31. ULTIMATUM
EDWINA HAD BEEN BACK inside the vampire caverns for just a short while when Stefan approached her.
“I trust you enjoyed your outing,” he said, moving close in front of her. There was a hint of controlled anger in his voice.
Edwina took a half step backwards, startled by his comment and his tone. What was he saying? How much did he know? She decided that if he knew she had been with Leesa, his anger would have been far more furious. It had to be something else.
“What do you mean?” she asked, buying time.
“Don’t act the innocent with me. You have taken human blood. I see it in your eyes, and I can smell it.”
“So what?” Edwina straightened her posture and pushed her shoulders back. She had to show him she would not be cowed. “I was careful, and I disposed of the body where it will never be found. No one will ever connect his disappearance to our kind. He is just another missing human.”
“You said you were seeking a feeder,” Stefan said, continuing to press her. “Your permission to go out alone was for that purpose—not so you could hunt.”
“I was not hunting,” Edwina lied. “But the opportunity was so perfect, I just could not resist.”
“Exactly,” Stefan said. The satisfaction in his voice was clear. “That is why the rules were put in place, because Destiratu can make it impossible to resist the urge.”
“That is not what I meant,” Edwina replied calmly. “I was never out of control, not even for a moment. The chance was just too good to pass up. Trust me.”
“That is the problem, I’m afraid. I do not trust you. Not at all. I should rescind your permission to venture out by yourself right now.”
Edwina laid her hand gently on Stefan’s forearm. “No, please don’t,” she said, trying to sound as compliant as possible. “I need a feeder. I’ve grown used to having one.” It never hurt to remind him of that.
Stefan studied her closely. He didn’t trust her, but he did owe her. He cursed the grafhym blood that had somehow found its way into Leesa’s veins and kept him from being able to turn her. He had put himself into Edwina’s debt for no gain.
“Very well,” he said finally. “You may go out one more time. But you had best come back with a feeder, or you will go hungry. My patience has its limits.”
Edwina breathed an inward sigh of relief. She didn’t know if Stefan would hold firm to his ultimatum, but there was a chance he might. She would need to plan her next trip out very carefully.