“Don’t you dare talk about Rowan that way!” She jabbed her finger in her tallest brother’s face. I was aware that we were drawing more and more attention, something I normally avoided at all costs, but at the moment, I didn’t care at all. I was caught between defending my date from the assholes encroaching on it and once more being awed by the everything that was Naomi.
But then her brother grabbed her wrist, jerking her hand out of his face and twisting it. That truly was a line that I would not allow to be crossed, so the next thing I knew, I was grippinghiswrist, his skin unnaturally hot against my cool fingers.
He let go of Naomi pretty quickly, and I made sure to measure my strength even though he didn’t deserve it. As a member of the undead community, I could have snapped his bones if I wanted to, but that would cause complications forNaomi. I needed to check in with her before I did anything that extreme, although honestly, I would be more than happy to.
“While I have been polite so far, I assure you that time is over. I suggest the three of you head out before we make more of a scene than we already have. I’m sure at least one person is currently recording, and I doubt your family would like to see this go viral.”
That would be a bad situation all round. As technology advanced, vampires had a harder time keeping our longevity a secret. Once, it had been easy to fake our deaths and move on to a new identity, or even just a new city a state away. Now, there was the internet, and the internet was forever. Honestly, if it weren’t for the technologically gifted witches who had made supernatural-specific apps, we would probably be up shit’s creek without a paddle.
“Let fucking go of me,” he said, and I swore I heard the slightest hint of a growl deep in his chest. But it was gone before I could identify it, and the matter at hand was more important anyway.
“I will gladly, as you take your leave. You’ve touched base with your sister, and I think she would agree that interaction was enough. Perhaps, after you’ve had time to cool down, you can reflect upon how inappropriate this was and apologize. It will be good practice in the unlikely event that any of you actually end up with someone who wants your company at dinner.”
Was that last part necessary? No. But if I met these three in a dark alley, I absolutely would be bearing my fangs and terrorizing the shit out of them. Would I cause them to come to true physical harm? No. Of course not. Buttheydidn’t know that.
Tension surged, and it was far less pleasant than what I’d shared with Naomi. The brother who had only spoken once slid an arm between the two of us, his back to me. If only heknew that if we were in battle, a move like that would spell his complete and total destruction.
“Too many eyes, bro. This ain’t fun. Let’s just go.”
Silence. Just utter silence. I didn’t take my eyes off his glare. I was sure he was used to people crumbling in front of him far more easily than I, but I’d done battle with men twice his size while mortal and still come out the other side. I wasn’t worried.
“Whatever. Come home when you get back to your senses, Otto. This is ridiculous.”
“Her name isNaomi,” I said firmly, daring him to challenge me. While I didn’t actually want our interaction to be prolonged, there was only so much disrespect I could allow. I’d come to know her as a hard-working, witty, and very caring woman who deserved the world. “I suggest you use it.”
He sneered at me, but I didn’t so much as blink—technically, I didn’t have to do that either. If only this mortal knew what he was dealing with. Although, the trio burned with an energy I wasn’t quite used to. Steroids, perhaps? Hard to say. I wasn’t all that knowledgeable about humans or other supernaturals. They tended to avoid me just as much as my own kind did because of the attention my luminescent pale skin drew.
“Whatever, let’s go. We have better things to do.”
With that, just like an unwanted rainstorm in the middle of a first date, they rolled out, their shoulders still froggy and necks nearly non-existent. Naomi and I stood there for a moment, and I imagined her expression matched mine: angry, a bit shocked, and relieved.
“I’m sorry you have to put up with that,” I said eventually, hoping she could hear the sincerity in every word. “I’m not sure if this was a random event or if they’re always like that, but you don’t deserve that at all.”
When she simply stared at me, I began to wonder if I had made a faux pas. Or was she so deep into what I considered tobe abuse that she would defend them out of instinct? It wouldn’t be the first time I’d encountered that phenomenon, but I always found it particularly tragic.
“No one has ever stood up to my family like that for me.”
Oh?
“That’s a real shame.” My adopted siblings had always been warm and kind. Yes, we occasionally teased each other, pissed each other off, and got into arguments, but none of us took pleasure in purposefully terrorizing each other. “Do you want to leave? Or finish our meal? I am happy with whatever you prefer.”
She looked down at our cooling spread, to me, and then to her empty chair before letting out quite the heady sigh.
“I’d like to keep going, if that’s all right with you?”
I took her hand, which was still balled up at her side, relieved to see no nail marks in her palms. Gently, cautiously, and reading her body language the entire time, I pressed a kiss to it.
“There’s nothing I’d like to do more.”
ELEVEN
NAOMI
Self Defense
God, was I embarrassed.
Never in a million years had I thought my brothers would show up during my date to harass me and Rowan. The moment they showed up, my blood had run cold. I’d been so sure they were about to expose me for being a shifter, which would have been insane to do in a human establishment, in front of my very human date.
