Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99700 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
“I have no idea,” she replied, giving Victor wide eyes. “I can’t tell if they’re going to fight … or kiss,” she added, making Victor smile. “All they’re doing is trading jabs. But they literally just met.”
She couldn’t tell him, of course, that some vampires and werewolves took that age-old rivalry seriously. Even if no one really even knew why the two didn’t get along in the first place.
Apparently, Elias was one of those vampires.
As for Lucy, she was just responding to his energy. Since she was close with Pandora, she clearly didn’t care about ancient nonsense like that.
“What is he doing here?” Victor asked, casting a hard look in Elias’s direction.
“He insisted on walking me to work,” Pandora told him.
Victor let that sit for a second. “Your mother doesn’t like me.”
“It’s not … that,” she said, even though it was. “She’s just … She has very specific ideas of the kind of guy she wants me to be with. Regardless of what I want.”
“I would understand,” Victor said, watching Elias and Lucy get tenser each passing second, “if you changed your mind and wanted to marry him instead. If there’s … something going on there.”
“There’s not! I mean … he’s nice enough.”
“And good-looking.”
“You’re good-looking too,” Pandora said.
“And rich.”
“I’m going to be well-off.”
“And your mother loves him.”
“My mum will come around,” Pandora said. Although she didn’t know if that was the case. “I chose you. I’m sticking with that decision. No matter how many times my mum tries to throw Elias and me together.”
Victor nodded at that.
“So … what now?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“We’re engaged. We had a little party. What is next?”
“Oh. Well, I guess … wedding planning, right? Invitations and cakes and venues …”
“And my parents,” he said.
“Oh, right. Of course. Have you told them?”
“Yeah. That’s how I got the ring,” he said, glancing down at Pandora’s hand.
The ring had already started to feel like a part of her. She was anxious to take it off for the short amount of time she spent in the shower. Whenever she thought about how she was going to need to give it back to Victor when they divorced, she felt an unexpected pang. Despite knowing she would have the money to have an exact replica made, should she want to.
It would be different.
It wouldn’t be from him.
“Will we be having dinner at their house?” she asked.
“If anything, I think they would come to London,” Victor told her.
“Maybe we could arrange a dinner somewhere. For me to meet your parents and for both our parents to meet. I imagine they will all ask about that eventually.” At Victor’s tense look, Pandora rushed to add, “I will have a talk with my parents about being on their best behavior.”
“It’s silly to be worried about what your mum thinks of me when we aren’t even going to genuinely be—”
“What are we discussing?” Elias cut in, making Pandora jump so much that she almost fell out of her chair.
“Our parents meeting,” Victor told Elias, pointedly not bothering to move his jacket and backpack off of the chair at his side.
Pandora wasn’t as quick, so Elias slid in beside her.
“That should be … interesting,” Elias said, making Pandora glare at him.
“You’re not invited,” she told him.
“I did not expect to be. So, Victor,” Elias said, making Pandora’s stomach clench.
“You walked me to work,” Pandora said. “Why don’t you head back? I’m sure Mum would love the opportunity to fawn over you some more.”
Elias shot back, “I’m just as certain she would be happier knowing I am here.”
“Why are you so—”
“Pandora.” Lucy’s raised voice made Pandora turn to look at her friend, who was jerking her head toward the break room.
“Go ahead,” Victor said, giving her a soft look, then Elias a much colder one. “We’re fine here.”
She didn’t want to leave the two of them alone. Both had secrets of hers that she desperately needed to keep.
She rose from her seat and made her way over toward Lucy, who promptly hooked her arm through Pandora’s and half dragged her into the break room.
“From under what rock did that asshole crawl out?” she asked, cheeks flushed with frustration. “And can we shove him back under it? And roll it over and over him until he becomes vampire goo?”
“Yeah, that was so unexpected. He’s been really cordial to me. Kind, even. What did he say when I walked away?”
“More of the same, really. He’s annoyingly collected when he’s being a jerk too.”
Lucy’s anger ran hot and wild, like her true nature.
Pandora supposed the same could be said for Elias; his nature was cold and controlled. So his anger was the same.
Oil and water, that was what he and Lucy were.
“I don’t like him talking to Victor.” Pandora moved into the doorway to watch the two. Elias had his back to her, but she really only cared about Victor anyway. While his posture was tight, he seemed relatively calm.