I’m quiet as I enter the house, sneaking on tiptoe to make sure I don’t accidentally frighten her. The door to her bedroom stands open, and I peer in to see her peacefully sleeping, nestled in a pile of quilts.
With a sigh, I realize I don’t have the heart to wake her after all. I’ll have to wait until morning. Turning to leave, I’m considering curling up on her rug when a sleepy voice says, “Andras?”
I whip back around to face her.
Ava blinks up at me. A smile sweeps across her face, and her eyes brighten as she sits up. “It is you! Oh, how I’ve missed you. Come here.” Her arms open wide.
I’m grinning ear to ear as I go to her to receive what is possibly the best hug of my life. “I missed you too. How are you? Is everything all right?”
She doesn’t let me go, patting my back and kissing my cheeks. “Of course everything is all right, my dear. Why wouldn’t it be? But let’s not talk about me when you’ve obviously been on the adventure of a lifetime. Look at you!” She holds me at arm’s length, squeezing my shoulders. Her gaze travels my face, peers into my soul. “You’re all grown up.”
“I was grown when I left,” I huff happily. “Nothing’s changed.”
“Everything has changed.” Ava is right. She’s always right. She scoots over to make room for me. “Tell me all of it.”
“But it’s the middle of the night. I’ve woken you. Aren’t you tired?”
She tuts. “Don’t be silly. I have the rest of my life to sleep. I want to hear about your travels. Were you able to help Bowie? What did the two of you do? He was quite vague in his explanations, but Farkas told me of the missing girls. Are they found?”
“Yes,” I say with an enormous amount of relief. “They’re safe now.”
Ava pats the spot next to her. “Come, come. Start from the beginning.”
I crawl into bed just like I used to as a child and tell her everything.
Well, almost everything. I leave out all the naked parts. And the bloody parts. And the naked and bloody parts. For decency’s sake.
By the time I finish my tale, dawn’s warm light streams in through the windows. It’s been so long since I’ve seen sunlight, I marvel at its beauty. At the same time, I miss Bowie something dreadful. He’ll be going to sleep now, and for the first day in many, I won’t be by his side. The thought makes me sad.
Ava brings me back to myself as she says, “Why, Andras dear, you’ve left out the most important part.”
I cringe. “I did?” Surely she hasn’t read my mind about the naked, bloody bits?
“Mm-hmm. The part where you fell in love with the handsome vampire.”
My heart begins to race. Heat rushes to my cheeks.
“It’s obvious, you know,” she continues. “Have you told him?”
My mouth drops open.
I haven’t. Why haven’t I told him? He’s told me. Surely he knows.
“You haven’t told him?” Ava scolds.
I shake my head when words refuse to come.
“You silly wolf. Some things must be said out loud.”
Bowie’s sad expression as I left takes on a new meaning in my mind. He didn’t want to be parted either. I decided for both of us and left him out of it, thinking I knew what was best. But when have I ever known that?Wrong, wrong, wrong.
“What are you waiting for?” asks Ava. “Go on! Get! Shoo!”
She’s absolutely right, and I am absolutely an idiot.
I leap from the bed, shrug off my shirt, and shift. I’m much faster as a wolf.
“And don’t come back without him!” orders Ava as I burst from the cabin to race back to Varad.
