The Serpents of Viksenti [Reverse Harem]

Chapter 6

     When Steele and I returned to the Six's main living space, the fae male was still a seething ball of tension. Steele made eye contact with Rhynn, something unspoken passing between them, and the shifter quickly left with the fae male in tow.

     Leaving me alone with Shane.

     The vampire looked up at me from his position, unmoved on the couch where we had left him earlier. "Enjoying the view?" He drawled, his gaze drifting back down towards the tablet in his hands.

     "Not particularly," I responded icily, moving into the kitchen to grab a snack. I wouldn't be baited by him. Especially not after Steele's cold warning in the elevator. It would be best to leave some distance between myself and the others.

     Shane didn't seem to get the memo.

     As I lifted on my toes to grab a bag of chips from the upper part of the cupboard, I got a sense of the vamp's speed as he moved behind me faster than I could turn.

     Shane's voice was low in my ear. "Konnor hides the best chips underneath the sink where he thinks no one will look. I'd try there first." His voice was silky smooth, and I picked up a whiff of Shane's scent, a musky cologne masking the iron tinge of blood. I gulped, and I felt the vampire's gaze land hungrily on my neck.

     I cleared my throat and moved to the space below the sink, opening the cupboard, finding the bag just where the vamp said it would be.

     Shane leaned lazily on the kitchen island and surveyed me. Despite his rather lazy appearance, I knew it was all a facade. Nothing seemed to escape those keen, dark eyes. "How is your back feeling, Ikaria?" The vampire asked lowly.

     My first instinct was to respond with some witty retort about how it was none of Shane's business, but the last forty-eight hours had sapped me of my strength and witty retorts.

     "Better," I mumbled instead, opening the bag of chips. I carefully moved around Shane, finding a spot to sit on one of the couches.

     Shane let out a chuckle. "Careful. Once Deseric is back, you won't be able to do that any more."

     "Do what?"

     "Eat on the couch."

     "That's ridiculous," I scoffed, "Everyone eats snacks on the couch. What on earth do you do during movies when you snack?"

     "Sit on the floor."

     I just stared at the vampire. Even Vik hadn't been so strict. To be fair, Vik tended to swing the opposite direction, leaving his house and quarters in complete disarray. Mold and dust had settled into every crevice of his apartment. He had hired a nymph at one point to clean the place, but they had been quickly scared away by an over-eager Lion.

     "Well then," I broke the silence, "I guess I'll have to take advantage of my freedoms when I can."

     "Indeed," Shane said with a glimmer in his eye. He took a seat beside me. "May I?" He gestured to the chips.

     "Uh, sure." I let Shane grab a handful of chips, and we snacked in each other's quiet company for a while.

     Shane broke the silence with a chuckle, crumbling a chip in his hand. He turned to me with a sideways grin. "I won't tell anyone if you don't."

     And Shane shoved the chip crumbles into a crack in the couch cushion.

     I couldn't help but return his grin. "You're crazy."

     "Yep. But just wait until you meet Konnor. He puts the rest of us to shame in the crazy department."

     I cracked another grin, and opted not to follow in Shane's footsteps with the chip crumbs. I'd rather not make an immediate enemy of a dangerous angel named Deseric. I did, however, finish the rest of the chips with him.