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after the bond’s broken. I’m sure people will calm down once it’s official that I’m 100 percent vampire-free.”
    “If that ever happens,” he muttered. I barely caught it, and I frowned.
    “I’m sure Simon and Mac will find a counterspell. There has to be one somewhere. Or they can make one up.”
    “That’s not what I meant.”
    “Okay. What did you mean?”
    “You’re gettin’ more friendly with each other,” he replied.
    “Really? I question your definition of friendly .” I folded my arms across my chest, offended by the idea.
    “You finish each other’s sentences,” Lex pointed out.
    “Because he’s invading my brain, not because we’re BFFs.”
    “So after you’re free, it won’t bother you if your Silverleaf cousins kill him?”
    I paused, squirmy at the idea. Sure, I threatened Zach with death all the time, but more out of habit than real venom at this point. Then again, the world would probably be a better place without him…or would it? He was looking out for us in his own twisted way. Harrison wanted to protect our people from the hunters, and our people needed protecting.
    “He’s more useful alive,” I argued.
    “He isn’t alive.”
    I scowled, not in the mood to get into this at the moment. “Are we going to fight about him again? That horse is dead, quit beating it already.”
    “We’re going to keep fighting until he’s out of our lives. Permanently.”
    “Is that really necessary? I love you. I married you. He’s just…a parasite. Like a tick or a tapeworm.”
    “And parasites need to be exterminated.”
    True enough, though for some reason I didn’t want to admit that. “I’m more concerned about exterminating the hunters before they exterminate us.”
    “We can take care of the hunters.”
    “By ourselves? No way. There’s too many of them. This will only stop if we work together. Everyone’s trying to handle them on their own—that’s why they’re picking us off. Now they’re taking kids. Who knows what they’ll do next.”
    “You know what they say about what happens when you lie down with dogs,” he said.
    “You can’t use that cliché because you let the dogs sleep in the bed.”
    Lex cracked a smirk. “I suppose so. But my dogs don’t have fleas.”
    “Half the time they’re dirty and they smell like the river. So your analogy fails. Besides, clearly Harrison has cooties, not fleas, and he’s not allowed anywhere near our bed. Ever.” I hoped I was convincing. I sure felt like I was. Lex nodded again and looked away, and I could tell from the crease of his brow that something was still bothering him. “What’s wrong?”
    “You can say that here, now. But when you’re standin’ next to him, and he’s tryin’ to push his will over yours, can you say it then?” he asked.
    “He hasn’t tried anything like that since the art gallery.”
    “Or he just got more subtle about it.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “You let him drink from you with no argument,” Lex snapped.
    “Because there was no point in arguing. He’s a vampire. Blood was going to happen, and I just wanted to get it over with.”
    “Well it’s not going to happen again. You’re my wife. He doesn’t have a right to anything from you. Not blood, not sympathy, not a damn thing.”
    I was in complete agreement with that statement, so I did the most sensible thing I could think of—I stomped over to him, grabbed him, and kissed him. “I love you,” I reminded him sternly. “Only you. I married you, remember? That whole soul mates thing?”
    “I know. I love you too.” He took my face in his hands and kissed me, rough and possessive and completely toe-curling. Lex glanced past me toward the stairs, and I grinned.
    “Marie’s gone to sleep,” I said.
    “Good. Are you okay?”
    “Sure. I’ll be better if you get naked.”
    Was I healthy enough for frolic? Probably not, because I had a lot more healing to do, but I was willing to give frolic a