Clann 03 - Consume

by Melissa Darnell

  I leaned in and muttered, “A tiny test? Are you crazy? This clearing is filled with descendants!”

  I know, but I could almost swear she’s already got her memory back! He looked at me and clearly thought.

  Squinting, I studied Mom as she rattled on about the beauty of the Arkansas mountains to Tristan. There was something a bit…off about her, and not just because she was a vamp now. “Hmm, I see your point.” In a normal volume, I said, “So are you two enjoying your vacation getaway?”

  “Oh, it’s been wonderful!” Mom gushed to me, and there was nothing odd about the light in her eyes now. “Your father has been spoiling me rotten. We feed anytime I get the least bit hungry, and whenever I get bored hanging out at the cabin practicing tai chi, he takes me to some of the local shops to look around.”

  I glanced at Dad, my eyebrows shooting up. He was already taking her around humans, too?

  He shrugged his shoulders. “She handles it all very well for a f ledgling. And besides, I had to come to this momentous occasion today to tell Emily congratulations on securing the Clann leadership position. Joan, will you be okay here with our daughter while I speak with the Clann’s new leader?”

  Mom laughed and waved a hand. “Of course, darling!”

  She watched him walk away then sighed. “Poor man. He doesn’t know what to think, does he?”

  I turned to look at my mother in shock. “You already have your memory back, don’t you?”

  She nodded with a huge, naughty grin. “Turns out I’m a thousand times better as a vamp than a descendant! My memory returned a couple of weeks ago. Personally I figure it’s because I wasn’t very Clann to start with, so it wasn’t like the vamp blood had a whole lot to turn in the first place.”

  I gasped. “Mother! Why don’t you tell him?”

  “Because he’s finally letting me pay for my own things now! But since I can read his mind and finally make some sense out of the things he does, I know he’s only doing it to try to keep me happy. The second he learns I have my memory back, we’ll be right back to arguing over who picks up the tab for everything. And I am so enjoying having both my husband and my own financial freedom at the same time.”

  Ugh. I looked at Tristan for help. His eyes widened as he gave a tiny shake of his head. Nuh-uh, he thought. I’m staying way out of this one.

  Thanks a lot, I told him silently.

  Smart choice, Mom thought with a dark grin.

  Tristan and I both froze. Oh, crap. She could read our minds now.

  Her grin stretched as wide as the Cheshire Cat’s.

  I sighed. “Mom, you have to tell him you have your memory back.”

  She blew out a noisy breath through pursed lips. “I know. And I will. I promise. Just one more month? It’s been so nice just to be with him without the constant arguments. And keeping your lips zipped about it for one more itty bitty month would be the least you could do to make up for turning me without asking me first.” She sharply enunciated the last six words, making me f linch.

  “But you’re lying to him,” I said through gritted teeth. “And you can’t sustain a relationship built on lies.”

  Dad was headed back our way.

  Mom stared at me through squinted eyes. “And just when the heck did you get so grown up on me again?”

  It was hard not to smile at that one, but I gave it my best try. “Promise me you’ll tell him within one month, or else I’ll tell him myself.”

  “Fine. I promise. Besides, I’m running out of funds on all my credit cards anyway.” When Dad returned, Mom looped her arm through his and rested her cheek against his shoulder. “This party’s getting a little boring, hon. How about we go find somewhere to shop? It’ll be my treat. I think I have a little more left on that purple card of mine.”

  Dad opened his mouth to argue then sighed and smiled at her. “Anything you wish, dear. It is your money, after all.” He threw me a helpless look. “I suppose we will see you two soon for a visit?”

  I looked Mom in the eye. “Oh, yeah. We’ll be checking in on you two real soon. No more than a month from now, tops.”

  Remember, you promised, I thought to her.

  I know, I know, she answered just as silently. Party pooper.

  “That sounds good,” Dad said. Then he and Mom walked away through the woods, slowly picking their way over mounds of fallen pine needles.

  When I thought they were far enough away that they couldn’t hear us, I groaned and turned toward Tristan. “Those two are unbelievable.”

  “Mmm, well, at least they seem happy. And if dealing with your parents is the toughest thing we face, I think we’re going to be just fine.”

  “We? What’s this we? Five seconds ago you were all ‘they’re your parents, not mine!’” I laughed, rising up on tiptoe and wrapping my arms around his neck as he slipped his around my waist.

  Tristan grinned. “Just promise me we won’t be like them, and I can happily live out eternity with you.”

  Feeling silly, I held up a pinky like we used to do when we were little kids. “Pinky swear?”

  Chuckling, he hooked his pinky with mine. “Always.”

  And then we sealed the deal with a kiss.

  * * * * *

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A huge thank-you goes out to everyone who made this series possible:

  First and foremost to Natashya Wilson. Your editing is absolutely spot-on. You’ve caught a thousand things I would have missed, and offered a million and one ways to make my writing read so much better. You’ve made this series what it is, and I can’t thank you enough for your tireless work and belief in this series and these characters. Thank you for loving Tristan and Savannah even more than I do!

  Last but definitely not least, I want to thank everyone at Harlequin who has contributed their wonderful skills, talents and energy toward making this series as beautiful and error-free as possible:

  Art…Erin Craig (art director for Crave and Covet), Gigi Lau (art director for Consume), Amy Wetton (designer for The Clann eries), Margie Miller (creative director for TEEN), Nikki Omerod (photographer for Consume).

  Managing editors Kristin Errico and Ingrid Dolan. Production controller Jean Delaney.

  Marketing…Amy Jones, Mary Sheldon, Midya Tsoy,

  Subeena Ishaq Nigro, Shana Mongroo.

  Digital Marketing Team…Larissa Walker, Fiona Cunningham, Nicki Kommit, Jayne Hoogenberk, Amy Wilkins, Siobhan Clayton.

  Publicity…Lisa Wray, Tiffany Shiu, Michelle Renaud. And a big thanks to all the copy editors, typesetters and proofreaders who touched the series and made it perfect!