dinner and Randa looked at herself in the mirror and realized what she’d done. She’d lost herself. When she was turned vampire, she’d lost her humanity. All that had been left of the old Randa Thomas was her hair, and now that was gone. After the laughter died, only the hurt and directionless feeling remained.
And now she had to endure the humiliation of Will standing in the door with his mouth hanging open.
She looked at the floor. “Go ahead, laugh. Everybody else is going to.”
He cleared his throat. “Actually, it’s pretty.” When she looked up, he smiled, and it was such a sweet expression she almost smiled back. Almost. This was Will, after all. It wouldn’t last.
“Why’d you do it?” He walked around her, taking in all sides. “It makes your eyes look greener.”
She hazarded another look at his face, but saw no sign of the jester.
She swiveled to study her image in the mirror again. Her hazel eyes did look a deeper green beside the dark hair, and her skin, always fair, more porcelain. “I did it on impulse, because of something Aidan said last night, about Matthias recognizing me by my hair if I got caught while I was on patrol.”
Will sat on the edge of the bed. “Maybe. But if he got close enough, Matthias would scent Mirren’s bond on you no matter what your hair looked like.” Aidan required all his scathe members to be blood-bonded to either Mirren or himself, partly so they could use their mental connection to find anyone who was in trouble. But Randa knew a big part of the reason also was so that they’d know if anyone tried to defect or betray them. Since they’d been sold out by a former human in January—a big screwup that ended up with Krys getting turned to save her life—they’d also required all humans to be blood-bonded to a master vampire whether they were fams or not.
She sighed. “Well, it’s done. And, uh, why are you turning green?”
He held up his paint-covered right hand. “It’s a fashion statement. Like it?”
“About as much as I like my hair. What’s planned for tonight—more patrols? Or are you taking some people to Opelika?”
Will told her what happened in the exit room, including how he got his hand covered in green paint, and all thoughts of silly things like hair fled. Dogs were bad, bad news. Randa didn’t know how canine noses compared with those of master vampires, but she’d put money on the dogs. Guess it was time for her new look to make its debut.
“We need to convince Mirren to fill in that space.” And she’d smelled enough food scents wafting from the kitchen area to know exactly where he was. Glory had taken charge of the kitchen. She also ate about an hour before Mirren woke from daysleep and wanted to feed so her blood would carry traces of whatever she’d consumed. Randa thought it was kind of gross, but it seemed to work for them.
She followed Will into the hall, and they walked side by side toward the kitchen wing. He kept turning to look at her.
“What? If you’re going to laugh at me, go ahead and do it.”
He held up his hands in self-defense. “I didn’t say a word.” But he grinned so broadly his fangs showed. Damned vampire. She’d known the kinder, gentler Will would be a short-lived thing. He’d shown amazing self-restraint so far.
Sure enough, Mirren was sitting at one of the tables in the community dining room outside the kitchen, with Glory on his lap. God, what would it feel like to have a man look at her the way Mirren looked at his mate? He was the biggest badass Randa had met—and she’d met a lot of them on military bases—but his features grew almost soft when he looked at Glory. And the way he was looking at her now, they’d havebeen off doing something more intimate if Will and Randa had arrived any later.
Will coughed, a bit too loud and obvious to be natural, and Randa could’ve sworn Mirren growled at him. Then the big man’s gaze landed on Randa and his annoyed frown gave way to
And now she had to endure the humiliation of Will standing in the door with his mouth hanging open.
She looked at the floor. “Go ahead, laugh. Everybody else is going to.”
He cleared his throat. “Actually, it’s pretty.” When she looked up, he smiled, and it was such a sweet expression she almost smiled back. Almost. This was Will, after all. It wouldn’t last.
“Why’d you do it?” He walked around her, taking in all sides. “It makes your eyes look greener.”
She hazarded another look at his face, but saw no sign of the jester.
She swiveled to study her image in the mirror again. Her hazel eyes did look a deeper green beside the dark hair, and her skin, always fair, more porcelain. “I did it on impulse, because of something Aidan said last night, about Matthias recognizing me by my hair if I got caught while I was on patrol.”
Will sat on the edge of the bed. “Maybe. But if he got close enough, Matthias would scent Mirren’s bond on you no matter what your hair looked like.” Aidan required all his scathe members to be blood-bonded to either Mirren or himself, partly so they could use their mental connection to find anyone who was in trouble. But Randa knew a big part of the reason also was so that they’d know if anyone tried to defect or betray them. Since they’d been sold out by a former human in January—a big screwup that ended up with Krys getting turned to save her life—they’d also required all humans to be blood-bonded to a master vampire whether they were fams or not.
She sighed. “Well, it’s done. And, uh, why are you turning green?”
He held up his paint-covered right hand. “It’s a fashion statement. Like it?”
“About as much as I like my hair. What’s planned for tonight—more patrols? Or are you taking some people to Opelika?”
Will told her what happened in the exit room, including how he got his hand covered in green paint, and all thoughts of silly things like hair fled. Dogs were bad, bad news. Randa didn’t know how canine noses compared with those of master vampires, but she’d put money on the dogs. Guess it was time for her new look to make its debut.
“We need to convince Mirren to fill in that space.” And she’d smelled enough food scents wafting from the kitchen area to know exactly where he was. Glory had taken charge of the kitchen. She also ate about an hour before Mirren woke from daysleep and wanted to feed so her blood would carry traces of whatever she’d consumed. Randa thought it was kind of gross, but it seemed to work for them.
She followed Will into the hall, and they walked side by side toward the kitchen wing. He kept turning to look at her.
“What? If you’re going to laugh at me, go ahead and do it.”
He held up his hands in self-defense. “I didn’t say a word.” But he grinned so broadly his fangs showed. Damned vampire. She’d known the kinder, gentler Will would be a short-lived thing. He’d shown amazing self-restraint so far.
Sure enough, Mirren was sitting at one of the tables in the community dining room outside the kitchen, with Glory on his lap. God, what would it feel like to have a man look at her the way Mirren looked at his mate? He was the biggest badass Randa had met—and she’d met a lot of them on military bases—but his features grew almost soft when he looked at Glory. And the way he was looking at her now, they’d havebeen off doing something more intimate if Will and Randa had arrived any later.
Will coughed, a bit too loud and obvious to be natural, and Randa could’ve sworn Mirren growled at him. Then the big man’s gaze landed on Randa and his annoyed frown gave way to
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