Right now I feel like my childhood cat Ginger, who would become mesmerised by the heat and flames of the fireplace in our living room. On winter nights she’d try to walk straight into it, to get as close as possible to its delicious warmth. Going inside Ethan’s house feels just like that, walking into something I know is going to be bad for me in the long run, but not being able to help myself because it feels so good in the moment. Ethan opens the gate and holds his hand out to me.
Quite inevitably, I take it.
Chapter Six
Be Afraid of the Cold
I step inside Ethan’s hallway and the spicy scent of cinnamon hits me, mixed in with the citrus smell of limes and oranges. I’ve always noticed how people’s individual homes have a particular smell, normally it’s dust or mildew. I once had a friend whose house smelled like a swimming pool, water and bleach.
Ethan hits the light switch and the hall is illuminated in a soft golden glow. The walls are a light cream colour, and there’s a dark wooden coat hanger by the door, the floors and the staircase are dark wood too.
“Let me help you with that,” he purrs, unbuttoning my coat before placing it on the hanger. Then he removes his own and leads me through the long hallway. I glance in one of the open doorways to find a study filled with bookshelves. I continue to follow Ethan as he leads me into a stylishly modern kitchen, all clean metal furnishings and black marble surfaces. Very male.
“Do you live here alone?” I ask, wondering how one man could need such a large house.
“No, Delilah lives here too,” he answers, a fond smile on his lips, “she protests about it, always trying to convince me to allow her to get her own place. Unfortunately, as a dhamphir living among vampires she is at risk. Not everyone likes the idea of Delilah being allowed to remain in South Tribane, especially now…” he drifts off, and I take advantage of the opportunity to question him.
“Especially now what?”
Ethan shakes his head. “Never mind, it’s nothing you need to worry about.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “I don’t like being kept in the dark Ethan.” I know that there’s been a war, but I’m eager to hear Ethan’s version of the events.
He seems to be considering how to respond. “Come, we will sit in the living room and I will tell you a story.”
He leads me to the next room, which is soft and comfortable where the kitchen was cold and sterile. We sit down on a couch, and Ethan turns to face me.
“When you departed, the animosity between the North and the South grew substantially, and then there was a war,” says Ethan.
“And who won this war?” I ask, as Ethan takes my hand and begins smoothing his silky fingers over my palm.
“Who do you think?” he says, but there is no triumph in his voice, and the question seems to be rhetorical. “I will not apologise for what happened. I understand that you are human and that death is quite a big deal for you, but for me, it is something very distant, something that doesn’t often cross my mind. Unless of course I have to bring about the death of another. That is something I don’t enjoy, but if practicality calls for it, I will kill to defend myself and my people.”
“And that’s what you had to do in this war.” I say, almost feeling sad for him. I have seen Ethan kill, and when he does he becomes something else entirely. Something cold and unforgiving.
“Yes. Because dhamphirs are our enemies I have had to be extra protective of my sister, otherwise she might fall into the wrong hands. There are a lot of angry vampires out there at the moment Tegan. Even though we have won this war, there is still hate deep inside of them as a result of how the North took the side of the Sorcerer Theodore.” Ethan smiles for a minute. “I have restricted Delilah from going anywhere at night other than the club and this house. She is free to go where she pleases during the day, but still, she’s a headstrong woman and does not enjoy being told what to do.”
“I can imagine,” I reply. “What about Governor Pamphrock, is he still in power or have the vampires overthrown him completely?” I ask, even though I already know the answer, it might lead Ethan to talk to me about Rebecca.
“We are at something of a stand-off with Pamphrock at the moment. He has lost a lot of men and he is weak right now, but he continues to stubbornly hold onto the small amount of control he still has.”
Okay, I’m almost there. “So how do you plan to get him to surrender that control?”
Ethan’s eyes flick swiftly to mine. “What makes you think I have any say in what is going to happen?”
Oh shit. I’m not supposed to know about Ethan’s position in the power mechanics of the vampires’ political system. I scramble through my brain to come up with a reply. “Well, you did say that you were in a much better position of power now as opposed to when I’d first met you.”
Ethan’s posture relaxes and he seems to a
ccept my answer. “That is true.” He goes quiet for a minute. “In regards to your previous question, we have something of Pamphrock’s that he wants to get back very badly. We have told him that if he steps down as Governor of the North we will return to him what we have taken.”
Oh God. So Ethan has been involved in Rebecca’s kidnapping. My heart is just about to start beating frantically, but I consciously will myself to relax. Ethan would only sense my anxiety and become suspicious.
“And what exactly have you taken from him?” I ask in a whisper.
“You don’t need to know that,” Ethan replies, his voice soft, like a caress. Damn, I was so close. He grabs me by the elbow and pulls me up before positioning me astride him on his lap. A feeling of intense pleasure seizes me as his hands run over the outsides of my thighs. I’m such an awful excuse for a human being. I’m supposed to be getting information about a little girl, not getting my rocks off. Then I think of how I’m deceiving Ethan too and I feel even more disgusted with myself. Why in the world did I allow myself to get into this situation?
“You’ve got far too many clothes on,” says Ethan, his mouth a bare inch from my own. Our breaths mingle, and then he closes the distance between us, placing a soft, probing kiss on my lips. I sigh into his mouth and he pulls me tight against him. We stay like that for a long time, just savouring the taste of each other. His tongue slides into my mouth and I gasp in pleasure. Somewhere during our kiss he removes my top and opens the top button of my jeans.