Zen and the Art of Vampires

The little wretch had the nerve to grin at him.

'One who may just not find herself going to Ostri after all,' I said in an undertone with a particularly potent look her way.

She stuck out her tongue at me.

'Child!' Ingveldur smacked Dagrun on the shoulder. 'You do not behave such to the Zorya.'

'Spirits? What spirits?' Alec asked. His frown deepened as he eyed me.

'You don't see them?' Kristoff asked.

'No.'

Both men frowned at me now. The ghosts all stood around watching expectantly, obviously enjoying the strange soap opera my life had become.

'Why don't we go somewhere a little less public to discuss things,' I suggested wearily. I couldn't look Alec in the eye—it was too unnerving with Kristoff standing right there pretending nothing had happened the night before, particularly when both men stood discussing my marriage to a third. I shook my head at my own thoughts and waved a hand at the ghosts. 'I saw a restaurant a couple of blocks from here where we can have some breakfast and talk.'

'All of us?' asked Ulfur, giving Kristoff a doubtful look.

'No, you guys stay here, where you're safe. I'll be back as soon as I can.'

'Take care of yourself, child,' Agda said, her eyes alight with mischief. 'And get some food into your belly. By the look your man is giving you, you're going to be needing it.'

I know Kristoff heard her because his expression grew blacker as I passed. I tried not to burst into hysterics as I left.

'Ragnar!' Ulfur cried as Alec, Kristoff, and I left the library. 'You've come back!'

'Which one is her man?' Hallur's voice asked, drifting out after us. 'And are any of them her husbands?'

Alec found us a quiet, nearly empty pub that served food, with a dark interior where the two vampires could sit without being in direct sunlight.

'I've missed you, love,' Alec said as he escorted me back to a semicircular booth in the back. He pulled me close, as if he was going to kiss me.

I squirmed out of his hold, casting a quick glance at the still stony-faced Kristoff.

Alec laughed, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. 'Don't tell me you're shy all of a sudden?'

'No, it's…' I glanced toward Kristoff. 'There's something I need to tell you.'

'Tell away,' Alec said cheerfully, pulling out the table so I could scoot around into the seat.

He sat close to me on my right, his leg pressed against mine in a casually intimate gesture. It was both thrilling and disconcerting. Mostly the latter.

Kristoff took a seat just about as far from me as he could on the left. I gave my order to the waitress, absently noticing that while Kristoff waved away the idea of a meal, Alec duplicated my order.

'I thought you guys didn't eat food very often,' I said in a low voice to Alec as the waitress toddled off.

He looked surprised for a moment, then sent Kristoff a rueful smile. 'You told her who we are?'

'It seemed best,' was the curt reply.

Kristoff avoided my eye just as much as I tried to avoid his. I felt incredibly uncomfortable. There I was, fat, frumpy, and almost forty, a woman so desperate to find a man, she had to take a singles' tour, sitting between two of the most gorgeous men I'd ever in my life seen, men I'd engaged in sex with, and I was so uncomfortable, I seriously thought about just walking away from it all.

Only I couldn't. It wasn't just about me now. There were others involved, others I had to consider.

Alec took my hand. 'I see. I'm sorry, Pia. I would have told you, but most women don't take well to the idea of Dark Ones, and I didn't want you to slip away from me.'

My level of discomfort rose significantly. I squirmed.

'You're all right with it?' he asked, kissing my fingers again, gazing at me over them with pleading eyes.

I defy any woman not to melt in that situation.

'Well… I was a little taken aback, but I knew you couldn't be evil,' I told him, guilt interfering with my pleasure.

'I should have known you'd understand.' He kissed my knuckles again. 'So what is it you wanted to tell me?'

I gently pulled my hand back, trying to find a sophisticated way to tell him. In the end, my mouth took over and just blurted it out. 'Kristoff and I slept together.'

Alec froze, his smile fading. 'You what?'

'We slept together.' I took a deep breath. Kristoff slid me a surprised glance. Clearly he hadn't been expecting me to reveal the truth about what had happened. For some odd reason, that hurt. 'It wasn't intentional. That is, we didn't plan it. It just sort of happened. I was cold, and he shared his blanket with me, and one thing led to another, and… well, you can fill in the rest.'

Alec turned his gaze to his friend. 'You slept with my woman?'

'Yes,' Kristoff said, an interesting parade of emotions passing quickly through his eyes. Surprise, speculation, and acceptance all passed by. 'Yes, I did. As the Zorya said, it meant nothing.'

'My name is Pia,' I said through clenched teeth, hurt by his words. I hadn't said it meant nothing. Was that what he really thought? I wanted to curl up into a ball and sob for an hour or two.

'You slept with her?' Alec asked again, obviously having difficulty with that point.

'I'm very sorry if you're hurt,' I said, trying to focus on him and not the hateful monster sitting on my other side. 'I didn't intend to betray you in that way. Obviously things can't be the same between us now, but I do want you to know—'

'You knew she was my woman, and you just… what? Thought you'd screw her while I wasn't around?' Alec interrupted me to ask Kristoff.

The two men glared at each other.

'It wasn't like that—' I started to say, but this time Kristoff cut me off.

'I just told you it meant nothing. We've had each other's women before—what's the problem now?'

'The problem,' Alec growled, jabbing a finger toward me, 'is that she is mine. You knew that and you didn't care.'

Kristoff said something in what I was sure was Italian. Alec answered in German. The two of them started arguing in their respective languages, both clearly understanding each other, and I reflected for a moment on just how annoying it was that the only language other than English of which I had a reasonable comprehension was Spanish.

'Habla español, anyone?' I asked, feeling hurt, abused, and left out, not to mention extremely guilty about trampling all over Alec's finer feelings.

You made your bed with another man in it, my inner critic said. Now you have to sleep in it alone.

'You want her? You can have her,' Kristoff suddenly said in English, his lovely deep voice sounding very frayed about the edges. He snatched up his leather jacket and, without a single look my way, stormed out of the pub.

Chapter 13

I stared in amazement at the retreating figure of Kristoff, guilt rising with every second.

'Alec, I'm so sorry,' I said miserably, slumping down and wishing I could just melt into the floor.

He frowned. 'Sorry about what?'

'About everything.' I waved a hand toward the door through which Kristoff had just made his stormy exit. 'Coming between you two. Sleeping with him. Ruining our relationship.'

To my complete and utter stupefaction, he laughed, taking my hand again. 'Sweet, adorable Pia—do you think I hold you responsible for Kristoff forcing himself on you?'