“They were all shirtless and smoking in the living room,” Sami volunteered, wrinkling her nose. “It smelled like an animal den.”
I smoothed her hair as I fought the urge to smile. “Your sense of smell is getting more sensitive all the time.”
“They smelled gross,” Sami said. “Some of them were hot, though.”
“Yes, they were an absolute delight,” Aric drawled, making an exaggerated face. “I thought our offspring was going to drool thanks to all of the bare chests.”
“No kilts?”
Sami scowled. “I just like the history!”
“Calm down,” I chided, raising a hand and glancing around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. “I was only teasing you.”
“Well, it’s not funny.” Sami jutted out her lower lip and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t think I should be laughed at because I like history. I like learning. That’s a good thing.”
“Yes, and when that history constantly gets naked and looks all manly and sweaty while doing it, that can only help.”
Sami glared at me. “You’re giving me a headache.”
“Me, too.” The corners of Aric’s lips curved as he shook his head. “Anyway, I introduced myself and acted as if it was normal for me to be stopping by. They were caught off guard at first and seemed nervous, but they eventually relaxed. I can’t decide if they were nervous because they knew who I was – and that I openly detested the former frat leadership – or because they had pot and alcohol stashed throughout the house.”
Oh, well, that hadn’t even occurred to me. “It really could be either,” I noted, leaning back in my chair. “Are you going to the party?”
Aric bobbed his head. “I am. I don’t think it’s good to close myself off to them right now. I think it’s better if they believe I’m here on a nostalgia trip with my wife and child – which is what I told them – than to think I have ulterior motives.”
“You do have ulterior motives, though.”
“I do, but there’s no reason for them to know that yet.”
I tugged on my bottom lip as I considered our options. “You can’t go alone,” I said after a few minutes. “I know you can take care of yourself, so I don’t need to hear any macho arguments right now. But you can’t go alone.”
“Well, we can hardly take our child to a college party,” Aric pointed out. “I also can’t take Rafael as backup because they’ll recognize him for what he is. Every single kid I ran into today was a wolf, by the way. The bulk of them were bitten, not born, but they were still wolves. They’ll know what Rafael is.”
“Where is he, by the way?” I glanced around. “I thought he went to the frat house with you.”
“He went home to catch up on his sleep,” Aric replied. “He needed rest after standing guard over Sami all night. He said he’d call when he woke. I didn’t need him to babysit me this morning. I did fine on my own.”
I held my hands up in a placating manner. I could always tell when Aric was about to chafe. “Did I say you didn’t do well on your own?”
“No, but I recognize the tone,” Aric answered. “I have to go to that party tonight, and you can’t come because someone needs to stay with Sami.”
What he said made sense, and still … I wasn’t comfortable with it. “Maybe … .”
Paris shook her head to cut me off and focused her full attention on Aric. “I thought that’s what Kelsey and I were here for. Why can’t Sami go to the hotel with us? She’ll be perfectly safe. That will allow Zoe to go to the frat house with you.”
Aric ran a hand through his dark hair as he considered the suggestion. “I’d be okay with that if the party was open to everyone. It’s for pledges, current members and alumni only.”
I narrowed my eyes, debating whether he was making it up. “Well, that’s okay.” Something occurred to me while he was talking, and I had an idea of my own. “I think you should go to the party alone.”
“You do?” I read the suspicion as it crept across Aric’s face. “Why do you suddenly think that?”
“Because I want all of the frat guys focused on you,” I answered honestly. “My guess is they’ll have everyone in the main house like they used to. That will leave the second house, the smaller house, empty.”
“Why is that important?” Kelsey asked.
“Because they always kept the more interesting stuff in the smaller house,” I replied. “If they’re up to something, it will be in that house. Aric can’t search that house because they’ll be watching him. That means I can search the house while he’s playing hero to the younger wolves.”
Aric balked. “No way. What happens if someone goes over there and sees what you’re doing?”
“I can protect myself.”
“Yes, but … .” Aric broke off, conflicted. “Crap. It’s a good idea.”
“Thank you.”
“That doesn’t mean I have to like it,” Aric barked, rubbing his palms against his jeans. “You’re right, though. We need to search that house, and I’ll make the better distraction in the main house while you’re conducting the search.”
“When are you going to realize that I’m always right?” I teased.
“Not today, Trouble,” Aric shot back. “Besides, you’re not searching that house alone. You need backup.”
Sami perked up. “Can I go with her?”
“Absolutely not,” we answered in unison. I already knew what Aric was thinking. I could see the idea form in his head before he finished running through the possibilities.
“I’ll take Rafael,” I explained to Sami. “We’ve broken into the fraternity house together before.”
“Is that when you were dating him instead of Dad?”
“Your mother never dated him,” Aric corrected, his voice taking on a certain edge. “They merely … hung out. She only dated me.”
“You said she dated that other loser before she killed him,” Sami reminded her father.
“Yes, well, that was before she met me and knew better,” Aric said, his lips quirking. “As for Rafael, they never dated. They were just friends.”
