Page 18

“Well, we did,” Zoe said, leaning on the island and taking a slice of bread without reprimand.

“The thing is, Julian isn’t like other vampires.”

Zoe snorted and Mom started chopping veggies even harder, but I continued. “He saved me from being kidnapped and he’s trying to make amends for his past.”

“And you believe that?” Zoe rolled her eyes back like when we were kids. “You’re supposed to be the smart one, Char.”

Ouch. But it did sound lame out loud. And hadn’t I questioned his sincerity myself? But he’d kept my psychic gifts secret from his own boss to protect me and hadn’t done anything but help me and be kind. Even his flirting was minimal, not that I wanted to examine how I felt about that too closely.

“I know how it sounds,” I admitted. “And I’m being careful. But so far, he’s only been helpful and a perfect gentleman.”

Mom scooped the freshly diced array into the salad bowl and leaned in to make sure I was paying attention. “You don’t know his motivation for wanting you to trust him.”

That stung, but she was right. Did his motivation matter as long as he was on my side? Probably. It depended on what that motivation was. And without the ability to read his aura, trying to figure him out was giving me a migraine. How did normal people do it?

“You may not be able to trust him, but you can trust me,” I said, rising. “And stop putting charms in my pocket. That was rude and it could have hurt him.”

At least Mom had the decency to look abashed. “I was thrown off and wanted to protect you.”

“It didn’t hurt him, though, did it?” Zoe challenged on her behalf. “Which means he’s an ancient one and can control himself better, sure. But it also means he’s had hundreds, if not thousands, of years to perfect the art of deviousness.”

“Or regret what he couldn’t control and try to make up for it,” I hit back. “Instead of making assumptions, can we just give him a chance to prove himself?”

“Or hang himself and hurt you in the process.” Zoe stepped toe to toe with me, my heels providing the extra inches that made us an even match.

I hated fighting with Zoe. It was her nature to be bubbly and positive, but I’d dragged her into a situation where she had to face the thing that scared her most, and I didn’t want her to have to worry about losing me like we lost Dad.

“Zo,” I said softly, reaching out a hand to touch her. “I promise to be careful. You and Mama are more important than anything, and I agreed to this job to protect you both from a mess I created. No one, vampire, human, or whatever, is going to hurt this family again. I won’t let that happen.”

The red spikes in her aura settled down as flares of familial orange and pink love took over. Mom pulled us into a group hug, and I basked in the comforting scent of childhood—freshly baked bread and warm cocoa.

“Now that that’s settled,” Mom said after a beat, “go freshen up before our guest arrives.”

Startled, I glanced at the table to find four place settings.

“What? Who?”

“We went into the village to explore today,” Zoe said, a smug expression on her face. “I found someone I think you’ll be interested in meeting.”

“You didn’t—”

“Did you know that each of the supernatural sects have elected leaders that represent them?” Mom asked. “I haven’t paid much mind to politics since marrying your father, but that’s how it works.”

“Everyone knows that. So…” I gestured for Zoe to come out with it.

“He’s one of the sect leaders,” she said, placing the basket of bread on the table.

“Which one?” I pressed, trailing after.

The doorbell rang, preventing her from answering, and she shared an excited look with Mom that sent my nerves over the edge.

“Hurry,” Mom hissed, pulling off her apron. “Go get cleaned up.”

“I’m clean,” I protested, heading for the door. “And try looking for someone for yourself next time and stay out of my business, Zoe.”

I opened the door and came face to chest with a guy who looked like he’d walked straight off the cover of one of Mama’s romance novels. Where Julian was sculpted like a statue of a Greek god, this man was buff like Hercules. In fact, he was the polar opposite of Julian in just about every way with a casual, laid-back vibe that included tight jeans, tattoos on his tanned skin, peeking from the edges of his black T-shirt, and scruff on his face. His tawny hair looked like it hadn’t been cut or styled in ages yet fell perfectly to his shoulders, and he leaned against the doorjamb with casual ease.

But his aura told a different story. The burgundy color held close to his frame said he was a type A personality, always careful to control what people saw. And the silver strands that pulled toward the sky told me he was a shifter. Based on the woodsy smell I detected beneath his body spray, I suspected wolf.