The next day …

Titan seemed on edge. He stood up and then sat back down. He was all fidgety.

“What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.” His eyes were straight ahead.

“You talk such rubbish. Just tell me already.”

“Drago is coming around.” He didn’t sound happy about it.

“Why?”

“He needs to bring me something.” Cryptic. Oh well. It was none of her business.

She shrugged. “Okay.”

After about two minutes of silence in which she read and re-read the same magazine page twice, Titan turned to her. “Aren’t you going to ask why? Or ask me what he’s bringing?”

“None of my business.” She wanted to know so badly. It was killing her. Damned if she was going to tell him though.

Titan frowned. He didn’t say anything more.

A couple of minutes later and there was a phone call from reception. Titan answered.

He looked up at the ceiling while the other person talked. “Yeah, you can let him up.” He put the phone down.

Natasha turned the page. Even though she still hadn’t taken in a single word of that article. She began reading the next one. Reading without comprehending. Nothing.

There was a knock at the door and Titan jumped up.

“Hey, buddy,” Drago said as he walked in, he gripped Titan by the wrist.

“Thanks for coming.”

“No sweat.” Drago looked over Titan’s shoulder and grinned when he saw her. “Hey, Natasha. How are you?”

“She’s good,” Titan answered for her. “I’m good. We’re all great.” Titan gripped Drago by the arm but he shook him off.

“Take it easy. Are you that desperate?” He rolled his shoulders. “I know you prefer the wrist but the neck might be better.”

“No … fuck!” Titan glanced her way. “I didn’t want … forget it,” he muttered.

Oh … flip! That’s what this was about. “Don’t mind me.” She put up her hands. “Go wild.”

Titan groaned. He rolled his eyes. “Let’s go to my room. Get some privacy.” He gave her a dirty look and then gave Drago an even dirtier one.

They disappeared into his room. Wrist or the neck. Flip! There was something really wrong with her because all she wanted to do was watch. The door was firmly closed though and Titan would never go for something like that. Although she’d noticed the stash of blood slowly going down, she’d yet to see him drink a drop. What she wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall. A really nosey, bug-eyed fly. A mildly perverted fly.

Natasha sighed. She picked up her magazine and tried, in earnest, to read through the thing. Ten minutes later, Titan’s door opened and they both came out.

“You should have seen him in action,” Drago was saying. “The guy has skills.” Then he clapped Titan on the back. “I miss you, bro. Hurry up and catch these fuckers already.” Natasha hadn’t realized that these two were such good friends.

Friends. That meant that they were close. Shit! Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner. Dammit! It could just work. Maybe.

“Um …” She smiled. Think quick! Think quick! “I just ordered a couple of pizzas from that place down the road. You know the one.” They had eaten there before. She glanced at Titan.

“Yeah, but they don’t deliver,” Titan frowned.

“Luigi’s make authentic Italian and the best pizzas. I figured since Drago was here, he could hang with me … I know how you worry.” She smiled sweetly at him. “And you can go and fetch the pies.”

Titan growled. “That’s a bad idea, especially considering that Drago was just leaving.”

She pretended to be shocked. “You can’t make him leave without feeding him. He just fed you … direct from his vein.”

Drago chuckled. “I like this female. I don’t mind hanging with her while you go fetch the pizzas.”

Titan narrowed his eyes. “I’m sure you fucking like Natasha. Her name is Natasha, not female. She does not like being called female.”

“Natasha,” he said it carefully and pointedly, “is right! I deserve to be fed.” Drago grinned, dropping down on the sofa next to her.

“We’ll be fine. Drago will be the perfect gentleman. He learned his lesson.” She moved over, putting some space between them.

“Listen to Natasha. She’s right. We’re friends.” Drago leaned back.

Titan looked at each of them in turn. “I’ll be back in ten minutes. You had better not try anything.”

“I’ll shoot him if he does.” Her gun was still in its holster under her arm. She opened her jacket and pointed at it.

“Wow.” Drago’s eyes bugged right out of his head. “Those are big …” he cleared his throat, “that’s a big gun you have there.”

She ignored him and fought not to roll her eyes.

Titan didn’t look convinced. Just when she was sure he was going to change his mind, he sighed and grabbed his keys. “I’ll be back before you know it.” He looked at Drago while he spoke.

Then he was gone and Drago was sliding over to her side of the sofa.

“I meant it when I said I would shoot you if you tried anything.”

Drago looked shocked. “But I thought you were trying to get rid of him so that …”

“Stop. No!” She shook her head. “Forget that.”

His eyes still had that glazed over look.

“Stop right now. You and I will never happen.”

“Why did you orchestrate it so that we could be alone then?” He frowned.

