Chapter 278: Chapter 277

Chapter 277 Mason “Can | get you something to eat?”

The waitress was so obvious with her curious looks that | wanted to snap at her to leave us the f uck alone, but Asher gave her a familiar, charming smile.

“Sure, sweetheart. How about two large platters of hot wings, extra bleu cheese. Oh, and | want some fried beef rolls, too. Honey mustard”

| had to stop myself from rolling my eyes as he ordered even more food, but it got the waitress to focus on taking our order rather than ogling us.

too.

“Anyway, you're treating,” he said with another grin, for me this time. “And I’m hungry | leaned back against the booth. “It’s going to be hard to talk with food in our mouths.”

“I'll be eating. You'll be the one talking.” He lifted his glass toward me again. “T'll need a few more of these, “lm not even sure where to start.”

“How about with what the f uck did you mean by an ancient vampire killed Orion-f ucking-Constantine?” Asher lost the smile and leaned across the table, pitching his voice low. It still slapped at me, each word sharp as a razor.

“| guess that’s a good place.” | tried to sound light, but Asher wasn’t having it.

His lip curled. “The f uck were you doing around an ancient vamp to begin with?”

“You're go going to hate this answer, but | can’t really tell you.” | braced myself for his fury, but Asher only let out a low growl of laughter.

He shook his head and leaned back in his seat. “Of course you f ucking can’t. You’re so full of secrets!

can smell them oozing out your pores.”

“Look, there are things | shouldn't even know for my own safety, and there’s no way I’m going to put you any danger because of it. And | will not risk my family, either,” | told him in the same growling tone he’d given me in “Who's the vamp?”

| hesitated but answered reluctantly. “Name’s Malachi.”

“No, | mean....who is he? Why the f uck was he able to get to Orion in the first place, and why would he kill him?” Asher sat upright with a sick expression twisting his features. “S hit F uck. The Treaty’s been broken?”

“| mean, the Treaty said that we wouldn't kill each other, so yeah” | took a long pull off my beer, wishing there was an easier way for this conversation to happen. There was too much | still didn’t know...and too much Asher was quiet for a long few seconds. He drained his glass and opened his mouth to speak, but the waitress arrived with the platters of food. She put them on the table, chattering away and flirting with him-or trying to. But unlike before, this time, Asher didn’t give her a charming smile.

His face had gone dark. His teeth gleamed, too sharp. His eyes flashed, setting her back a few steps. He flicked a hand at her in a gesture more authoritative than I'd ever seen him make.

“Go. We don’t need anything else from you. Do not come back,” he added without looking at h burned into mine. “My friend and |

need to be left the f uck alone. You got that?”

“Yeah, sure,” she mumbled and scurried away.

“If the Treaty has been broken, why hasn’t anyone heard about it?” he asked finally.

her. His gaze | rubbed at the space between my eyes as a pulse came in from Lanie. She was checking in on me, and that should’ve made me feel good, but it only reminded me that the man across from me had once been interested in her. It reminded me that she and |

were connected in ways | didn’t understand and would not be able to explain, | answered her quickly and then put up a shield.

When | focused back on Asher, he was staring with narrowed eyes.

“| don’t know why nothing’s happened about the Treaty. That's the truth, | vow to the Moon,” | told him.

He stared in silence, and the seconds ticked on between us. | wasn’t going to say anything first. Asher needed to guide this conversation. He deserved to get what he needed from me.

| only hoped I'd be able to give it to him.

“She was linking to you, huh? A minute ago.”

“She’s my mate,” | said solidly, without flinching or any note of apology in my tone. If we were going to fight about this, best to get it out of the way right off the bat. My relationship with Lanie was the one thing | was never going to be sorry about.

you.”

“She should've been our mate,” Asher said. “Tell me that can’t still happen. | need to hear it straight from “Lanie can’t be our mate, Asher. I’ve accepted Zane as my Beta.”