Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 506(@200wpm)___ 405(@250wpm)___ 337(@300wpm)
Dante’s mother was horrified. Oh, she pretended to be angry with the reporters, but I heard her calling someone known as a lawyer.
I caused this family an enormous amount of trouble. It is time to seriously consider moving on.
“Mistress? Have you changed your mind?”
No. I am still thirsty. I simply don’t know what I want. It is very much how the last few weeks have gone. I am stuck in limbo, trapped between loving Dante and facing the knowledge that I do not fit in to his world and never will.
“Tea.” Alana often has tea. I watched Dante’s mother speak to the machine so I know a little.
There is a short hiss, and the machine goes into motion. I stare at it, but I don’t really see it. I see Dante in his perfect suit as he comes home from work each night. He always comes in and tries to talk to me, but I don’t understand half of what he says. He asks about my tutors and my classes and seems very pleased that I am rapidly learning what he calls academics. But the rest seems to elude me.
Now, I utterly humiliated my new family. I heard the news of my failure reported on the DLs that everyone here seems to watch. I am being called the Dellacourt Beast.
And Dante is further away than ever. He still makes love to me, but he is always working. He doesn’t have time for me anymore. Now that we are back in his home, he seems to understand that he made a mistake.
I wish I could talk to Meg.
The machine finishes. There is a lovely teacup with a saucer and steaming liquid sitting in the center of the machine. “Does my mistress wish for cream and sugar?”
“Yes.” I never had cream and sugar, but it seems like something interesting to try.
“And where should I put it? Directly on your thighs and buttocks?” The machine’s voice becomes distinctly nasty.
“No.” I take a step back and hear a chuckle.
Dante stands in the doorway, his jacket gone. He still wears his tie, but his hair is utterly perfect. He is cool and collected, and the very image of the modern vampire. He is a man who should be married to the perfect consort, not one the press reviles.
“Mom put the beverage dispenser on ‘weight management’ mode. It gets bitchy. You have to learn how to talk to it. You’re the boss.” He gets down on the machine’s level. “Look here, you piece-of-shit machine. She said she wanted cream and sugar, and if you don’t give it to her, I will pull your plug, shove you into the recycling bin, and you’ll come back a toaster. Do you want that?”
Immediately a stream of white comes from the machine’s dispenser followed by a cube of sugar. “I hope you enjoy your beverage. Please let me know if I can help you further.”
Dante reaches in and grabs the delicate cup and saucer. He indicates that I should sit at the table and places it in front of me before turning back to the machine. “Give me three fingers of Scotch. Single malt. Fifteen years.”
The machine seems to race to do his bidding. In no time at all, he is picking up the glass and sighing as he sips the Scotch. He drinks a lot of Scotch lately. Still, he turns and sits down at the table in front of me. “I heard you had a rough day.”
The tea smells lovely, but I suddenly know my stomach will not accept it. I push it away. “I made a mistake.”
I wait for him to berate me. I will take it. I know I should not have allowed my four-legged form to be seen.
Dante’s lips quirk up. “Not a mistake, Kaja, baby. You were beautiful. I told you, I think you’re gorgeous any way you are.”
The doors to the small kitchen open, and Alana Dellacourt walks in. Her face is lined with worry, but when she realizes she is not alone, she seems to force a smile on her lips. “Oh, hello, Dante, Kaja.”
I want to hide. I put Dante’s mother in a terrible position. I embarrassed the poor woman. I start to get up, to excuse myself like the etiquette tutor taught me, but Dante’s hand comes out and covers my own.
He grins up at his mother. “I saw the DL story about your brush with the paparazzi today. Nice use of four-letter words, Mom.”
Alana actually laughs. “I also used my four-inch Louboutin stilettos on one of those jerks. He tried to touch Kaja’s fur.”
Dante’s fangs pop out. “Who?”
His mother waves him off. “I’m not telling you because I don’t want to bail you out of jail. I took care of it. He won’t be walking for a bit. Calm down. It was only natural. No one has ever seen a shanimal before.”