Her hand went to her hip, where she’d seen the dark mark. If she listened to her fear, she’d avoid looking at it again. Deep down, she knew its appearance wasn’t a coincidence.
She pushed from the table and stood, followed by Finn, who remained close.
Violet couldn’t control the tremble in her hands as she lifted her sweater and pushed her jeans down a little to uncover her mark.
She swallowed hard. “Has it shifted?”
Finn bent his tall frame to look closer, so close she could feel his warm breath on her skin, making her shiver.
“It hasn’t shifted, it’s grown.”
Her blood turned to ice. Everything in her wanted to collapse, frightened of what had happened to her, and of the consequences.
“Vi! Violet!” Finn’s voice sounded like a whip, bringing her back from her gloomy thoughts. It wasn’t like her. She was a fighter; she had to pull through. “You’re shaking, and you’re pale, whiter than a damn vampire as you say.”
The half-sarcastic tone, as well as the strength of his hands holding her shoulders, finished steadying her. “I hate being weak. I wasn’t like that, and I don’t want to be.”
And even worse, now tears welled in her eyes. Violet swiped at them with the back of her hand.
Finn, nodded, before releasing her. “Then, take steps to get it done. First, you need to eat. And after we can start looking for answers.”
His use of the word we reminded her she wasn’t having to face what had happened alone. He’d said that she could trust him, and she had for a while now. And she had her friends to support her too. All she needed was to hang onto her courage, slowly rebuild inside herself to uncover the truth and make sure it never happened again.
Chapter 10
Being with Violet was an excruciating exercise in frustration and patience. It wasn’t the first time Finn had wanted to strangle the witch, but this time the situation was slightly different. Before, the red-haired spitfire was all assurance and rebellion. Now, he still saw the same flame inside her, but there were cracks in her amour, letting through another side of her, more vulnerable, but also, he suspected, closer to the real Violet.
He’d been curious about her before; now, seeing this new facet of her, she’d become fascinating. The taste of her skin and lips, the hard beat of her heart when she was in his arms trembling from her orgasm was etched even deeper inside him. The predator that laid in wait wanted more.
Not that it was off the table, but for now, he needed to use his diplomatic and negotiation skills for a delicate mission: making her eat.
Back at her house, he’d tried to get her to sit while he searched for something edible to put on the table, but she only wanted to head to town. Another sign her old self was lurking nearby, ready to take over.
Finn only won the argument of stopping to grab a bite first because he was the one with the car keys and had no intention of letting her drive even though Violet had insisted they use her car.
Now, they sat in a cozy booth as people bustled around, it was obvious the witch needed more convincing before she put anything in her mouth.
“Just order something on the menu. Anything that can be considered a meal.”
Violet exhaled, still looking at the menu. “I told you, I’m not hungry.”
“Let me put it this way. It’s not normal not to be hungry. If that’s the case, our next stop will be to the doctor, or whoever you people use as a doctor.”
Finn smiled when she snarled at him and looked back at the menu. Minutes ticked by, and he sensed the waitress looking at them, waiting for any sign to jump on them.
“Are you ordering anything?”
Her question made him frown. Eating was not a necessity for him. The older the vampire, the less he’d continue those habits. Finn did eat though, despite his old age and enjoyed it from time to time. “If I order something, will you eat?”
The sweet smile she offered him was definitely a trap. “We can share something.”
He’d argue, but if it put food in front of her, he’d go along with her idea.
Finn called the waitress and smiled. “One plate of hot stacks to share, and two coffees, please.”
The older woman all but bowed, which made Violet snicker.
“Lay off the glamour. You’re gonna give the poor woman a heart attack!”
It annoyed him that she thought his interactions with the world were enforced with some sort of power. Very carefully and contained, he put his elbows on the table and leaned forward.
“Is that really the way you think I operate?”
It was her time to lean forward, and the scent of her skin made him want to rake his canines against her neck.
“You’ve never done that?”
With a sigh, he bowed his head. “I did, a long time ago after I first turned. Power can go to your head, but experience and hardships show you another way.”
Finn fell silent when the waitress came back with their coffees. He doctored it to his liking and assessed the crowd as Violet did the same. Maybe someone would cause a racket loud enough to put a stop to the conversation. However, he’d never been that lucky.
“I forget you live a lot longer than the rest of us.”
“Shifters tend to live longer than humans, and witches too.”
“Yes, but not centuries. How old are you?”
Thinking about his past always made him uncomfortable. “Very old.”
Violet took a sip, never breaking eye contact. “You’re evading. I was told you’re from the twelfth century. Is that right?”
It was clear she wasn’t about to let it go. “I’m older than that, but I don’t tell anyone how much older.”
“Why?”
“Because incredibly old vampires are dangerous, and people tend to steer clear of them. I like to keep my ear to the ground, and
