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“How do you know? The vampire said that his master sent him to compel my mother. Couldn’t the demons have sent me?”
“Anything’s possible. But placing babies in the human world for humans to raise them isn’t how demons work.”
“You mean you’ve heard this?”
“Yeah. It’s what the fae do?”
“The fae?”
“Creatures who have access to the world’s magic. It’s what gives shifters their power. You could be a fae.”
“That sounds a little better than being a demon,” I admitted.
“Perhaps. But the fae have long ago given up on leaving their offspring to be raised by humans. So the question is, why were you left? Did the vampire say anything about that?”
“He didn’t tell me anything at all. Everything I know, I took from his mind.”
“So, you can read minds as well?” Remy asked with an uneasy smile. “Do I have to watch what I think?”
“I can’t do it at will. I was able to do it with him. And a few days ago I had lunch with Hil. As he entered, I could immediately tell what he was thinking. But I know him so well, I might have been able to do it without special abilities.”
“Okay. Well, let’s take this one mystery at a time. Let’s start with, if this is where the vampire lived, why do you want to make this the community center?”
“Because, if there’s anywhere in the city that needs to be cleansed with something positive, it’s this place.”
Staring into Remy’s eyes, I didn’t have to be a fae to tell what he was thinking. He knew that I wasn’t just referring to the supernatural scar the vampire left behind. It was the pain I felt from a childhood of being rejected by someone I had thought was my father. I now knew that he was a vampire and hence couldn’t have been, but that didn’t erase the agony that 12-year-old me felt being rejected by the person who was supposed to love me.
Remy turned to the building in front of us.
“You know, if you want, I could just burn this place to the ground. You’ll never have to think about it again.”
“This place has been burnt enough. Life needs to be breathed back into it.”
Remy nodded, seemingly pacified by my words. “You’re no demon. I can tell you that,” he said looking at me with a kind smile. “I’ll buy it, and we’ll make this place into something better. Have you given more thought to whether you’d like to help me create it?”
As I considered his question, a smile spread across my face. “I have.”
Chapter 8
Remy
Lying in bed alone, staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t shake Dillon’s story from my mind. I kept replaying the anguish and hurt in his voice as he shared his experiences as a kid. It broke my heart.
It also made me think about my own father – a man who, despite being a brutal alpha to his enemies, had always been there for me and unquestionably loved me. Dillon and my experience growing up couldn’t be less alike. Yet there was a part of me that could identify with Dillon’s pain.
How could I, though? I had everything the world says you need – wealth, power, privilege. I was a wolf who could have had anything I wanted. Dillon had nothing. So to say that I could identify with his pain was beyond laughable; it was offensive. And every time that thought crossed my mind, it was followed by a wave of guilt.
Despite that, there it was, a feeling that I, a hot, rich, wolf who grew up with a loving father and everything I could ever desire, felt as much pain as Dillon, a guy who grew up poor, black, and rejected. It wasn’t right, but it felt true. How could it be?
There was an itch in the back of my mind that brought my thoughts back to my father’s expectations for my life. Yeah, I know, boohoo, my rich, loving alpha was demanding. I knew I had no right to compare my pain to Dillon’s but…
Rolling over, burying my face in the pillow, I tried to smother my thoughts away. As I did, the image of Dillon’s wounded expression haunted me. I was sure I knew his pain. How, though? I was about to shut off my feelings like I had so many times as a kid when something hit me. I had an idea.
Seeing Dillon already in the office when I arrived the next day, my wolf awakened. Despite our previously painful conversation, I couldn’t keep my eyes off his beautiful caramel skin and unruly curls. But swallowing hard, I put my idea into action.
“I want to show you something,” I said, barely holding back the torrent of emotions threatening to spill over.
Dillon looked at me with confusion and then nodded. Leaving the office and driving in silence, we headed to a rundown part of town I wouldn’t normally have stepped foot in. After parking, we entered a small Greek grocery store. As we did, a head popped up above the low aisles.
