Cory lowered his head and fiddled with his leather vest. Quietly, he answered her, knowing he’d probably told Madison too much already. "No."
Kate lay back against the sofa, closing her eyes. "Cory, I want you to have love in your life. I want that for you. But I’d be lying if I said this was going to be easy. Just... take it slow. Let her come to you on her own terms. Only you will be able to judge if she’ll be accepting of... who we are."
Kate took his hand and squeezed it. "Talk with your dad, and maybe Luca. If this is someone you want in your life, you're going to have to be prepared for the fact she may reject you. Reject us. And you know we must be so careful."
Cory scrunched his forehead. “Talk to Dad? I don’t know. I just met her, and I really like her. She’s different, like me. She’s easy to talk to and seems to understand me. I don’t want to do anything to hurt my family or her. But Dad?" Cory shook his head. "He won’t like this. I don’t want to bring her here, not yet. I left the party with her and we went for coffee, then she took me back to her place. We were just talking and talking and we fell asleep. I know that sounds made up, but really, I swear, I was honorable. We both woke up this morning and realized we fell asleep.
Cory leaned forward, placing his head in his hands. "She’s different than any other girl I’ve met." Sitting up, he looked at Kate. "I thought about it, feeding from her. I thought about all the things I could do to her, then just erase her memory and she’d never know. But I didn’t, because I want to see her again, get to know her. The warriors are like brothers, but I can’t be like them, I can’t do the things they can do."
Standing up, Cory began to pace. "I want more than hanging out with them. I want... I just want someone of my own."
The depth of his loneliness broke her heart, and she was aware of just how isolated he was, living between two worlds. She watched him pace. "Cory, your dad will be concerned about our exposure. But he’ll want you to be happy. Just go slow. Let her get to know you first. See if her feelings for you are mutual. You’ll gain a sense of her over time, and you’ll know if this is something she can come to terms with. It didn't matter to me what your father was. Well, that's not completely true. It mattered, but Shade mattered more. My desire to be with him was greater than my fear of what might lie ahead. And look at Shannon and Luca. It can work, Cory. Just go slow."
Shuffling his feet, looking down at them, she didn’t understand, and he tried to make her see. "You forget I’m not like you and Dad. I’m not like Luca or Shannon. I’m not mortal, or immortal. I’m always rejected and stuck in the middle. I hate it. I hate me. I don’t fit. But I feel at ease when I talk to her, just being around her. Going slow is the only option I have. I also know I hope I never see that horror in her eyes when she finds out what I really am. I should probably just leave her alone."
Kate jumped to her feet and wrapped him in her arms. "You are a beautiful man, with a beautiful soul. You have a kindness and a gentleness that shines through you. And you’ll find someone, Cory. If not this girl, there will be others. Don't walk away from this. If you like this girl, then see where it goes. Will you do that?"
Cory was startled by her hug. He wasn’t used to being held. It felt comforting, maybe she did understand. But his dad...that would be another story! He didn’t feel like he could tell Shade yet, and besides, this relationship with Madison might not go anywhere.
Cory embraced Kate hard, laying his head on her shoulder. She’d been more of a mother to him than his real mother, even though there wasn’t that great a difference in their age. "I want to, I want to try. Please don’t tell Dad. I know you tell each other everything, but I’m not ready yet to tell him. I just met her. I want some more time with her. Please."
Kate rubbed his back and shushed him, just as when she held and calmed Lorenzo. "I’ll keep this to myself for now, Cory. But you must promise if this relationship looks like it’s going somewhere, you’ll talk to him. Don't fear your father. I know he reacts strongly at times. But he loves you. You must know that."
It felt good to allow someone to hold him. "He can blow the roof off this house, let’s be honest here." Laughing, he pulled away from her embrace. "Thank you. I feel better. I promise if I get to that point with Madison, I’ll talk to you both. She’s an art student at the university and she makes pottery. We have some things in common. She actually thinks I could sell my leather stuff at some of the shops downtown, and I think I might want to try that."
Kate smiled at him. "You could sell your stuff. Easily! Now let me get back downstairs. He doesn't wake up, but he knows when I'm not there." Kate turned to leave then looked back at him. "Madison and Cory, it has a nice ring to it." She winked at him as she opened the door to leave.
Cory smiled, knowing she got the situation with Madison and him. "Mom... wait. I know Dad loves me. I don’t fear him. I just never want to disappoint him. I love him so much, he gave me a new life, and he taught me respect and caring. I want Madison to feel special. I want to have with her what you have with Dad. I see how much loving someone can make you come alive and give you something to live for. I have a real good example in you and Dad. I love you both."
Kate looked back at him, biting her lip, hoping this girl could see past the obstacles and open herself to the love Cory had waited all his life to share. "And we both love you."
28
Santos brought Alec another Midnight as the Senator looked through several budget appropriation bills. As he set the glass down, Alec looked up, so engrossed in his work he was unaware of how much time had passed.
"What time is it, Santos?"
Santos checked his watch. "Almost 10 p.m., master."
Alec drank down the thick elixir and swiveled in his chair, fishing the cell phone from his pocket. He dialed Shade's number. He’d meant to call earlier in the evening, hoping to catch Shade before he left for the camp. Now he's sure his call would interrupt his schedule. The phone rang several times and Alec was expecting it to go to voicemail when he finally answered. "Brother! Sorry to bother you. But I'm going to need your help in this next phase of the plan."
***
Shade was watching the new recruits. The camp had just started with the new group, but they were already indoctrinated into the routine, and knew where they should be on the field. He noticed Marcello and Cory in deep conversation and wondered what that was about. Cory looked up and momentarily locked eyes with him before he quickly looked away. Before Shade could explore this further, he felt his cell buzz. Dropping his sword to the ground, point down, he fished the phone from his leathers. Seeing Alec’s name on the ID he took the call, and heard Alec asking for another favor.
"I already did what you asked, brother, you owe me. If Rissa is not coming through for you, that’s not my problem."
"Hang on, brother." Alec motioned for a refill as Santos filled his glass again. “Rissa has an invitation to join the President while the First Lady is out of town, so the plan has been set in motion. But it won't do me any good if I have no way to prove it. This is an easy request. I just need some cameras planted. As long as Rissa knows where the cameras are, she can orchestrate the situation to make sure it’s all caught on film. This won't take long."