. Concerned she
tapped his leg and nodded to the red tinted empty glass. Gavriel brought her hand up and kissed her
knuckles. Ryuu set another two glasses down and took the emptied glasses away. Gavriel kissed her
hand one more time before releasing it to pick up his glass.
"So what would I taste like?" Meryn asked. Aiden growled and pulled her closer to him.
Gavriel shook his head. "Meryn, you're the only one in Lycaonia whose blood isn't enticing to
me at all."
Aiden stopped growling, a surprised look on his face. "You never told me that."
Gavriel took another long drink and set the glass down. "I'm not sure why, but even when I'm
at my most thirsty, she has no appeal whatsoever to me."
Meryn looked at Gavriel, the insecurity in her eyes was there for everyone to see. "Am I not
good enough?" she asked quietly. Aiden immediately nuzzled her neck and rubbed his chin over the
top of her head making Meryn's head rock from side to side like a bobble head.
"Meryn, that's not it at all. Trust me, I would rather drink from you than Colton," Gavriel said
gently.
"Hey! I resent that. I am irresistible to both sexes, thank you very much," Colton preened.
Meryn smiled at Colton then frowned. "I wonder why I don't seem yummy."
Aiden kissed the back of her head. "You're yummy to me," he admitted.
"Besides, if he's going to drink from anyone, it's going to be me. Sorry, Colton." Elizabeth
winked at the wolf shifter.
Colton pouted, then laughed. "I guess you can have him," he teased.
"Thanks, he's the mate of my dreams and I'm not giving him up." She leaned into Gavriel when
he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"I've been meaning to ask you, did you dream about me, before we met?" Gavriel asked,
looking down at her.
Elizabeth shook her head. "Sort of. I would dream about situations and then they would
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]