Page 106 of The Immortal’s Mark

“Control your friend,” he commands.

I raise both hands. “Hey. I don’t control anyone here. You two need to settle this amongst yourselves.”

He mutters something under his breath, and I laugh again.

Paige and I haven’t exactly had a ton of time to spend together these past two days, what with my training and her sporadic help with the search for Adir, but the time we have had together has been nice.

She may be a were-beast, but she’s also just like an ordinary young woman. She loves shopping and is passionate about fashion. Right now, she wears a pretty sundress and black combat boots. Her brown hair is twisted in a long braid that sways with each step.

And her pushy-but-friendly personality reminds me so much of Kayla that I have to breathe through the grief clutching my lungs.

I hope Kayla and I can repair our friendship, but it sucks not knowing when I’ll get the chance.

With a shake of my head, I dismiss the sad thoughts just before Gregory opens the restaurant door. Paige and I walk inside. She strides up to the hostess stand while Gregory hangs back beside me.

“Remind me to stay behind the next time you want to spend time with the wolf,” he mutters, crossing his arms. “She’s too pushy for my liking.”

The hostess turns away to prepare our table, and Paige pivots back with a glare. “I can hear you, jerk. You aren’t the only one with good hearing.”

Gregory doesn’t even blink. He simply stares at her—bored, unbothered, like she’s an insect buzzing near his ear.

My cheeks hurt from smiling.

The hostess returns and gestures for us to follow her.

We head toward the second room. A large U-shaped bar dominates the back wall, and tall tables fill the rest of the space.

Paige climbs onto the elevated chair beside me. Gregory takes the seat across from us, angling his body so he has a clear view of the entrance.

“Can I get you anything to drink?” the hostess asks. “Water? Tea? Something from the bar?”

Her lashes flutter at Gregory as she speaks, and she hands menus to Paige and me without even looking at us.

I fight the urge to scoff. She can’t be older than eighteen. Even if you ignore Gregory’s advanced vampire years, it’s obvious she’s too young for him. He looks like he’s in his mid-twenties at least.

“Water will be fine,” Gregory replies, accepting a menu without giving her the attention she wants. He lowers the menu to the table, and he resumes scanning the room.

The hostess pouts.

Paige lifts a hand, nearly placing it in the girl’s face to get her attention. “I’ll take a Coke.”

The hostess blinks, snaps her attention to Paige, and nods, cheeks flushing.

“Of course. And for you?” she asks me.

“Water, please. Thank you.”

She nods, gives Gregory one last lingering look, then hurries away.

Paige opens her menu. “I think I’m in the mood for something heavy. Chicken-fried steak sounds good.”

“If you want a heart attack,” Gregory mutters, still in full surveillance mode.

Paige sticks her tongue out at him.

I chuckle, open my menu, and scan the options. I may be hungry, but my stomach is still in knots from the tense exchange with Lola and my mother earlier. A lighter lunch seems like a good idea.

Spotting grilled salmon, I make my decision and close the menu and place it on Gregory’s.