Gray crumples against Mal, sobbing into his chest, while Mal glares at Ned with the kind of fury that makes the air hum with tension.
And then the unoccupied chairs move. All of them, sliding across the floor in a not-so-subtle display of Mal’s power.
Ned’s snarl is immediate, his fangs flashing as he steps forward. “You really want to try it, motherfucker?” he growls, his voice low and dangerous.
“Stop it!” Lello’s wail cuts through the tension, his small frame stepping between the two of them. Red joins him, his arms crossed and his expression firm.
“Ned, take your boyfriend and go on your date,” Red says, his tone brooking no argument.
For a moment, I think Ned’s going to explode, but then Morgan tugs on his sleeve. “Come on, Ned. Let’s go. We don’t want to miss our dinner reservation.”
The fight drains out of Ned, leaving him looking tired and defeated. He mutters a half-hearted apology before leading Morgan out of the room.
As the door closes behind them, I glance around at the others. Lello looks worried even though Carter has a hand on his shoulder, Gray is still clinging to Mal, and Jade’s expression is gone back to unreadable and strange. I sigh, sinking back into my chair.
“Well,” I say dryly, “that went about as well as expected.”
Nobody really responds, and that is fair enough. Everyone is processing what just happened.
Hopefully, it will all blow over. Until the next time. Oh gosh, there is always going to be something, isn’t there? My little found family is seven traumatized paranormals, freed from sex slavery in a harem, and their assorted mates and partners. Things are never going to be calm. Ever.
There is never going to be a good time to figure out my feelings for Monty. So I should stop procrastinating about it and face the music. The only time any of us has, is right now.
One whole night of pondering doesn’t seem to have brought me any closer to a resolution. But there is no rush. I decided to stop avoiding the question, not to make my mind up instantaneously.
I hear the soft creak of the kitchen door and glance up from my tea. It’s Ned. I flash him a quick smile and rise, closing the blinds to cast the room in shadows. I know he is a young enough vampire to be mostly okay with sunlight, but it has to be uncomfortable for him.
“Thanks,” he says as he steps in, his shoulders relaxing a little in the muted light.
“Do you want a cup of tea?” I offer, holding up my peppermint brew as if it’s some universal solution.
“No thanks, it’s coffee I’m after,” he says, heading to the machine.
I sit back down, watching him fiddle with the buttons as the machine hisses to life. A wave of calm rolls over me as the familiar scent of brewing coffee fills the room. It’s a comfort, this quiet routine. It makes everything feel... normal, which is rare for us.
“How was your date?” I ask, even though I already know the question will annoy him.
Ned doesn’t groan, but the flicker of irritation in his eyes makes me bite back a smile. “Lovely. How were things here?” he deflects smoothly.
“It all calmed down, just fine,” I assure him.
He seems relieved, though he doesn’t say anything more, distracted by the coffee machine as it spits out the dark liquid. I watch as he inhales deeply, the rich aroma clearly bringing him some small comfort. Once his cup is full, he joins me at the table, sitting across from me.
“I... um... am really happy for you, Ned. Despite what I said about the great-grandfather stuff.”
His sharp, perceptive gaze locks onto mine, and I feel like I’m under a microscope. I mean every word, but that doesn’t stop me from fidgeting under his scrutiny.
“Thanks,” he says, his voice soft but genuine, as he sips his coffee.
Relief washes over me, and I sigh. “You’re so brave.”
“What?” he says, his brows lifting in surprise.
I lean forward, resting my chin on my hands. “Letting yourself fall in love,” I say, the wistfulness in my voice surprising even me. “I don’t think I could. I’m such a coward.”
I’m not sure why I said that out loud. Maybe it’s been bubbling under the surface for too long. Maybe I have been thinking about Monty a little too hard since my decision yesterday to finally make my mind up.
I glance down at my cup, trying to collect myself, but when I peek up, I catch a flicker of amusement in Ned’s eyes.
