CHAPTER 18 #2
“Not an assumption. Fact. Got your DNA. It’s being fully analyzed as we speak, but we know enough about you now to confirm you’re ours, though not mine. I’m not your daddy.”
“Should have led with that,” I say.
Sampson’s eyes narrow at this new information. His body tenses until he’s so tight, he looks like he risks turning into a diamond from the pressure. Not that I blame him.
“That’s not the most important part,” Xy continues. “Our leaders are mighty interested in you, boy.”
“Fuck your leaders,” Sampson growls, his curse jolting me straighter. He never swears. “You took my DNA? You invaded my privacy? You stole from me? Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” Xy chuckles, but it’s easy to see his humor is an affectation. He’s watching Sampson carefully. Waiting. Weighing.
I think I might hate him.
“You have no right.”
“Our Kind has all the rights, boy. What you don’t know about us could fill an ocean, but you’ll learn. The Council will see to it, and once you understand, you won’t care about a little stolen blood from the hospital. You’re about to enter into a magnificent new world, Sammy-boy.”
Sampson’s arm tightens around me. He takes a lot of deep breaths until he seems to release the tension. I don’t know how he does it. I want to jump over the table and poke Xy’s eyes out. But Sampson is a lot more measured than I am.
“I’m not sure how magnificent it is, Xy,” he says slowly. “I’ve been reading up on giants. Nephilim.” He practically spits the last word like it’s dirty. “Not a great bunch of guys.”
If he’s been reading my books, it must have been when I was sleeping or when he was working, which is news to me. And disturbing. I thought I could help him acclimate to his genetics, but he’s been working on it on his own?
But I don’t have time to ponder the fact because Xy’s nodding. “Good. As I told you before, I’m glad you’re taking an interest, though you’re reading about us from the human perspective. No swine ever has positive things to say about the butcher.”
Sampson’s muscles tense back into boulders.
“Did he just call me a pig?” I whisper.
“He did,” Xy affirms. “Honestly, Sam, to engage yourself to the equivalent of a farm animal. It’s disgusting. But you’ll learn.”
“Fuck. You.”
Ooh. Another swear. I squeeze his thigh for moral support, but also because it’s insane how much I love him. I’ve never had anyone stick up for me before. I’ve never had anyone call me a swine before, but still.
“Though I can’t help but notice there’s no ring, so hope isn’t lost yet.” Xy adds, lasering his gaze into Sampson, still trying to goad my gentle giant into an attack.
Gentle… but my fiancé’s hands are fisted, and there’s a tomato hue to his neck. He’s suppressing his rage, but he’s feeling it, and as the moments drag on… he’s going to snap.
I’m no longer sure that he shouldn’t, not because Xy insulted me, but because he’s threatening… us.
A pregnant silence follows.
I’m the first to find my voice. “I write about a vampire that’s always causing trouble. His name is Hollis. He’s an asshole. You remind me of him,” I say in an offhand tone. “Are you trying to stir things up into violence because you’re bored, Xy, or are you just not very bright?”
Earthier-green eyes flicker to me before returning to spear Sampson. He doesn’t comment.
I don’t get it. The enmity beneath Xy’s casual pose crawls over my skin. He’s as drenched in shadows as any of my feral vampires. Darkness rises from his skin and clings to his tee-shirt, jeans, and work boots.
But he does look like he could be Sampson’s father. The slightest bit of gray has changed some of his red-brown hair into hay, and his face crags more than Sam’s does, but otherwise, they look like family. But maybe all giants look alike?
“Why are you here, Xy? How did you find Sampson?” I ask, once the strain of quiet wears on me.
For a moment, I think he’s not going to answer, but then he clears his throat.
“My people have their fingers in just about every pie. What we don’t know, or can’t learn by regular means, we ask our forefathers.
They may be imprisoned, their powers dampened, but they’re not without the use of certain gifts.
That’s as much as I can say in front of a human, unless your Neph owner insists that he wishes you to be included in the conversation.
” His eyes flicker towards Sampson again. “Do you insist?”
“What do you think?” Sampson demands. “And as we already told you, I’m not Nina’s owner.”
“Good as, by our laws. You’re either her owner, or she’s available to any who want to fuck her. That’s the way it is, boy”
Sampson growls. I’m certain he’s about to leap across the table, but he restrains himself. Again. Seriously, he’s incredibly self-disciplined. It’s kind of amazing to watch him.
“Look,” Xy adds, “It doesn’t matter what I think; you need to expressly put your desire into words.
Devil’s orders. Fucker wants free will across the board.
It’s a legal thing.” And Xy smiles a smile that I don’t like seeing, even with Sampson beside me.
It’s full of worms and darkness, the slide of evil, and the shuffle of dirt. “No talking until you say the word.”
But saying the word, so to speak, requires Sampson to admit that he’s my owner. I can admire the bind, but I don’t like it. But I want to know what Xy has to say.
But then the other giant reaches for his beer, resetting the mood. He takes a swig, the bottle tiny in his hand. One long pull nearly drains the beverage, and when he replaces it on the table with a long sigh, it’s enough to shatter the uneasy spell he’s woven around us.
Sampson sits back, taking me with him. “Nina learns what I learn, however you choose to characterize our relationship. That’s your problem. So, say what you’ve come to say rather than dancing around it, because Nina and I have plans. Important plans. Don’t we, Jelly Bean?”
For just a moment, I get my laughing Sampson back. He smiles at me, his turn of lips wicked, delighted, and full of his earlier promise to lay me over his lap and spank me.
I don’t know if I’m going to like being spanked, but everything in me corkscrews just thinking about it.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s a problem with us, kid. Hornier than the day is long. That’s how we were created. Do you insist?” Xy asks.
Stupid asshat. I wish he would leave.