“Can we do something about Billy’s parents and the parents of the other kids if we find out who they are?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Make them believe their kids are living their best life in Fiji or something.”
“Don’t you think that might be a little cruel?”
“Crueler than leaving them to wonder what happened to their kids or having them believe their children just up and abandoned them for no reason? No, I don’t.”
Declan lifted his gaze to the busy street. “We’ll find them and make sure they have a happier memory about the disappearance of their children. For now, let’s finish meeting the neighbors.”
It was early afternoon by the time they went through the streets, uncovered the parents of Billy and his friends, and arrived on Main Street. Orange cones circled the crumpled brick wall of the bank. At the time, Willow hadn’t realized the truck had plowed into a bank, but she saw the sign for it now.
The truck was gone and the debris cleaned up, but a few onlookers stood on the sidewalk. Their whispered gossip floated on the breeze as they pointed at the scene. This had to be the biggest action in town in decades; their grandchildren would be talking about it fifty years from now.
Despite every resident they spoke with having the same story, the Alliance interrogated everyone in town. Willow, Declan, and Saxon went to the hunting camp to talk to Gus, Junior, and the other members. None of them knew anything more either.
After leaving the camp, they located Gretchen in the woods, smoking cigarettes and drinking with her friends. Willow almost hugged every member of Gus’s family when she first saw them but managed to restrain herself.
She doubted they would appreciate a stranger throwing herself at them. Still, by the time they were ready to leave town, she felt as good as she could about the whole situation.
“We’re going to have to make sure no one follows us, so it will take us a while to get home,” Ronan said when they were all settled in the SUV again.
“Understandable,” Declan said. “We’re ready to go home.”
Willow couldn’t agree more as she nestled against his side, but she couldn’t shake the knot of anxiety forming in her chest. She told herself she wasn’t going to do it, but couldn’t stop herself from pulling away and bending to touch the sword. She smiled when her fingers fell on the cool metal and closed her eyes before releasing the weapon and snuggling against Declan again.
He gave her a questioning look she chose to ignore as Ronan left Culver behind. The sword could never be hers, but until they took it from her, she would protect it.
Chapter Fifty-Four
When Ronan saidit was going to take them a while to get home, he wasn’t kidding. They spent three days on the road, switching between back roads and highways, staying in different hotels, and traveling through different states before finally returning to the compound.
During that time, she learned she wasn’t pregnant and was surprised by the amount of disappointment she felt over it. She was far from ready to be a mom, but she yearned for the day when she held hers and Declan’s child in her arms.
By the end of their journey, she was more exhausted than when trapped in the tree. She was also eager to get out of the SUV and see her parents. They were waiting outside when the vehicles pulled up in front of the gothic mansion the Alliance called home. It wasn’t the prettiest place in the world, but Willow loved the peaks, turrets, and gargoyles positioned around the building.
Her mother enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug as soon as she exited the SUV. “You’re here,” she breathed.
Uncaring of the fact they handled her like a baby in front of the members of the Alliance, Willow hugged her back. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Her mom’s sob nearly broke her heart as her dad stepped forward to embrace them both. It took a few minutes, but her mom finally released her and stepped back to wipe the tears away from her violet-blue eyes. Her father’s green eyes twinkled as he rested his hand on Willow’s shoulder.
Unsure how to handle this family dynamic, Declan hung back with Willow’s sisters, Nathan, and Brian. Of course, he knew about this large family of purebred vampires, and he’d met more than a few of their children, but he didn’t know how to interact with them. For nearly six hundred years, his family had consisted of a group of warriors who preferred killing to hugging.
“You’ll get used to it,” Brian said to him.
Declan frowned as he glanced at him. “What?”
Brian chuckled. “You have the same deer in the headlights look I’m sure was on my face the first time I met them. And believe me, your mate took full advantage of using that opportunity to torture me. At least you have the advantage of not having all the siblings, their mates, and their children here too. You’ll get used to it, and one day, you’ll wake up and realize you’re part of the family and have no idea how it happened, but you’ll be glad it did.”
Brian clapped him on the shoulder. “So, welcome to the family.”
“Thanks,” Declan muttered as he studied Willow with her parents. She looked a lot like her mom with her blonde hair and slender build, but her mother’s eyes were more violet-blue than Willow’s pure violet color. She had her father’s height and the same smile.
When they finished hugging again, Willow turned and beamed as she extended her hand to him. Love and happiness radiated from her and her family, but now that love was focused on him; he basked in its warmth as he took her hand.
“Declan, this is my mom, Sera, and my dad, Liam. Mom, Dad, this is my mate, Declan,” Willow introduced.
