"And yet you're still here."
"And I don't understand why."
Amanda smiled gently. "All I ever wanted was a nice, normal life with a nice, normal man. Instead, I end up with a husband who used to be immortal who has friends that are gods, demons, and animals that can take human form. And I don't even know how to begin to classify Nick. Let's face it, I'm married to a man who gave me a daughter who is able to talk to animals like Doctor Dolittle and who can use her thoughts to move just about anything in the house. And you know what?"
"What?"
"I wouldn't trade it for all the normality in the world. Love isn't easy. Anyone who says differently is lying to you. But it is worth fighting for. Believe me, I know, and that's why I'm here. I want to meet this man and see if there's any way I can soothe over Kyrian enough to where he can at least say Valerius's name without rupturing a vein."
Tears blurred her vision as Tabitha pulled her sister into another hug. "I love you, Amanda, I really do."
"I know. I'm the perfect twin."
Tabitha laughed at that. "And I'm the psychotic one." Stepping back, she took Amanda's hand and led her into the house.
Amanda gave a low whistle as she came inside and looked around the elegant interior. "Very nice place."
Otto stepped into the foyer to shake his head at them. "Kyrian will stroke if he ever finds out you were here."
"And you'll be limping if you enlighten him," Tabitha said.
"Don't worry. He won't hear it from me. I'm not that stupid." Otto headed for the door. "I'm off to meet up with Kyr and Nick. We're going to get together tonight and do some patrolling of our own and see if we can run some of these bastards to ground."
Tabitha nodded. "You guys be careful."
"You, too." He inclined his head to them, then left.
"Why don't you wait in the library?" Tabitha said. "I'll go see if he's up yet."
Amanda nodded.
Tabitha sprinted up the stairs and headed to Valerius's room to find him still asleep in his bed.
She lifted the silk sheet up so that she could nip his hip with her teeth.
He made a sound of pleasure before he rolled over onto his back.
Tabitha's breath caught in her throat at the sight of his nude body. She could stare at this man all day or night long.
She particularly loved the area of his body where short crisp hairs ran from his navel to his groin. Unable to stand the temptation, she bent over him and nibbled the little hairs there.
His cock hardened. He placed his hand gently on her head. "You certainly know how to wake a man up happily, don't you?"
She laughed at that before she lightly nipped his skin, then pulled away. "I need for you to get up."
"I am up," he said, glancing down to the part of his body that was standing at full attention.
"Not that," she said, rolling her eyes. "My sister is downstairs and she wants to meet you."
"Which sister?"
She gave him a meaningful look.
His face went ashen. "I can't meet her?
Tabitha refused to listen to his argument. "Get dressed and meet her. It'll only take a minute and then she'll leave."
"But-"
"No buts, General. I'll be waiting at the stairs and if you're not there in five minutes, I'm going to bring her up here."
Amanda sat in a burgundy chair near a heavily draped window. She looked around the formal, elegant mansion. Unlike her home, there was nothing inviting about it. It spoke of a man who was stern and formidable, pretentious and condescending. Cold. Even a little evil and scary.
Everything she'd been told to expect from Valerius Magnus.
How had Tabitha ever hooked up with such a man? Her sister was none of those things.
Well, Tabitha could be evil, but in her twin's case that was an almost endearing quality.
It seemed to take forever before she heard Tabitha coming down the stairs.
"Tabitha!" The hushed tone was stern and commanding.
When Tabitha didn't lash back with a caustic retort, Amanda got up to investigate. She stayed in the shadows so that she could see Valerius with Tabitha on the stairs.
He was dressed in black pants and a black button-down shirt. From what she'd heard of him, she'd assumed his hair would have been cropped very short. To her surprise, it brushed down to his shoulders. His face was elegantly sculpted. Perfect.
Power and control bled from every part of him. This was definitely not the kind of man who attracted Tabitha.
Ever.
He glared at her sister as if he wanted to choke her. "You can't have her here. She has to leave immediately."
"Why?"
"Because Kyrian would die if he ever found out his wife was in my home. He'd lose his mind."
"Val-"
"Tabitha, I'm not kidding. This is cruel to him. You have to get her out of here before he finds out."
Amanda was shocked by his words. Why would he care how this affected Kyrian when Kyrian would gladly see him dead?