And it was all so unnecessary. If only I had been honest with him from the beginning…
“Why don’t you guys come inside? It looks like it’s going to rain.”
We make our way inside, but Evan is too restless to sit down. He paces the room, his eyes fixated on things unseen. I want to comfort him, but how?
Jasmine, Rowen, and Ivy all join us in the living room, woken up by all the commotion. Seeing how they come together and surround Evan in his time of grief is both touching and overwhelming. I’ve never had that kind of support before, other than the brief years Evan and I spent together in college. My foster parents never loved me that much to give me that kind of affection.
Ivy offers a blanket to Evan, but he shrugs it away. “Can’t.”
“It’s weighted,” she explains. “Trust me, it helps.”
I take it from her and wrap it around Evan’s shoulders, pulling him to me. Evan hugs me tight, tucking his face against my neck.
Ivy pats my shoulder before walking away.
What would I have done if we hadn’t met the Clearwater pack? Would I have just continued to live my life on the run, never seeing Evan and avoiding Foxx and his men forever? The thought saddens me, especially now that I’ve reunited with him. Evan’s absence had been a void in my life, hollowing me out from the inside. I hadn’t realized how empty I became until he returned.
And if I had an entire life of that emptiness? I shudder to think of it. Vampires live for hundreds of years, if not thousands. I couldn’t handle that.
Forest returns from the office a little while later. “William is pulling up to your mom’s house now.”
Evan lets out a breath. “Oh, thank God.”
“The cops are still there, but he’s going to talk to your mom.”
“Tell him to be careful,” I say. “These men are dangerous.”
Forest straightens. “Oh, he’s not alone. He’s brought his entire pack with him to protect her.”
My jaw drops. “Really?”
His eyes soften. “They owed me a favor for something several years ago. It’s about time I cashed that in.”
Evan and I are both stunned. He’d pulled a favor from his pocket forus?For Evelyn, someone he doesn’t even know?
Forest gives a weak smile. “I asked if she could stay with them until this blows over, but William said there’s been pack tension in the area, so he doesn’t think it will be very safe. He offered to drive her here.”
Evan nods quickly. “How soon can she be here?”
“Tomorrow, assuming he can convince her to leave as soon as the interview with the police is over.”
At that Evan exhales hard, gripping the back of the couch with both hands. “Thank you.”
Deep down, I would have preferred Evelyn to stay with the pack, at least until this fight with Foxx blows over. For all we know, Foxx might have someone watching the house who will follow them here.
I’ll need to talk to Forest privately to set up extra security.
“You should call your Mom again. Tell her the plan yourself so she knows it’s safe to go with them.”
He nods. “Good idea.”
He pulls his phone out while I walk over to sit on the couch. What a night. I’d give anything to go back in time to be tangled up in Evan’s arms again. I still can’t believe he’d kissed me.
Reaching up, I trace a finger along my lips, recalling the way he’d tasted. Will Evan still want that once Evelyn is here? Or will he want things to go back to the way things were?CanI go back? I doubt it, especially now that I’ve had a taste of him… and his blood. It had only been a couple of drops when I cut his tongue, but good god was it wonderful. The sweetest blood I’ve ever tasted.
What would it be like to actually drink from him?
Our eyes meet across the room, and he gives me a small smile. I realize I’m still tracing my mouth and immediately look away.
