13. Interrogation

13

INTERROGATION

K aine takes me to a nice restaurant where he proceeds to act like we're at work. He talks about politics, laws, and all the mundane stuff I have to listen to throughout the week.

"This isn't helping," I say, cutting off his speech about how unfair the law about changing humans is.

"What isn't working?" Kaine lifts his glass of water to his lips, taking a sip.

"This isn't a date , it's a lecture."

He purses his lips. "Well, it's not a date , date . It's a practice date."

"Yes, but we're doing things I'm comfortable with. You always give me lectures about boring vampire stuff." I motion between us. "You're supposed to treat this like a real date, not like we're working. There are lots of things I could be doing this Saturday night—like reading a book while I take a bubble bath."

Kaine raises an eyebrow. "You read while you take a bath?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

He shakes his head. "I would never want to ruin a book. What if it gets wet?"

I wave a hand. "Then I'll buy another copy."

He leans forward. "What kind of books do you read?"

I tap my finger on the side of my glass. "Romance, usually."

"Considering how much you seem to hate dating, I didn't peg you for a romantic." Kaine's intense blue eyes study me.

I shrug. "I am a romantic. It's not like I want to be single for the rest of my life. I want love. I want a husband and kids. And I've always envied shifters. They have soulmates—fate tells them who they should be with. That makes things so much easier. I wish it were the same for vampires."

"And now you're stuck with a political marriage—one you don't want because you're trying to find the one ." Kaine leans back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face.

I don't like that expression because I don't want Kaine to read me like this.

"Is every date you've been on actually bad or are you just trying to see bad things in everybody?" he asks.

I chew on my bottom lip. "I don't know. I guess… Prince Karpov and Prince Alexander weren't so bad. They were attractive enough and nice. But I didn't have any chemistry with them. There was no spark."

"And you want a spark?" he inquires, but he's not looking at me. Instead, he's looking at his empty plate.

"Doesn't everybody want a spark?"

He sighs. "Your next date is with Prince Damek. I scheduled something for next weekend."

I sit up straighter. "Really?"

Kaine nods. "I know you like him."

"I don't know him." I shrug, hoping to show him it's not a big deal. "But from what I've seen of him, I do like him."

"Well, I don't like him," Kaine says. "I'm still not convinced he didn't have something to do with Lucien's disappearance."

But he won't look at me as he says it, so the statement doesn't feel true—at least not completely true.

"Do you really think that?" I ask.

He sighs, shaking his head. "I did think that. But after you accidentally punched him and nothing happened afterward, maybe the Rune Clan isn't as bad as I thought they were."

I offer him a smile. "I appreciate your loyalty to the Scott Clan and my family, but you don't have to hate the Rune Clan. Maybe they were once our enemies, but it sounds like that's not the case anymore."

Kaine leans forward and abruptly changes the subject. "I told you I was a turned vampire, right? I was turned as a small child. My entire human family was murdered and I was left for dead. The vampire had thought he killed me, but somehow my heart was still beating, even though it was weak. It was a feral vampire. Your dad was helping track the vampire and he found me. Changing me was the only way to save my life. After that, he sort of adopted me into his family. He took me in and raised me. He showed me how to be a vampire. I trained and went to school with Lucien. We were both the same age, so we became best friends. So, yes. I am very loyal to the Scott Clan, but more specifically, I am loyal to your father."

I sit back against the chair hard, my entire body going numb. "Kaine, I'm so sorry. About your human family."

He shrugs like it's not a big deal. "I was only five at the time. I barely even remember them. I had a mom, a dad, and two older sisters, but I can't even recall what they looked like anymore."

"You don't have photos?" I ask.

"No." His glacier blue eyes finally meet mine. "Your father isn't the sentimental type. It likely didn't cross his mind to grab any photos. Not that it matters. He saved my life. That is enough."

Still… I can't imagine how hard this must be for him. He must want to remember what his family looked like.

I reach across the table and grab his hand with mine. "If you ever need anybody to talk to, I'll listen. Missing your family is normal, even if you feel loyalty to my father. And it's okay to grieve them."

His Adam's apple bobs as he swallows. "Thank you, Madeline. It's been almost twenty years now. I'm okay. But I do think about them sometimes. I think they'd be proud of what I've accomplished."

I grin. "Because most turned vampires aren't acknowledged by the courts and you're an advisor to the future king—or queen, at the moment—I'd say you've done very well for yourself."

He grins back, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

I let go of his hand and lean back in my chair. "So, I've got to say, this is probably the best first date I've had."

Kaine busts out laughing.

He may not be a potential husband, but I don't hate him anymore.

"I'm not kissing you goodnight," he warns.

I wrinkle my nose. "Good. Because I'd have to try for a second time to punch you. I won't miss this time."

"So it can be a good date without chemistry?" Kaine casually takes a sip from his glass.

I roll my eyes. "You're annoyingly smug about this."

"I'm sorry," he says. "It's just… not every romantic relationship is sparks and chemistry. Relationships can start as a friendship that grows into something more. You've just got to allow it to happen. Be open."

"As long as you promise I won't have to go out with Prince Lucas, I can promise to be more open with future dates."

The truth is, I can handle a second date with any of those guys. But I don't think I could sit through another five minutes with Prince Lucas. There is something about that guy that rubs me the wrong way.

"I can't make promises. I'm not sure what your father has planned. But I can promise I have no plans to set you up on a date with the guy."

I guess that's the best reassurance I'm going to get.

The following Friday, I find myself getting ready for another date.

Before coming to live with my father, I had been out on three dates in my entire twenty three years of existence. Now, I go out every weekend, though it's not by choice.

For the first time since I started going out on these political dates, I don't dread the evening. Maybe because I like Damek. I wouldn't mind the chance to get to know him better.

