Jack followed her gaze and his grip tightened on her hand. “You’re doing fine. Just relax.”
A middle-aged woman stood up from her lawn chair when she saw them approach.
“Mom.” Jack greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, then pulled back and placed his arms around Zoe’s shoulder. “I’d like you to meet Zoe Burton.”
Zoe smiled nervously, feeling more like the outsider than ever.
“So lovely to meet you. I’m Corinne.” The woman leaned in and kissed Zoe’s cheek, then pulled back to examine her. “My son tells me you're royalty? This was all so unexpected. Where have you been hiding?”
Zoe’s mind went blank and Jack stepped in without missing a beat. “Ah, you know how New York is, mother.” He raised his eyebrows as if that explained everything. “I’ve downloaded her lineage. You should have an email already. I hate to brag, but she's a treasure who’s been hiding right in our midst.”
“If you’ll excuse me,” Zoe said. “I’m suddenly not feeling well.”
She turned on her heel and fled through the crowd.
Jack caught up with her, gripped her wrist, and spun her around. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Why would you lie to her?”
“I’m not lying.” He glanced up at the small throng of people that was beginning to gather around them. With a shake of his head, he led her down to the beach.
“I opened your adoption papers and then emailed everything to the clan’s archive bureau. What I said was true.”
“You know who my parents were?” Zoe wrapped her arms around her chest and shivered, numbness crawling up her fingers and arms.
“Some of it was guess work.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Your father had to be Russian. That's the only clan with vortex talent. The oldest, most powerful line of witches in the world. They’re also very secretive. There’s no way that clan would’ve let you out of their sights. Somehow they lost you.”
Zoe sat down in the cool sand and felt her throat construct.
“I’m sorry, angel. I forget that this must be pretty difficult for you.” He sat down beside her.
“Did you find anything about my mother?” Zoe held her breath.
“Not sure yet. If the letter you have from your great aunt was accurate, we know your mother must’ve been at least part healer. That would make her the only known power-wielding half-breed in over a century, maybe longer. That’s how you were able to heal me.” He reached for her hand. “You okay?”
She nodded.No not really.How was she supposed to process everything she’d learned in the last two days? And now she was being asked to make a commitment to a man she barely knew.
His thumb turned her chin to meet his interrogating gaze. “Talk to me.”
Zoe melted into the dark pools of his eyes. His mouth was so close. Could she really do forever with this man?
“Have you ever been in love?” she asked.
His frown lines grew deeper. “Yes.”
That wasn’t the answer she’d expected. She wasn’t sure why it surprised her, but it did.
“Have you?” He tilted his head and waited patiently for her answer.
She looked at him and answered honestly. “No.”
He studied her, but didn’t respond.
“Does it worry you, that this mating will bind us for life?” she asked, digging her toes into the cool sand. “That we might never…love each other?”
Jack sighed and his face relaxed. “Mating is better, Zoe. People who fall in love can just as easily fall out. I’m offering you forever. I’ll never leave you. You'll never leave me. It’s as simple as that. Don’t make this harder than it is.”
Zoe glanced over her shoulder at the party. “I don't fit in here.”
