Page 81 of A Trial By Blood

Time was running out, and not just for my task. Death had laid down an ultimatum, and it was constantly on my mind. I still hadn’t heard back from Zinnia. All I could do was wait for my cousin to call and go through what I’d printed out at the museum. We desperately needed a starting point for tomorrow.

Ronan pulled up outside the house. “I’ll be here early tomorrow.”

I searched his face. He seemed strange, distant, and his eyes were incredibly pale, lighter than I’d ever seen them. “I don’t like saying goodbye to you,” I said, because there was no reason to hold back how I felt.

His nostrils flared, and I knew he was scenting me. “I don’t like it either.”

I leaned toward him, and he did the same. I pressed my lips to his, and one of his fangs grazed my lower lip. I shivered.

He’s hungry.

The knowledge hit me. Maybe it was the connection between us, or maybe it was because I’d drunk enough of his blood that I was starting to sense what he was feeling. I knew that could happen with mates and also blood drinkers. His eyes were glowing, lighter than normal. Was that a sign as well?

“Why don’t you come inside and feed first,” I said against his lips.

He froze, jolting slightly. “That’s not…I can’t—”

“Ronan, we talked about this. I can’t bear the thought of you depriving yourself.”

He shook his head woodenly. “I’m not.” His voice was rough, low. “I ah…I need to help out the hounds.” He straightened. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay.” It was stupid, but it felt like a rejection, even though he had a good reason to leave. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I got out of the car and walked to the front door. He didn’t leave until I opened it. I waved as he drove off.

Well, that sucked.

I was about to shut the door when I spotted the same car across the street that I’d seen last night. It was too dark to see who was sitting in the driver’s seat. I took a step toward the car and expected it to speed off again. It didn’t.

The driver’s door opened and a male got out. He stared over at me, his hands gripped tightly in front of him. He was tall, dark-haired, not human.

I stopped where I was, keeping space between us. “Can I help you?”

“Are you one of Daisy’s girls?” the man asked.

“Yes.”

“Were you born after Iris?”

I stilled. “Who are you?”

His dark gaze moved over me, something shifting in his eyes, something I couldn’t read. Then they came back to me and there was surprise, maybe even alarm. “I think I’m your father.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

“The dhampir who found me, he didn’t tell you about me?”

My father was standing right there. I’d always wondered about him, but I’d never tried to find him. Why would I? He’d run off. He’d left Mom and his unborn child. Wills and Iris had different fathers, but he’d been a dad to them as well, at least for a short time. When I’d gotten sicker, Mom had tried desperately to track him down in case there was something in his family history that could provide a clue about my illness. He’d remained elusive. But she’d always thought he was human.

He shifted nervously. “I thought you might try to find me…after…”

“There was no reason to,” I said, and maybe that sounded cruel, and maybe I was trying to hurt him a little. But I didn’t know this man. I didn’t owe him anything, not even civility. The only questions I’d wanted answers to were about what I was, nothing more.

“I deserve that.” He slid trembling hands into his pockets.

“Why didn’t you tell Mom what you were?” I asked the only true question I’d had since we found out the truth about what I was.

He lifted a shoulder, then dropped it. “Blood drinkers aren’t always welcome.” He smiled sheepishly. “I had it bad for Daisy, and I stupidly thought she wouldn’t want anything to do with me if she knew what I was.”