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“No red. You’re good. Let’s do this.”
They got out of the car and made their way to the front door. Melinda Mosier was sitting at the kitchen table, and she squealed with delight when she rounded the corner and saw them.
“Brian! Oh, my God, it’s the girls! Come quick! They’re home!” she cried.
Ash froze, her gaze glued to the floor, and let Dani rush forward into their mother’s arms. Brian barreled around the corner with Harley on his heels, and his face broke into a wide smile when he saw his daughters.
The Great Dane charged down the stairs, her tail wagging wildly when she caught Ash’s scent. Harley tackled Ash, unconcerned with the changes her person had undergone. Harley’s joy left Ash on the floor, fending off the aggressive love of a hundred-and-fifty-pound behemoth.
“Welcome home,” Brian called in his familiar booming voice. Ash turned Harley toward Dani and ran into her father’s arms. He wrapped her in a hug. “Hi, baby girl.”
Ash buried her face in his shoulder. The prickling sensations that accompanied her bloody tears stung her eyes.
Well, shit. I guess we’re getting right to it. No hiding the truth after this.
Brian pulled back and gasped when he saw her face. “Oh, honey. What happened to you?”
Ash gestured at the living room. “Why don’t we go sit down? We’ve got a hell of a story to tell you.”
Melinda ignored the bloody tears, and her face was full of compassion as she pulled Ash into a hug. “That sounds good, but first, I want to hug both my babies.”
The family moved into the living room and sat down so Ash and Dani could tell their story. When they sat, Harley climbed onto the couch and stretched her large body over Ash’s lap. They started with the events just after they left the country and continued through Ash’s vampire boot camp. When Ash’s voice broke, Dani picked up the tale.
Brian and Melinda listened with open minds and slack jaws. As Dani had predicted, their primary concern was for Ash’s well-being. Their love remained unconditional. They reeled as they processed the change, but they’d seen the news reports and knew something big was happening in the hidden world.
“Sweetheart, how could you think we would love you less?” Melinda kneeled in front of her daughter. “I don’t care what you become. You will always be my child, with the same beautiful heart and soul you’ve always had.”
Ash wiped her eyes and tried to speak past the lump in her throat. “Everything is so different now. I’m so different. I wasn’t sure if you’d think I was still your daughter. I didn’t get the glowing red eyes, bloodlust, and pointy teeth from you.”
“You won’t scare us off that easily, young lady.” Brian aimed a stern look at her. “We’ve stared evil down together before. I’m not saying we don’t have concerns. Of course we do, and I’m still in shock, but you will always be our daughters. Nothing can change that.”
The small family sat up until dawn, telling stories and reassuring themselves that everyone was okay. It was an emotional evening, but it meant everything to Ash. Coming home to the love and acceptance she’d always known was an enormous relief. Some things never changed, and thank all the gods for that.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Therian Palace, Russia, Monday, December 10, 2012
Ivanna stood in the courtyard, looking up at the ancient palace. Luca had invited her, saying he needed to speak to her about a matter of great importance, and she’d come without hesitating.
Most of the Therians loyal to Nikoli had fallen with him or fled shortly after his death. Ivanna still ran the refugee camp, but there was no need to hide in isolation. The king offered Ivanna and her people homes, work, and the opportunity to take an active role in rebuilding the empire.
She trusted Luca. Her nerves still held her back, though. Ivanna shook off the queasy feeling in her gut and strode into the palace. She was far from the only Therian to have horrific memories from the place, but she was determined to keep them in the past. Nikoli’s death had freed them all.
She stared at the tall, imposing doors for a long time, letting her conflicting feelings swirl around her to figure out how she felt now. Ivanna had passed through those doors as a slave, then as a free Therian after escaping from Nadya’s lab, and now as an honored guest and cherished friend of the king.
Ivanna’s glance drifted up and lingered on the balcony in Luca’s chambers. She thought back to their fateful encounter and remembered he’d promised that things would change when he was king. The atmosphere of exuberant hope in the courtyard showed her that those changes were already starting. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she walked inside and went to find the new king.
Before she could start looking, Ivanna was intercepted by a tall, thin man with short dark hair, a black beard neatly shaped into two prongs, and intelligent eyes with vertical pupils in human form. One was a vivid turquoise blue and the other a rich green.
“Lady Ivanna?” he asked in a crisp British accent, opening a leather-bound folder.
She nodded. “I am Ivanna, but I am not a lady.”
He smiled. “My name is Remington, but please, call me Remy. I am King Lucaindrion’s personal aide-de-camp, and I would be happy to provide anything you need. He asked me to bring you to his office. Follow me, please.”
Ivanna nodded and fell into step beside Remy as he led her through the halls where she’d lived as a slave for so long. “Have they selected a new palace location yet?”
Remy shook his head. “Not yet, but they have narrowed it down to three spots.” He spotted an empty paper cup on a stair rail and pushed it off as he passed by. His attentive gaze watched it fall gracefully into a wastebasket on the lower landing.
