Zed's Dishonest Mate by Sydney Lain Page B

forcing him to stay off the leg.
    He rarely left his side. Luka looked around the room, making sure he didn’t miss Zed teleporting back into the bedroom. No one was watching.
    He put pressure on both legs, and stood. The muscles in his thighs were stiff like cold taffy from a week of nonuse, but the stinging pain that kept his knee from bending was completely gone.
    He crept toward the door on shaky legs. The wall supported him as he made his way down the hall. A white dining room with a black tablecloth reminded him that he lived in a black-and-white world. He dropped into a chair. The kitchen cabinets, a pure white with black handles, looked new or maybe just unused. Vampires had no reason to cook. They drank blood which required a refrigerator for storage, not a fully equipped cooking space.
    The space reminded him of a picture he once had of his real family. Using scraps of material and colored paper he constructed a frame. Even though the image could never be hung, having it gave him hope that someday that would change. This room was full of possibilities and unattainable goals. There would never be a dinner companion, a chance to discover new foods, a few friends sitting around the table enjoying a home-cooked meal.
    “What are you doing?” Zed asked from the doorway. “And what are you wearing?”
    Bishop stood silently beside Zed, arching one eyebrow up.
    Luka looked down at the bright green lounge pants that loosely hung from his hips and then touched the tight, sun-colored shirt with orange spots. He gave Zed a smile that rivaled his clothes in brightness.
    Zed rolled his eyes like he’d done the first time the bags were opened. The vampire looked horrified at the amount of color, but Luka had reached for the clothing and thanked Bishop and Yavin, who had spent an evening shopping for him, a task that was both rare an unexpected. He didn’t care what he ate or if he had soap and a toothbrush, but having fun, happy clothes lifted his spirits. Finally, he had colors that belonged to him. Each piece was bold with some articles more shocking than others. Even without Zed’s help, Luka wouldn’t get lost in the dark. It still surprised him that the two vampires had listened to his request for bright, comfortable clothes.
    He ignored the question about his clothes and answered the obvious one. “I’m sitting in a chair, but soon I’ll be standing. Then I will walk over to the sink after I find a glass for some water.” Luka smiled at the frown on Zed’s face.
    “I can’t leave you alone for a minute. No walking.” Zed moved toward Luka but before he reached him, Luka stood and moved to the sink.
    “Look, no pain.” Luka needed his mate to understand. The bedridden invalid no longer existed.
    Zed lowered his head and shook it. “I’ll call Avery and have him stop by tomorrow. If he says you can walk, then fine, but not a moment before.”
    Luka shrugged. “Fine, I can wait.” He headed back to the chair. The moment his butt hit the wooden surface his stomach growled. He covered his face, trying to hide the flush that spread across his cheeks as the gurgling got louder.
    Zed and Bishop laughed.
    Bishop pulled out a menu from the drawer and handed it to Luka. “What do you want this time?”
    Luka pushed back the menu. “Oh, I’ll have my usual.”
    “Luka, you didn’t even look at it.” Zed picked up the folded takeout menu.
    “When you have something you like, why change it for something else?” The lie easily slipped out. He turned away. Something wouldn’t let him lie while looking at the vampire prince. Truth meant too much to Zed, and each of his secrets weighed him down. For the last week, every time someone handed him a menu, he requested the same thing, lentil burgers.
    He didn’t know who recommended the dried, tasteless patties, but someone thought the nutrients made a healthy meal. Most people thought food that tasted bad was good for the body. If that was true, then lentil burgers