“You never planned to move into my house,” I realized.
Of course not. This had all been a trick to guide me along the path Ahrun wanted.
And I’d been the idiot who fell for it.
I collapsed onto the couch facing them. “No wonder Thomas was so accommodating when I asked for a ride.”
He’d probably realized Ahrun’s visit was a manipulation tactic.
“Well played, Ahrun. Simply excellent.” There was a bite in my tone that conveyed the full extent of my sarcasm.
To my surprise, I glanced over to find Liam staring at Ahrun with a hard expression. Was that anger I saw? Frustration?
Surely not.
“I know what you want to say.” Ahrun closed his book to look at Liam. “She wasn’t safe there anymore. It’s better to face what’s coming head on rather than trying to hide her away.”
“Is that what your gift is telling you?” Liam bit out.
“It’s what common sense tells me. If you weren’t allowing your emotions to blind you, you would know that too.”
Oof. Low blow.
Seeing Liam’s jaw beginning to tick, I waved a hand between the two. “Hey, there. It’s me. The person you’re discussing like they’re not even in the room. Why don’t we bring me into the conversation?”
“Does she know what you two are doing here?” Liam asked in a carefully neutral voice.
I dropped my hand. It was like talking to a brick wall.
Ahrun glanced up as Thomas entered the room. “I thought that conversation was best broached once all of us were present.” Ahrun gave Thomas a pleasant smile. “Please—join us.”
There was a guarded look on Thomas’s face as he met my eyes.
Yeah, buddy. I knew everything.
“You can forget about those family dinners,” I warned.
Thomas detoured to the liquor cart kept in the corner of the room. “Then I guess you’ll be getting a new roommate after all. Your home is smaller and less luxurious than my sire is accustomed to, but I’m sure he’ll manage.”
“You must admit it’s only fair considering the dinners you attend with your mortal family.” Ahrun pretended to look thoughtful as Thomas put a massive spherical ice cube into aglass and picked up a decanter filled with amber liquid. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but Connor is usually present for those, is he not?”
I pretended not to notice Thomas’s sudden interest as I squinted at Ahrun. “You’ve been spying on me.”
One side of Thomas’s lips quirked up before he went back to pouring his drink. Once he’d finished, he fixed another drink before heading toward us.
“It’s adorable that you ever thought I’d stopped,” Ahrun crooned.
Liam took the drink Thomas handed him with a grateful nod before pinning me with a look. “Why didn’t I get an invitation to one of those dinners? Are you ashamed of me?”
“The first time you met my mother you used compulsion on her. You figure out why I might be a little hesitant to bring you back around.”
In reality, it had more to do with the fact that I wasn’t sure how Dad would receive his presence. Mom might not understand the liberties he’d taken, but Dad would. There might be a few hard feelings as a result. For how even-tempered Dad normally was, he could hold a mean grudge.
“Liam is upset with me,” Ahrun informed Thomas as my sire took a seat on the other side of the couch.
Thomas lifted his glass to his lips. “Is he?”
“He feels we’ve needlessly endangered your youngest.”