“That’s good,” Sami said airily. “I would hate to crush on a guy my mother thinks is hot.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in, and when they did I couldn’t help but choke on my laughter when I saw the murderous expression on Aric’s face.
“You’re not crushing on him,” Aric hissed, lowering his voice. “He’s too old for you.”
“I can crush on whoever I want,” Sami argued. “The heart wants what the heart wants, after all.”
“The women in my life are clearly trying to kill me,” Aric muttered, horrified.
I sympathetically patted his hand. “It’ll be okay.”
“How do you know that?”
I shrugged. “At least he doesn’t wear a kilt.”
“It’s for history!”
Fifteen
I exited the bedroom shortly before eight and found Rafael sitting at the kitchen table with Kelsey while Paris cooked dinner. Whatever was on the stove smelled fresh and healthy. I was almost sorry I’d miss it. Almost.
“We should stop and get food on the way,” I whispered to Aric as I moved to his side. He leaned against the doorframe watching Sami interact with Rafael, his eyes lit with keen interest.
“Paris is cooking dinner,” Aric said. “Eat that.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That smells like vegetables.”
Aric didn’t bother hiding his grin. “Ah, your stomach is a marvel, baby. I don’t know why I was so worried about Sami picking up your bad eating habits.”
“That makes two of us.”
I rested my head against Aric’s shoulder, readjusting when he slipped his arm around my shoulders, content to watch the amusing interaction.
“Can you turn into a bat?” Sami asked Rafael, absentmindedly taking the colored pencil Kelsey shoved in her direction. While at the store shopping for groceries earlier, Kelsey picked up a few adult
coloring books to serve as entertainment. Sami clearly had very little interest in them thanks to Rafael’s presence.
“I cannot,” Rafael replied. “Shifters can change into animals. Vampires can only be vampires.”
“But … could you be a mage, too?”
Rafael appeared confused by the question. “Mages are born, like your mother and you. Mages aren’t created.”
That wasn’t entirely true, but I saw no reason to correct him and delve into a conversation I was positive I didn’t have the appropriate answers to conduct.
“I know that,” Sami said. “But … say you were a mage first and someone bit you and turned you into a vampire. Could you be both then?”
“I … don’t know.” Rafael’s expression was thoughtful. “I was born a vampire. Much like wolves, there are different levels of being. Your father is a born wolf. You are a born wolf. I am a born vampire. I never considered being anything else because I didn’t feel it was an option.”
“What if Dad bit you?”
Rafael stilled. “Why would your father bite me?”
Sami shrugged. “Maybe he was jealous because you were hitting on Mom or something. I don’t know why he’d bite you. I just want to know what would happen if he did bite you.”
“Nothing would happen,” Rafael answered, his patience infinite this evening. “My vampire blood would override the wolf bite in that instance. I would not turn into a shifter.”
“Okay.” Sami licked her lips as she geared up for another round of questioning. “What if a vampire woman had sex with a wolf man. Would they have a half-vampire baby?”
“I … um … .” Rafael was flummoxed by the question. I was fairly impressed with Sami’s curiosity.
“I don’t think it works that way,” Aric offered, stepping into the room. “Vampires and wolves have different internal mechanisms. I’ve never heard of a vampire and wolf having a baby together. You shouldn’t be worrying yourself about things like that anyway. You’re too young.”
Sami made a humorous “well, duh” face and rolled her eyes. “I know where babies come from. Mom told me when I was little and I saw Paris when she was having Alvis. Other than how much it obviously hurt, I get why everything happens how it happens.”
“Yes, well, that’s freaking me out a little bit,” Aric admitted, drawing Sami’s eyes to him as he grinned. “I’m not sure I know where babies come from.”
“That’s probably why you were so surprised when Mom turned up pregnant at your wedding,” Sami noted. “Were you happy?”
“When?”
“When Mom told you she was pregnant.”
Aric shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. I had no idea where the baby conversation sprang from – other than Sami’s curiosity about Rafael – but now hardly seemed the time to discuss things of this magnitude.
“We can talk about that later, Sami,” I suggested.
Aric held up his hand. “No, it’s okay. She asked a question and I’m going to answer it.” He shuffled closer to the table. “I was surprised when your mother told me. We weren’t planning to expand our family for a bit. But I was happy.”
Sami didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”
Aric chuckled. “I’m sure. I was definitely surprised. I was a little frightened because I knew you would be a big responsibility.”
“And you were already responsible for watching Mom, right?”
Rafael’s shoulders shook with silent laughter given the way Sami phrased the question.
“Your mother has always been responsible for watching herself,” Aric replied. “We always work together to solve a problem, though. I knew we would work together to figure you out. We had several months to prepare for your birth, and from the moment you arrived I knew that our family was finally complete.”
“But I’m two things.”
I jolted when she said it, things slipping into place. “Is that why you’ve been asking Rafael about two different types of beings mating?”
“I don’t like it when you use the word ‘mate,’” Sami answered, grimacing, “but yes.”
Realization dawned on Aric. “Oh. You want to know why you’re two things and not one. Everyone you know is one thing.”
