Where she had a pale peachy skin color, I had more of an olive complexion. Where I took things seriously, everything was a joke to her. How she’d lived this long without pissing some vampires off astounded me.
“You’re hurt,” Antoine parroted the same words the others had.
“So I’ve been told.” I flopped down on one of the plush chairs before his desk. “Is that all you called me up here for? Because my food is getting cold, and you know how much I love Gretchen’s chicken parmesan recipe.”
“There’s chicken parmesan?” My mom’s eyes widened, and she shifted to move from behind the desk. Antoine’s hand latched onto her wrist, a silent reminder that caused her to fall back in place. “Oh, right. Uh…” Her gaze slipped over to Antoine and then back to me, leaning forward slightly. “Was there more, or did you get the last—?”
“Piper,” Antoine’s clipped tone cut her off.
My mom huffed, crossing her arms over her navy-blue dress. “What? You know we rarely get food from Gretchen anymore. Not since she retired. It kind of takes precedence.”
“Technically, I think Tabby made it, but it’s definitely Gretchen’s recipe.” I curled my fingers over the arms of the chair, happy for the mundane conversation over whatever brought me here right after a hunt.
“Still, her cooking is the best I’ve ever had.” My mom shot a look at Darren. “Sorry, honey, but it’s true.”
Darren simply shook his head, his lips twitching at the end.
“You know, I’m telling Allister,” I added, hoping to stay off the topic they brought me here for. “He will be heartbroken that you didn’t say his was the best.”
Mom started to respond, but Darren cut her off this time.
“Piper.” The soft, stern tone of his voice was much different from Antoine’s no-nonsense, clipped one. Antoine made the term ‘control freak’ something to strive for.
“Jaquelynn,” Antoine breathed out, his gaze settling on me. “We wanted to readdress the discussion we had before.”
“No.”
Antoine arched a brow as my mom griped. “No? You can’t just say no. You don’t know what we’re going to say.”
“Yes, I can ‘cause I know what you’re going to say. You want me to go to that stupid college, and I’ll tell you what I told you before.” I levelled a glare at them all. “No. I’m a hunter. It’s as pointless for me to go as it was a few months ago and will be in a year from now.”
“But you can’t just be a hunter,” my mom argued, her eyes filled with distress. “You’re too young. You haven’t experienced enough to commit your life to this.”
“Why not?” I cocked my head. “You did.”
Her expression hardened. “I only did what I had to do to protect this family. And I don’t even hunt anymore. Not since I had you.”
“That’syourfault, not mine.”
“Jack!” Darren snapped, his usual calm demeanor cracking. “Watch your tone.”
My mom held her hand up. “It’s alright, Darren. She’s right. It was my choice. Because I found something else worth fighting for, and that’s all I want for you.”
“I am, though,” I argued with a frown. “I’m keeping rogue vampires and other supernaturals off the streets. Isn’t making the world a safer place something to fight for?”
“Jackie,” my mom’s voice grew somber, “if you would just take a year. A year to try other things. To see what the human world is like, or even to go to the supernatural academy. Get a taste of life outside of hunting, then you would see there’s more than just death and whatever it is you are running from.”
I swallowed and didn’t respond.
“I don’t want to bury my only child before she’s thirty.” Her voice cracked.
Marcus stepped across the room and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest.
While Marcus comforted my mom, Antoine turned his attention back to me. “I understand where you are coming from, Jaquelynn,and I commend you for being so dedicated to the cause, but your mother is right too. We blame ourselves for sending you down this road. After the kidnappings, we thought learning to fight with the hunters would give you a sense of strength, but now it feels like you are hiding behind it.”
I shoved up from the seat, my mouth open to object.
Antoine held a hand up. “If you would indulge me for a moment, I believe we have come up with a solution that will make all parties happy.”