When I come out of my closet, I find Julien lying on my bed. He's staring at something on his phone but he looks at me when I walk closer.

"Getting ready for another date with Kaine?" Julien asks, distracting me from asking him why he's in my room without knocking.

I wrinkle my brow. "What? No. Why would I go out with Kaine? I'm going out with Damek."

"Who is Damek?"

" Prince Damek. From the Rune Clan."

Julien jumps up from the bed. "But he's heir to his clan."

I nod.

"If you marry him, then you'll go to the Rune Clan. Leaving me here. To be heir."

I shrug. "I like him."

"No, you can't like Prince Damek." Julien groans, rubbing his hands over his face. "I'd rather you be going out with Kaine right now."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Have you met Kaine? Why would I want to go out with him?"

"He is moody. And kind of strict. But he seems to like you." Julien grins, revealing his dimples. "Like, he really likes you."

I cross my arms over my chest. "Yeah, he'd really like to murder me and hide my body in the woods where nobody will find me."

Julien opens his mouth, likely to object, but then nods. "I thought girls were supposed to like enemies to lovers."

"Maybe in fiction. But I don't fancy myself falling for a guy who accused me of murder ." I roll my eyes. "Not to mention, he spent the majority of our pretend date acting like it was a work meeting. I don't want to marry a guy that obsessed with his job."

"He'll be heartbroken." Julien sighs dramatically.

"Yeah, him and all the other spoiled princes that I'm not marrying," I say, my voice heavy with sarcasm. "By the way, when Dad eventually auctions you off to the highest bidder, don't flirt with other girls in front of your future wife. It's a turn off."

He snorts. "Let me guess… Prince Caedmon?"

I eye him suspiciously. "How did you know?"

"He's known for being promiscuous." Julien lies back down on my bed.

I smack his feet off the bed. "Get your shoes off my bed."

He scoffs at me before dramatically kicking them halfway across the room and then lying down.

I sigh. "Why are you in my room anyway?"

"I'm bored. And the last time I was in your room, I got to catch Kaine flirting with you."

"He wasn't flirting." My cheeks grow warm at the accusation.

"Kaine—the same guy I have frequently accused of having a stick up his butt—called you beautiful. I don't think he's ever called a girl that." Julien picks up his phone and starts scrolling on an app.

"Well, I'm about to leave. Do you think you can maybe go to your room to hang out?" I ask.

His eyes glance over at me.

"Julien," I growl.

He ignores me and goes back to looking at something on his phone. I'm about to walk over and shove him out of my bed when there is a knock on the door. Julien grins, putting down his phone. "Show time."

"What show?" I once again roll my eyes at him and then make my way over to the door. Kaine stands on the other side with his hands shoved into the pockets of his dress pants.

Julien comes to stand beside me. "Hey, Kaine."

" Prince Julien," Kaine says the title with a slight sneer to it. He turns to me, bowing slightly. "Princess Madeline, your date is here."

"He's early." I turn to face Julien. "How do I look?"

"We've already established that you and I look alike, so if I say something sarcastic I'd be calling myself ugly. Therefore, I'm obligated to tell you that you look pretty."

I stare at Julien for a few seconds, processing his words, and then I turn to Kaine. "How did he turn a compliment meant for me into a compliment for him ?"

"It's a gift," Julien says.

Kaine ignores Julien and instead addresses me. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Julien steps slightly in front of me. "You know, I always did wonder how my brother got all the girls. It must've been because of his title and not his looks. I'm the good looking one in the family."

I smack Julien's arm. "Be nice." I scoot between the two of them. "I'm going to go now. You two behave."

"I'm always an angel," Julien says.

"I'll make sure he stays out of trouble," Kaine says.

I wave to them and make my way to the main level of the house. Damek waits for me in the foyer with a bouquet of pink and purple hydrangeas. He's wearing a fitted black suit coat and he has a fresh haircut. He turns to face me, his brown eyes glowing even in the dim light of the foyer.

"Madeline, wow." His eyes widen slightly. "You look beautiful."

My cheeks warm at his compliment. "Are you re—"

I'm cut off by Julien—I hadn't even realized he followed me. "Hold on. As your brother, it's my job to interrogate your date."

Interrogate him? And where was he when I needed him to interrogate my dates? I've gone out on horrible dates for weeks now and my ‘protective' brother has been hiding. Now that I'm going out with somebody I like, he's here to bug me.

Damek passes the flowers to me, ignoring Julien. "These are for you."

"Thank you. Hydrangeas are my favorite. My mother has bushes of them in front of her home," I tell him.

Julien sighs. "Fine. Ignore me. I'm just going to be your brother-in-law if my sister marries you. And then you'll have to put up with me for the rest of your life."

I elbow Julien in the gut and pass the flowers to him. "Can you put these in water for me?"

He takes them from me. "Fine. But you two better be home by midnight."

I turn to him, raising an eyebrow. "Julien, it's ten o'clock right now. How would you expect me to be home by midnight?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. That's just what they always say in human movies before a teenager goes out." He pauses. "Fine. Be home before five."

Damek looks at me.

I shake my head. "I'm twenty three. I don't have a curfew. Julien is just being annoying."

"Don't break her heart," Julien says to Damek, then finally turns to leave us.

Damek holds out his arm for me. "Are you ready?"

I loop my arm through his. "Yes."

Butterflies tickle my stomach as Damek leads me to his car in front of the house. I hope that my pretend date with Kaine helped me because I want this date to go well.

Damek opens the passenger side door for me. He's the first of my royal dates to do that unless I count Prince Caedmon. But he didn't really open the door. His driver opened it for me.

Maybe this date will go well. At some point, it has to, right?