Sami eagerly nodded. “Do you know? I heard you guys talking when I was a kid. You were convinced I would be a mage, but you didn’t talk about the wolf stuff as much. I turned out to be both. Why?”
“I don’t have an answer for you,” Aric replied, rubbing his chin. “You’re unique. You’re capable of being more than one thing.”
“But … what happens when I have a baby?”
“You’d better be thirty, married and let me pick out your husband,” Aric answered, not missing a beat.
“Yeah, right.” Sami made a hilarious face. “I’m serious. Will I have a wolf? A mage? What if I have a baby with Rafael? Will it be three things?”
Rafael’s cheeks flushed under the limited kitchen light – I didn’t even know he could blush – and he moved to stand, putting distance between himself and Sami. “I think … .”
Aric cut him off. “If you have a baby with Rafael I will rip his head off and feed it to the pack,” he said. “I’m not joking. I don’t care if he dresses up in a kilt for you.”
“Why would I wear a kilt?” Rafael moved closer to me, as if he sensed I’d protect him should Aric lose his cool.
“She’s got a thing for Outlander,” I explained. “She just likes the history, though. She doesn’t care about the rampant sex.”
“Stop talking about it,” Sami snapped. “I like history. Sue me.”
Aric grabbed her finger when she waved it about. “I don’t know what kind of child you’re going to have. If there’s any justice in the world, it will be a mouthy thing just like you. We’re all on new ground here. You’re far too young to be thinking about that.”
Sami heaved a sigh. “Fine. I won’t think about it.”
“Thank you.”
“I still think a vampire-wolf baby with mage powers would be all kinds of awesome.”
Aric straightened as he shifted his attention to me. “She definitely gets this part of her personality from you.”
I tried to swallow my smile, and failed. “I couldn’t be more proud.”
“WHY DID you dress all in black again?”
Aric was annoyed when he parked three blocks from the fraternity house to drop off Rafael and me.
“I’m a little hurt that you’re just now noticing what I’m wearing.”
Aric scowled. “I was distracted by our offspring deciding she wants to have babies with your ex-boyfriend.”
Rafael choked out a loud cough as I rolled my eyes.
“He’s not my old boyfriend. We barely flirted.”
“You kissed him.”
“Not for long.”
“It could’ve been longer, but I didn’t want to overwhelm her,” Rafael offered.
“Don’t make me regret leaving my wife with you,” Aric snapped. “Stop flirting with my daughter, while we’re at it. She’s impressionable and thinks you’re somehow exotic.”
“I am exotic.” Rafael slid me a sly grin as I shook my head. “What?”
“Don’t push him,” I warned as I peered around the corner and stared at the frat house. The yard was empty. “We’ll wait here until we’re sure you’re all in the main house and then we’ll hit the side house. We’ll need at least a half hour to search it. An hour would be better.”
“I’m starting to rethink this plan,” Aric admitted. “If you get caught … .”
“I can handle myself.”
“Yes, but … we’re talking about an entire pack here,” Aric reminded me. “They could be dangerous, even to you, if they attack all at once.”
“Aric, I’ve faced worse. I’m more worried about you.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Aric tucked a strand of flyaway hair under my black cap. “I’ll be fine as long as I know you’re fine. I need you to be fin
e more than anything else.”
“Oh, geez.” Rafael made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “You two have martyr complexes. It’s so annoying.”
“You’ll have a stake-through-the-heart complex if you don’t stop stirring up my kid,” Aric warned, although I didn’t miss the way his lips curled. “Watch my wife. If there’s any problem, run. Don’t wait for me.”
“I will take care of her.”
“Put her safety above mine,” Aric ordered.
I opened my mouth to argue, but Rafael quieted me with a hand on my wrist.
“She will not allow that,” Rafael argued. “We’ll all leave together or none of us will go.”
Aric heaved a sigh, resigned. “I know you’re right. Still … .”
“We’ll be fine,” I said, rolling to the balls of my feet and pressing a kiss to his mouth. “I promise. Take care of yourself. You’ll be in a lot more danger.”
“I’m tough. I can take it.” Aric captured the back of my head with his hand and smacked a loud kiss against my lips before turning away, swaggering down the sidewalk in the direction of the fraternity house.
I stood next to Rafael and watched him go, waiting for almost a full minute before speaking. “He’ll be okay.”
“Of course he will,” Rafael agreed, nodding. “I never worry about you two surviving. You’re destined for a long life together.”
“Do you really think so?” I fell into step with Rafael, grabbing his hand and taking him by surprise as I erected a small dome to cover us.
Rafael smiled when he saw the shimmering globe. “I forgot you could do that. Smart move.”
“This isn’t my first time breaking into a frat house. Heck, this isn’t my first time breaking into this frat house.”
“Mine either.” Rafael squeezed my hand as we walked. “As for the other, I’m sure you two will have a very long time together. The world cannot keep spinning without you.”
“I know you’re trying to be funny, but I totally agree.”
Even though the magical dome was soundproof, Rafael and I ceased talking as we approached the frat house. I cast a look through the front window, relief momentarily washing over me when I caught sight of Aric standing with a few younger kids in the living room.
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 66
