Her fangs retracted and she shoved him away. “You’re a shit warlock. You’re supposed to protect the people under you, even the ones you don’t like. I’m a vampire and I can tell it’s more than that, idiot.”
He frowned as he glanced at me before focusing on her. “What else does he have?”
The look she gave him about how stupid that question was amused me even if I was freaking out at the topic. “I’mnota witch, so asking me is like asking you how drinking blood feels, yeah?”
“Right, of course,” he muttered, accepting the rest of her tongue-lashing before getting out of there.
“Do you really not know what it is?” I asked quietly when we were alone.
“No.” She let out a slow breath and then met my gaze, her caramel eyes full of worry. “But I’ve been around enough magic for over a hundred years to know it’s not something done to help you, Creed.”
Of course not. My life was too fucked for that.
4
Aurora
It was strange not seeing Creed on Wednesday. He’d become such a part of my life so quickly—the only really happy part—that it was sad to not see him when I normally did.
Plus, Xavier was acting differently after what happened. I knew it was his guilt—that Andrew almost got me and that I now knew he was my bodyguard. I’d already known, so there was no need for him to worry about that. But he was acting differently and it was hard to settle with when there was so much else to settle with.
Right then, it was Theresa’s upset.
“You’re dating an ex-convict. Did I hear that insanity correctly?” she bit out, pinching the bridge of her nose.
I cleared my throat. “He has not asked to court me. I wanted to find out information for Ellie, but honestly he’s just very nice. I am settling in as you both wanted and enjoying cooking. He’s kind and not critical which is all I’ve known. He…”
“What?” she asked, losing some of her upset.
I sighed, wringing my hands together. “Somehow he drowns out the critical voices in my head. The years of Kenneth telling me that I’m useless or my family finding everything wrong with me. He shrugs things off so easily when I pick on things and tellsme the world will not end and I learned something useful. Take it as a lesson not a failure.”
She seemed surprised but then sighed too. “Aurora, I did a background check and—it’s not good. He’s—”
“I would prefer to hear it from him,” I mumbled, lowering my gaze and hoping that I didn’t upset her. “He said we needed to talk after Ellie said we were the worst-matched pair.” I blinked back tears when Theresa snorted. “I’m sorry you’re upset.”
Like always, she didn’t accept it or address any wrongs I’d committed against her. She was clear that she couldn’t discuss the past with me and probably never would.
That we would never be mother and daughter, but since I’d given her life, she would free me to have a life. Her words even.
But then she was done with me. It crushed my soul, but it was better than I’d deserved after all the sins I’d committed. I knew that.
She focused on the situation in front of us, explaining the next steps and what would happen. She had me repeat what I’d gone through and exactly what my brother had done before we had to go to the police and they asked me the same questions. I gave the same statement.
“I’m sorry this was scary and upsetting for you, but it’s good for us that he made such a stupid move and was caught,” she said when we were done. “And now he’s on the record that they have always planned to force me into their territory to sell me. Every reply and filing they’ve submitted has basically acted like we’re two hysterical women to be brushed off.”
“I’m glad this helps,” I offered, not really sure what else to say.
She nodded to Xavier who was waiting by the car Ellie provided for me. Then she turned to me. “Creed isn’t a good guy, Aurora.”
I gave her a smile, touched she cared. “Neither am I. There is no family in the world that would want their loved one anywhere near me after the sins I’ve committed. He’s the only peace I feel in my life—maybe ever, so if he’s willing to keep eating lunch with me, then I will.”
“The only peace ever?” she demanded, breaking her cool mask and seeming hurt.
I realized what I’d said wrong and reached for her, accepting when she flinched away. “You don’t have a child for peace, Theresa. You misunderstand that for love. I love—I havealwaysloved you fiercely. Always. But from the moment you were born, I have been filled with worry. Fear. Panic for you. It was always—now it’s pride and everything I have no right to feel.”
She nodded like she might understand, but still that mask came back down and she wished Xavier a good day before leaving.
“She’ll come around one day,” he comforted.