“I wanted to find out … Oh shit! I never ordered those pizzas.”

She grabbed her phone and looked up Luigi’s, then she placed a rush order for three of their specials.

“I’m all ears,” Drago said, as soon as she ended the call. “This has got to be good.”

“Okay, we don’t have much time. What happened to Titan? He said he raped a woman but I don’t believe him.”

Drago straightened up. He went from grinning to completely serious in an instant. “Why would he say that?” he sighed. “What is it to you?”

Natasha swallowed hard. “He’s hurting. It’s easy to see that he carries this weight around. He’s a good guy. The Titan I’ve come to know wouldn’t hurt someone in that way. I just can’t fathom …”

“Oh shit!” Drago smiled. “You like him. You fucking like him.”

“No!” she was quick to respond. “I mean yes, as a friend and colleague. Not anything more though.”

Drago looked at her like he didn’t believe her. Then he smiled some more. “You fucking like the shit out of him!”

She grabbed his forearm for a second. “No, listen. I want to help him. I’m not sure how though.”

“Okay. I like you, female. I hope you succeed in helping him. God knows I’ve tried.” He paused. “I will tell you because I think you might just be good for him. He needs a break.” Drago continued, “Titan walked in on a greatly aroused female. I’m not going to get into the details because we don’t have much time. She had recently rutted. Scented of non-humans. The female was a human. Titan caught her scent. Picked up on her need and pretty much threw her over his shoulder – not literally but you get my meaning. The problem was that she was aroused by another male and not him.”

“What? He grabbed her and just carted her away. Why would he do that?”

Drago shrugged. “We have since learned more about human females. You must understand that at that stage we had little to no contact with humans. No contact in a personal capacity. Vampires are base when it comes to sex. If two people scent need and arousal on one another, they act.”

“You’ll smell that someone is horny and go and …?”

“Yeah, we’ll rut. We see sex as a function, like eating or breathing. Get horny … fuck. Get hungry … eat. No difference.”

“Okay. No questions asked. No discussions though?” She tried not to sound so shocked.

“That’s just it. No. Titan could scent her need. He reacted. The fact that she said no several times didn’t register. He literally didn’t hear her.”

“Oh, my god!” She was frowning hard. Her heart was pounding.

“Don’t judge him too harshly. He has agonized over this ever since.”

“So, he actually raped her.” She could hear the shock in her own voice. “I can’t believe it. I was so sure …”

“No!” Drago gripped her arm. “He was pulled off of her by a male that is now her mate. It’s a long story. Titan was beaten unconscious. He swears he realized that the female was afraid and was about to apologize to her when he was pulled off. I believe him. My kings believe him. Anyone who knows that male believes him. Titan would never hurt a female. He was quite cocky and arrogant back then. All the females liked him. He had his pick of rut partners.”

“Did he …?” She was almost too afraid to ask. “Did he rape her though?”

“No! The female was still fully clothed. There was a small rip in her shirt. He apologized and explained everything to her. As did the kings. She forgave him but he has yet to forgive himself.”

“It was a misunderstanding then? A case of two different cultures getting their wires crossed?”

Drago nodded. “That’s exactly it. He was punished, but the punishment he forces on himself is ongoing. He hates himself for what happened. He doesn’t socialize much. The female vampires won’t let him near them because they are angry about what went down. They remembered him as being a really horny male. They’re ultimately full of shit. It doesn’t matter though because he isn’t interested anyway. I suspect if he approached one that she would be quick to let him into her bed but he never does.” Drago lifted his eyes. “I hear something,” he whispered. “I hope you can help him see things as they actually happened and not how he remembers them. Titan is a good male. He deserves to actually live his life. To have fun.”

Drago moved back to the other side of the sofa and put a finger over his lips to silence her. “What kinds of things should I say to a human female if I think she is attractive?”

“Be honest. If you like her hair then tell her,” she quickly blurted, trying to sound normal.

The door opened and Titan walked in carrying a couple of boxes. He looked pissed. For a second she was sure he knew what was going on.

“What if I think she has stunning breasts? Can I just be honest and tell her?”

Natasha gaped.

Drago laughed. “What? Why is that a bad thing?”

“You can’t say something like that to a human,” Titan growled. “They’re too timid.” He put the pizzas on the table in front of them.

“You could tell her she has a sexy body,” Natasha said.

Drago looked like he was thinking it over. Natasha could hear Titan fetching plates. “I think I would be honest and direct. I would tell her she had really great breasts.”

Titan rolled his eyes. Natasha laughed. She thought about all the times guys had made lewd comments or stupid analogies. “I think you might just get away with it, Drago.”

Titan scowled.

“I like you female,” Drago said.

“Natasha,” Titan warned.

Drago winked at her.