A Slave to Love

Chapter 65: Be Gay Together

I waved my fork threateningly at him, "I mean it, Ace. I'm vicious."

He backed off, feigning a scared expression. "Oh no! She has a fork!"

"Oh you two, stop being children. Ace you're nearly five hundred years old. I thought you'd be acting more your age by now," Aros said, but I saw his lips quirk into a smile.

"Act my age?" Ace asked doubtfully as the food came out, "So what...dead?"

"I was going for mature, but at least dead you'd be a whole lot quieter."

"You all may mock and joke, but you'd all miss my good humour, not to mention my devilish good looks, if I were gone," he leaned back in his chair, surveying the table.

"Well I'd miss you," Annie said in her quiet voice and kissed his cheek.

"Aww thanks," he kissed her lips sweetly.

I grinned. Those two were adorable.

"Especially your looks," she added once she pulled away.

The table burst into laughter at Ace's stunned expression, and even Dante was fighting a smile.

"Well, I'll be damned. I'm corrupting my baby!" he exclaimed.

"Serves you right, Ace," Lexi laughed, "Good job Annie. You keep him in line."

"Will do," she said shyly.

"So Alek, how's training been going?" Blade asked him.

Alek sat up straighter, ruffling his brown hair. "Well, it's a lot harder than I thought it'd be," he admitted.

"But it's been going very well," Lexi added, elbowing his side with a secretive smile.

"Yes it has, and the rewards are certainly worth it," he said, returning the smile before he looked at us. "How've you guys been?" He was polite enough not to bring up the situation at least. Kind of strange that he was such a polite person now when he had wanted to hurt me when we met. Thank God he changed.

"We're doing really good," Blade said, his hand taking mine under the table.

"I can't believe you forgave him so easily. I'd have made him wait a lot longer," Lexi shook her head at me.

I shrugged, "Well, given the circumstances, waiting wasn't much of an option. Besides, I was too sick of fighting."

"Blade honey, remind me after dinner to have a word with you," Talia said, giving him a severe look.

He cringed a little. "Okay, Mom."

I struggled to contain my laughter. Six hundred years old and still afraid of his mother. Ridiculous.

"So Blade, Kiana...I heard about that little incident of yours," Aros wagged his finger at Blade in an almost playful way, "Very bad move, by the way. I'm just curious—"

"What else is new?" Ace interjectrd dryly.

"--to know if you two patched things up again," he leaned forward towards us a little, putting his soup spoon down in his empty bowl.

"Yes we did," he said, his hand squeezing mine just a tad too tightly for comfort.

"Are you going to ask about their sex life too? I don't believe that's appropriate dinner talk," Ace said, sarcasm oozing out of his tone.

"I was simply concerned, no need to get snippy," Aros slid a sharp look in Ace's direction, causing Ace to roll his eyes.

"What ever, old man," he said dismissively.