Before she could say more, Lucius straightened and gestured toward the small dining area.
"It's getting warm in here. Go sit," he said gently, his tone taking on an air of authority. "I'll bring everything when it's ready."
Jean hesitated, reluctant to leave him, but the heat of the kitchen was indeed beginning to prickle at her skin.
She nodded slowly and turned toward the door, glancing over her shoulder before stepping out.
"Lucius," she said softly, pausing in the doorway.
He looked up from his task, the flicker of a question in his eyes.
"Thank you," she murmured.
A faint smile ghosted across his lips. "Anything for you," he repeated, his voice low and steady.
Jean's heart tightened as she left, her mind racing. He wasn't always a vampire. He wasn't always what he was now.
And somehow, knowing that made him feel both closer and infinitely farther away.