She listened and allowed herself to trust, something that knucklehead of a vampire would never do.
Her dad frowned. “Let me in.”
She pushed out every thought but love and tranquility, allowing herself to float in the sea of her mind. Her consciousness provided a raft, and she lay upon it, drifting in happier times, memories of Orion she’d keep to herself, but the image of his smiling face and deep-red eyes didn’t make her sad this time, but happy.
After some time, her father pulled away, and she blinked at him, still smiling. “Am I okay?”
He exchanged a look with Diana, then with Macy.
“What?”
“Your spellwork is good, Kaia. Really good. You broke Orion from your mother wholly. There’s no residual of Sabine in you either.”
“But?”
He blew out a breath.
“What Dad is trying to say,” Macy cut in. “Is that your tie to Orion and Sabine is clean. But your magic has changed.”
“Changed?”
Grand Mage Will Dunwich stared at his daughter with pride and worry. “Kaia, you’re in the process of Becoming. Your magic is larger than it was.”
“Wait. Becoming? Becoming what?”
“That’s the bazillion dollar question,” Macy said then glanced down at her cell phone. “Shoot. I have to go. House meeting.” She kissed her mom and dad on the cheek. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
Will glared. “Yes, you will.”
Kaia had missed the interplay, but she saw the speed with which Macy darted from the house, heard the vehicle start and race away, and knew Macy was in trouble for something.
Her father turned to her. “Bad enough Macy’s mated to one death-bringer. Now how about you tell me about the one one you saved, and don’t leave anything out.”
Kaia wasn’t ready. “Dad, I’m so tired. Can we do this tomorrow? It’s been a stressful week.”
Diana cut in. “Sure we can, honey. Let’s get you settled into your room.” She led Kaia to the guest room she used when she visited. Her old room upstairs, down the hall from her parents’. “Get some rest.” Diana paused. “And try to come up with a better excuse for the vampire marker that’s a heartbeat from declaring a bonding. I’ll try to talk your father down from the ledge I’m sure he’s ready to leap off of.” She kissed Kaia on the forehead then left the room, shutting the door behind her.
Marker? Bonding? Too tired to deal with anything anymore, Kaia slid out of her clothes and under the covers.
And slept like the dead, her heart seeking the beat of the vampire who no longer slept by her side.
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
Orion wasn’t surprised that they waited until Macy returned to start the meeting. He’d been able to shower and change into clean clothes, which did nothing to appease him.
A frothing rage continued to boil, and he’d need to get it out lest it fester and turn into an anger that wouldn’t stop.
Ignoring Rolf, Kraft, and Khent, he paced in the living room of the main floor, only relenting in his anger when Smoky—no, Shadow, he sensed the kitten now wanted to be called—bounded over to him and rubbed his tiny head over every part of Orion he could reach. Adoring the tiny creature, Orion would call him whatever he wanted.
“At least someone missed me,” he directed to the draugr who shrugged and stood on his hands, upside-down, his blond hair kissing the floor, while Fara entered the room and stared in awe at Rolf’s command over his own body.
The gray-skinned dusk elf, Varu’s mate, didn’t use a glamour at home. Fara looked every inch a fae. She had long black hair streaked with white, delicately pointed ears, and lavender eyes a little too large to be human—all contributing to her unearthly beauty. She wore a pair of jeans and a cashmere sweater, but nothing about her looked mortal.
“We thought you were on a mission for Mormo,” Rolf said to him. “Who knew you were playing around with a sea nymph? If I’d known how much fun you were having, I’d have bolted out to meet you and left the lycan in the basement to his own end.”
“He’s still alive, but for how much longer I can’t say,” Khent said from the couch, watching Rolf perform acrobatics. “Mormo keeps interfering in my business, and I don’t like it.” He turned to Orion. “Nice to have you back. But perhaps next time you can hold off your vacation until business is taken care of? The lycans have been a royal pain. I have better things to do with my time.” He sneered at Shadow, who hissed back. “And keep your feline in order, or the next time he sneaks into my laboratory, I’ll stuff him and raise him from the dead.”
“Oh, smackdown is on,” Rolf exclaimed and rolled to his feet. “I really did miss you, Orion.”
Kraft snorted. “Meh. That didn’t sound all that believable.”
Rolf’s face fell. “Seriously? I’ve been working on my delivery for days.”
Orion wanted to be angry, but he found Rolf amusing. “You’re still a dickhead.”
“But your favorite dickhead.”
Fara cleared her throat, the delicate dusk elf lovely as always, and smiling. “I didn’t have to practice. I did miss you, Orion. Unfortunately, Varu has been so busy with the new Bloode Stone that he didn’t pay as much attention to my warning as he should have,” she said as her mate walked in.
Varujan, their patriarch, exuded menace as he surveyed the room. Until he spotted Fara, then he smiled. And that smile continued to Orion. “Yes, fine, you were right. I should have paid better attention.” He walked over to Orion and grabbed him by the forearm. A wash of power settled over Orion, a reconnection to his clan that made him feel welcomed and appreciated.
“Wow.”
“Right?” Rolf grinned. “He and Fara have been working with the power gems to feel the rest of us. When you went missing, it was the impetus to fine-tune the stones.”
Orion blinked. “To each of us?”
“Yes.” Varu nodded. “The Bloode Stones want to know you better. I think they sensed when you were taken and enslaved, but the new stone we retrieved muddied their awareness. It’s still adjusting.”
Orion concentrated. “I feel them now. Or do I?”
Varu sighed. “They’re inside me.”
“Oh, kinky.”
“Shut up, Rolf,” Khent and Kraft said at the same time.
The familiar banter eased some of Orion’s tension. Holding Shadow, who purred with contentment, while being near Fara and the others soothed that part of him that had been trapped, forced to hide behind a veneer of kindness and peace. Orion was a vampire, a vrykolakas and member of the Night Bloode. Death and killing were a part of him, but so too were kinship, bonds of friendship, and a female he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Varu frowned. “Who are we missing?”
Duncan and Macy arrived. “We’re here,” Duncan announced unnecessarily. “Where’s the white wizard?”
Macy snickered. “And Hecate. Is she coming?”
Bella entered, the lone human servant in the house who did whatever Mormo needed. “Mr. Mormo’s coming,” she announced. A pretty, young woman with long, sandy hair caught back in a ponytail, she exuded cheer and efficiency. “Oh, Orion. Welcome back.” She clapped. “I’m so happy to see you. So are Shadow and Nightmare.” So she knew the kitten’s new name as well.