Clarity

Logan sat back, elbows resting on the arms of his chair, fingers together forming a steeple before him. He'd grown still in a way that some of the older vampires could. He wasn't all that old, but like Lucien, he was powerful enough to pull off the trick. His gaze was intense as he studied me and it took everything I had not to squirm under his scrutiny.

Stupid me.

I just had to open my big mouth.

"Caleb . . . ." He paused, sighing. "I won't deny that you are making progress, but—"

"You know what? Just forget it." I tamped down the urge to tap my foot or pop my knuckles. Or get up and pace. Anything to drive away the anxiety that had hit me like a ton of bricks. "Forget I even mentioned it."

"As you well know, I can't do that." His gaze flicked up and down my body, eyes narrowing in concern. "Why are you suddenly so nervous?"

"Not nervous."

He calmly pointed at my leg, which I'd obviously failed to keep still. "We're too far along for you to start lying to me, Caleb."

I sighed and stood, shaking my head. "I just . . . Hell, I just want things to get back to normal, you know?"

Logan frowned at my words and I instantly knew I'd said the wrong thing—yet again.

"There is no wrong thing to say, Caleb."

"No!" I turned, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You stay out of my goddamned head, Logan. That's not part of the deal and you fucking know it! I'm talking, so keep your voodoo mind tricks to yourself."

He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Calm down, Caleb."

"Calm down, Caleb. Let's talk about this, Caleb." I mimicked the words I heard so often from him. "You know what? I'm done with being calm. And I'm done playing this stupid game."

"Stupid?"

"Shut. Up."

"This is far from a game, Caleb."

"Quit saying my name!" It annoyed me to no end to hear him repeat my name over and over again, as if it helped him to connect with me or some shit like that. I just wanted it to stop . . . for it all to stop. "Just . . . stop."

"Why does it bother you so much?"

I just looked at him.

He wasn't going to stop asking questions and if I got any more worked up, our little two hour session was going to go way into overtime. No matter what I did or said from this point on, Logan would question it and tear it apart, detail by detail. I was not in the mood for this tonight and I was prepared to do just about anything to end it.

Frustrated, I parked my ass on the arm of the chair and stared at him. I might not have been calm, but I needed him to believe that I was at least headed that way. After a few moments of silence, he calmly rose from his chair and walked around the desk. It put us only a couple of feet apart and he crossed his arms over his chest, mimicking my actions now.

A snarl tried to burst free, but I pursed my lips tightly together. He was testing me. Seeing how far he could push me . . . and whether I'd snap. Over the last several months, I'd wanted to snap. Wanted to yell and roar and just . . . vent. But I had a feeling that if I did, I'd end up without a head.

Lucien, my Master and head of the Coven, would see to that.

It didn't matter that we had history and that we'd been friends for so many years. If he thought I was a danger to him or the rest of the coven, he'd do away with me.

Simple as that.