Soul Mates 04: Secrets(50)

He petted my hair and held me close. "What you thought was right, princess."



"I should have minded my own business."



"Too late for that," he said. "And that's one of the things I love about you. You're always willing to help the underdog."



"You?" I moved back so I could see his face. "You're the king of punishing the underdog."



"Now, maybe. But there was a time when I'd have given anything to have someone like you on my side, fighting for what was right and not for what was within protocol."



"You have me now."



"I do, don't I? Now finish stripping and let's go for that run."



He sounded amused and it made me smile. Sadly, I knew Simon would be doing anything but smiling once I broke the news to him. He'd asked me to stay out of it and I'd done the complete opposite. I'd seen his power rise up, and knew that he was so much more than he seemed.



God help me.



I hoped he considered me enough of a friend not to kill me.





Chapter Eleven



I was starving.



Famished.



Nikolas and I had run, but we hadn't hunted. After we came in, Nikolas had gotten distracted by a call from someone down in the dungeon and I'd gone looking for some food. It was obvious by the lack of the smell of fresh, hot food in the air that we'd missed dinner, and for that I was grateful.



It meant that Simon wouldn't be in the kitchen.



Or shouldn't be.



I hoped he was off somewhere else, making sure things were in order. Or giving orders. Hell, I didn't care, as long as I didn't have to face him right now. I couldn't do it without spilling my guts to him, and that just couldn't happen until I got myself together.



Until I figured out what the fuck you say to someone when you've more than likely ruined their life, not to mention your friendship.



When I walked into the kitchen, the refrigerator door was open and someone in black silk pants . no, pajama bottoms . stood bathed in the soft light. It wasn't Simon. It was much, much worse.



I walked farther into the kitchen as quietly as I could manage. Either he knew I was there and wasn't going to make a scene, or he was too busy with what he was doing to notice that someone else had entered the room.



He ate in spoonfuls from a small plastic container, and murmured sounds of approval after each bite. I moved in closer and leaned against the cabinet beside him, and through it all, he never even flinched.



"What is that? Potato salad?"



Lucien jumped and dropped the container and the spoon, swallowing hard. "Peter! What are you.?"



"Oh, I think the better question is, what are you doing?" I bent to pick up the container that had fallen to the floor, but not spilled. "I never figured you for potato salad, Lucien. You struck me more as wine and cheese, caviar&"



"I can explain."



"I should hope so." I handed the container to Lucien and he fumbled to put it back into the refrigerator. "Is it good?"



"What?"



"The salad."



He seemed to realize that there was no way to lie his way out of this. "A little heavy on the vinegar, but yes. The bacon was a nice touch."



What the hell was going on around here?



I peered into the refrigerator and found a raw steak on the top shelf. I took it out and Lucien looked at me as if I was crazy, then seemed to catch himself. "Ah, you have shifted recently?"



I nodded. "Nikolas and I went for a run, but we didn't hunt, so I'm hungry."



"I've always envied you that," he said softly.



"What, that I can go for a run?"



"That you can eat like a normal human afterward."



"I wouldn't call anything about me normal, or human."



"You know what I mean."



"You've got to talk to me, Lucien." I found a skillet and started seasoning the steak. "I can see you not sleeping as being part of some power uppage you don't want people to know about, but this? This is not a power uppage, and you know it."



"How did you find&" He broke off and leaned against the counter, sighing heavily. "I do not even know where to start."



"The beginning works best."



"Ah, but there is really no beginning," he said thoughtfully. "There was just one day to the next, changes I couldn't anticipate, didn't understand. I have been trying to uncover the cause, but I have found nothing."





I put the steak into the hot skillet, and watched Lucien watch my steak cook. After a few minutes, I looked up at him. "Would you like one, too?"



"Oh, I."



"Lucien?"



"Please."



I gestured to the refrigerator. "Top shelf." After Lucien retrieved another steak, I seasoned it for him and threw it in the pan with mine. "I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer me honestly."