“Uh, not ghosting so much. More on the vamp side of things. Let’s just say she discovered I drink blood.” His cheeks flushed.
“How long you been drinking?”
“Only a few weeks. You?”
“Since I was eleven.” He looked like he was about to ask more on that sore subject. Not ready yet. “MizB discovered you drink blood. And then . . . ?”
“I figured Mom would freak out to learn her son was a vampire.”
Mom. Son. The words needled her.
“And she did. At first, my vampiness seemed to give her the wiggins.”
Just as Jo’s had done to Thaddie.
“But she mainly kept talking about you. When you came back after you were shot, she thought you were some kind of demon or spirit that was gonna drag me down to hell or something. She told you to go away. After seeing me and hearing a whole ’nother world exists, she realized she’d banished an eleven-year-old girl from what should’ve been her new family. She had no idea where you were, or if you were safe. She’s been overwhelmed with guilt.”
Boo-hoo, MizB. Unlike Jo, the woman had gotten fourteen years of idyllic family life with Thad. Framed pictures of Thad milestones lined the fireplace mantel. Screw her.
But he appeared so worried about the woman. “I’m hoping . . . will you see her tonight? I know I’m asking a lot, and we don’t deserve even a minute of your time. But I’ve never seen her cry before this—now she’s always on the verge.”
“Why would you not deserve my time?”
“Mom said I didn’t want to go with you when you came back, didn’t even recognize you. How could I not recognize the big sis who raised me?”
“Because I looked different. And you weren’t exactly old enough to be a sleuth—I could stuff your ass into a backpack.”
He seemed surprised by her crack, then his lips curled. “I heard about the Thadpack too.” Seeing him smile began to erase the image of him trying to pop her “bobblehead” off.
She found herself grinning with him—
“Thaddeus?” MizB called from upstairs. “Is that you?”
“Jo, will you please talk to her? Just knowing you’re okay would help her so much.”
“I’m giving you fair warning: I’m not fit for social interaction on the best of days. And this has not been the best of days.” Not to mention her exhaustion and thirst after all that telekinesis. “I was chucking cars not long ago, and I’ve got no love for your . . . mom.” She massaged her temples against her growing headache.
“But you’ll do it?” He blinked at her with those big hazel eyes, and she was putty.
Some things never changed. She shrugged.
His face lit up.
Why did he refuse to believe she was a bitch? “You’ll end up regretting this, kid.” She stood, readying for the showdown.
“No way! Lemme go and prepare her, okay?” He leapt up to rush toward the stairs. At the foot, he turned back. “You won’t leave or anything?” He gazed upstairs, then to Jo, seeming torn. He traced to hug her, startling her. He was so tall. He had to hunch down just to rest his chin on her head.
Her surprise faded, and she hugged him back.
“Scared to let you out of my sight for even a minute.” He eventually released her. “We’ll be right down.”
He disappeared, leaving Jo in this strange house—one more development to top off this epically weird night.
SIXTY-SEVEN
When Darach’s tracking got Rune close enough to pick up Josephine’s trail himself, he raced ahead of the other Møriør, following her meadowberry scent. His heart pounded, just as it had ages ago when he’d run headlong to that glen. . . .
He found her in an imposing mansion. His ears twitched when he heard her voice coming from inside. Conscious! She didn’t sound afraid or too badly injured.
Her brother was within as well. Rune caught threads of Thad’s scent, both new and old, and suspected the boy had taken her back to his home. Detecting no enemies nearby, Rune faced his allies. “I have it from here.”
“You don’t want us to storm this structure?” Sian asked.
Allixta reached up and scratched Darach under the chin. “Careful, or the wolf might blow it down.”
Rune shook his head. “She’s safe here with Thaddeus. I’m going to give her a couple of hours to cool off, then approach her.”
“A couple of hours?” Allixta dropped her hand. “You told us she’s waited half her life to reunite with her brother. Shouldn’t they bond before you barge in, with all your nympho drama taking center stage?”
“She needs to know I didn’t take that female.”
Allixta rolled her eyes. “No, you need the halfling to know that. Selfish male! Let her have some bloody time for herself.” To everyone, she said, “Sometimes the lot of you astound me.”
Not to go to Josephine’s side? At the thought, his desperate need to reach her redoubled.
Allixta said, “You might not have bedded the nymph, but you were in bed with her. You still reek of another female.”
Rune turned to Darach, who nodded.
Damn it! This wasn’t a simple misunderstanding that could be cleared up by his saying, “I didn’t go through with it.” He had been in bed with Meliai—the night after he’d claimed his mate. He struggled to recall what had happened with the nymph.
“We could see your mate’s pain,” Allixta said. “Naturally she’d just escaped your attentions.”