Gregor’s jaw clenched. “I found you because of Bones’s stupidity, and if he’d had me and my men in a similar circumstance, he’d have acted with the same ruthlessness.”

I opened my mouth to respond when there was an urgent knock.

“I said no interruptions,” Gregor barked, streaking to the door and flinging it open.

It was Lucius again. He almost hopped up and down in nervousness. “Master, you must come with me. I-I have…news.”

The way his eyes kept flicking to me had me swinging my rubbery legs out of bed and managing to stand.

“What happened? Did what’s-his-name not get the message?” I asked, fighting dizziness.

“You need me to come with you now?” Gregor repeated, gesturing to me. “This is the first I’ve spent with my wife in a dozen years. This can’t wait?”

“No, monsieur,” Lucius whispered, lowering his head.

“Is it Bones?” I demanded, staggering and falling when my legs wouldn’t hold. “If he’s dead, Gregor—”

“Is that swine still alive?” he interrupted. “Answer so she won’t become hysterical.”

“Ah, yes, he is.” The sweetest of words. “If you would please come this way—”

“My mother?” I cut him off, thinking what else might have gone tragically wrong.

“I have no knowledge of any fatalities among your friends,” Lucius said, almost wringing his hands.

“You’ve heard what you requested,” Gregor said, picking me up and depositing me back in bed. “If you don’t want to injure yourself, stay there. I won’t be long.”

With that, he swept out. There was the distinct sound of bolts sliding after he shut the door. Left with few other productive options, I lay there and practiced moving my limbs.

Gregor came back about an hour later, dressed in pants but no shirt. Some clothes were better than none. I sat up with the sheet to my chin and pillows propped behind me. When he met my gaze, something flickered across his hard features. His mouth softened, but he didn’t quite smile.

“You remind me of the girl you were. You’re not her anymore, but right now, you look like you are.”

It was incredibly strange. He was remembering someone I used to be, and I had no idea who that was. A sixteen-year-old Catherine who didn’t hate vampires and went to Paris with one? Never met her.

“No, I’m not her anymore,” I agreed. “Since there’s no turning back the clock, why don’t we part in a semifriendly manner now?”

He didn’t respond to that. “Your body’s also different. You’re an inch taller, and you’ve gained weight.”

“Everyone’s a critic,” I muttered.

That made him smile, creasing the scar on his eyebrow. “Twas no insult, ma femme. It plumps your breasts and softens your thighs.”

Way too much information and in the wrong, wrong direction. “Gregor,” I shifted, and a strained breath escaped me. The movement put pressure on my ribs.

In the next instant, he was looming over me. “You’re hurt. I thought it was just unease after the transport, but you’re in pain.”

“It’s nothing.” I brushed his hands away. “Got banged up sparring with a friend, I’m fine. Where are we? You never said.”

“Austria.” He sat without being invited, and I scooted back, not liking his proximity.

“And what’s this news Lucius doesn’t want me to know?” My brow arched as I asked, daring him to tell me.

His shoulder lifted in a half shrug. “No one you hold dear was captured or killed. My men ceased as instructed, and my promise is fulfilled.”

“Not all of your promise.” Sharply.

“Nor all of yours. It’s your turn.” From his pants pocket, he withdrew a small silver knife, intricately etched. “Drink from me. Learn what was stolen from you.”

Now that it was time for me to discover what had been ripped from my mind, I was uncertain. Was it possible I’d loved the vampire in front of me? I couldn’t imagine that, but Gregor seemed so sure. What if learning this piece of my past did change things between Bones and me? Could I risk that?

But on the other hand, I didn’t have a choice. If Gregor wanted to force me to drink his blood, in my condition, it would be easy. Besides, I refused to let doubt dictate my actions. I loved Bones. Nothing I remembered would change that, no matter what Gregor thought.

I didn’t look away as I accepted the knife. When I reached for his hand, however, Gregor stopped me.

“No. Take from my neck, as I once took from yours.”

I really didn’t want to be closer to him, but refusing would be irrational. At least Bones was wrong, I thought. He swore Gregor would make me bite him.

Without hesitation, I jabbed the dirk into Gregor’s throat and sealed my mouth over the wound, sucking. As I swallowed, I felt his arms go around me, but they didn’t fully register. Something exploded in my brain. I wasn’t falling this time; I was being propelled forward.

I waited downstairs by the front door as Cannelle, Gregor’s housekeeper, had instructed me. She’d muttered something in French I hadn’t completely understood, but it didn’t sound friendly. Oh, in front of Gregor, Cannelle was polite. But as soon as his back was turned, she was cold and cutting. I didn’t know why, but it made me sad. I was a long way from home, and I hadn’t seen another soul aside from the few people in this house. A friend would have been so nice.

Gregor’s entryway had the coldest design, I’d decided. High ceilings that didn’t offer a glimpse of the sky. Harshly done paintings of unsmiling figures glaring at all who dared to enter. A set of hatchets crisscrossed together over a coat of arms. Yeah, comfy. If you were Adolf Hitler.

Gregor walked through the door moments later. He looked very imposing, wearing a long dark coat and shirt over coal-colored pants. Even though he intimidated me, I couldn’t help but be dazzled by how gorgeous he was.

It still didn’t seem real that Gregor was a vampire. I’d barely come to terms with being a half-breed myself before I was whisked away by a strange vampire that—unbelievably—my mother seemed to trust. Since she didn’t trust anyone, Gregor had to be special.

“You’re beautiful in your gown,” he commented as he looked me over. “Very much a lovely young lady instead of a wandering farm child.”

I cringed, but I didn’t want him to see that he’d struck a nerve. “Thank Cannelle. She had everything laid out for me.”

“I shall thank her, later,” he answered with a glint. “Don’t you prefer this to stained jeans and twigs in your hair?”

I’d barely spoken at all in the past two days, being too awed by him and my new circumstances, but that stiffened my spine. “It’s been good enough for me my entire life,” I said. “If you’ve got such a problem with where I came from, maybe you should put me back on a plane.”

Come at me all you want, but don’t put down my family. They couldn’t help it that we weren’t wealthy. My grandparents worked harder than most people and they were up in years.

Gregor spread out his hands. “I meant no offense, chérie. I’m from a farm as well, in the south of France, but there were no cherries to be found there. You see? More that we have in common.”

I was somewhat mollified. “What else do we have in common?”

“Ah,” he smiled, his features changing from their hard planes. “Come. You’ll find out.”

Gregor and I walked through the Parisian streets. He took me to the lighted fountains in the square, retelling their history. It would have been a dream evening, if I hadn’t had so many unanswered questions he kept changing the subject about.

“Why am I here with you?” I ended up blurting in growing frustration over not knowing why I’d been shuttled out of Ohio in such a hurry. “I mean, my mother said I had to go with you because some bad vampire was after me, but nobody said who.”

We were almost at the Eiffel Tower. It was breathtaking, but all the scenery in the world couldn’t distract me from finding out what was going on with my future.