“I don’t know. I feel as if I’m not me anymore. As if somehow you’re slowly taking me over. Are you doing that?” She didn’t try to get free. She wasn’t even certain she really wanted to be free Her large eyes searched his expression seriously.
“I would never want to take you over. You are exactly who you are supposed to be. We have spent so much time, each of us alone, it is strange, perhaps, to share so much together so soon. But we are lifemates, and we will adjust.”
She leaned into him even as she turned to face the huge room. “I feel as if I belong here, as if I know this place.”
“You do belong here. Go explore. If there is anything you wish to change, feel free to do so.” He opened his arms, allowing her to step away from him.
The house was even more beautiful than Jaxon had remembered. She tried not to stare around her in complete awe. In her job as a police officer, she had certainly been in more than one mansion, but this was extraordinary. In a way it evoked an Old-World elegance, a forgotten time. There was even a ballroom with a parquet dance floor. Her favorite room was a massive library made cozy by a large fireplace with two comfortable chairs placed in front of it, an antique reading table between them. On three walls were floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a ladder on rails the only way to ascend to the top shelves. She saw every kind of book imaginable, from fiction to science, old to new. She noted that the books, some of them ancient, were in several languages. It was a virtual treasure trove. Jaxon felt she could spend a good portion of her life right in that room and be happy.
The house was far larger than she had imagined, even larger than it appeared from the outside. The kitchen alone was bigger than her entire apartment. Lucian glided up behind her so silently, she nearly jumped out of her skin. “It is not your apartment any longer. I told your landlady she could rent it out.” He said it softly, proving he was still a silent shadow in her mind.
“You did not.” Jaxon swung around, her hands on her hips, daring him to be telling her the truth.
“Of course I did. You do not belong there. You never belonged there,” he answered complacently.
“I know you wouldn’t dare give away my apartment. They’re not exactly easy to come by, especially on my salary.” Jaxon stared up at him, trying to read his expression. “You couldn’t have, Lucian.” She was trying to convince herself as well as him. “Surely my landlady would have insisted on the lease being fulfilled.”
He shrugged, not in the least perturbed. “She was willing to accept cash. I find in most cases it works quite well. Have you not had similar findings?”
“You really did it, didn’t you? Oh, my God, I’ve got to call her. Where the heck are the telephones in this place? You can’t just do that. You can’t.” She glared at him. “You don’t even feel remorse. I’m looking at you, and I don’t see one speck of remorse in you at all. You don’t even feel it, do you?”
“I see no reason to experience such an emotion. You are in our home, where you belong. The elderly woman was more than satisfied with the cash for the lease and will be able to find a new renter immediately. It worked out quite well for everyone.”
“Not for me. I need my own space, Lucian. I really do.” Exasperated, she shook her head. What was the use? He didn’t seem to understand what he had done.
“There is more than enough space here, is there not?” He looked puzzled, his black eyes seeking out every corner of the room. “There is much you have not even seen yet. The grounds are immense, and in many of the walls are secret passageways and other rooms. I am certain there is enough space for you right here.” Just in case Jaxon should touch his mind, Lucian made certain his amusement was buried deeply. He continued to look innocent and straight-faced.