Shaking off all the thoughts that plagued her, she reset her mind. This was her mother’s day.
“Right. You’re right.” She patted Monster’s thigh. She dried her tears and shifted focus.
Cypher handed her mom her drink. She took a sip and nodded her appreciation to the newest member of the Kings.
“Besides,” her mom added. “I hear they are all handsome as sin and the sex is amazing.”
“Mom, ew. No.” Carys stuck her fingers in her ears. As Monster high fived her. There were whoops and hollers and uproarious laughter.
She removed her hands to slap Monster’s chest. “Don’t encourage her.”
“Me? She's a grown-ass woman who knows what S-E-X is, Pixie.”
“Ugh,” she groaned in frustration.
Prowler approached, looking at his phone as it chimed.
“He’s here.”
Prowler strode to the door and opened it. Carys stood next to her mother with her arms crossed.
“Pixie, sit.”
Prowler turned and looked at her with a smirk.
Ghoul rubbed his hands together. “I can’t wait to see this play out.”
Taylor chuckled. “Me, either.”
Monster joined his president at the door.
The whole clubhouse had heard the story of how Monster met her mother, and Carys was ready to lean into her DNA.
It seemed to take forever for anyone to appear in the doorway.
When he did, all she could see was an arm, shaking hands with some of the Kings. She felt her mother’s hand in hers as she stood up next to her.
“Nervous?” Carys whispered.
“No, just excited. Do you know how long it’s been since—” Carys knew exactly where her mother was going with that sentence. It seemed her main goal in life was to make Carys uncomfortable for fun.
She slapped her free hand over her mother’s mouth just as an elegantly dangerous man in an expensive suit came into view.
Carys had never thought of a man as elegant before, but that was the only word she could think of. It wasn’t that he was dainty, far from it, but he practically floated across the floor. He made Carys think not only of the vampires from romance novels but also of organized crime bosses.
When he stood in front of them, Carys marveled at how he didn’t have swirling eyes, or sparkly skin, or giant protruding fangs denting his lip. He looked like a man, a handsome one, but still a man.
She’d been aware that vampires existed as long as she could remember, although she’d never met one … or had she? If this man had passed her in a casino, she never would have known he was an other.
Clans guarded their secrets even more fiercely than shifters.
Prowler stepped forward with the man. “Edwin Villenueva, this is Linda Donaldson and her daughter Carys.”
“I am honored to make your acquaintance, Linda.” Carys watched as the man ever so gently lifted her mother’s hand to his mouth. She thought he meant to kiss the back, old-school style. Instead, he turned it over and kissed the underside of her wrist.
Carys didn’t realize she was catching flies until Monster lifted her jaw with a knuckle.
Turning to Carys, Edwin inclined his head. “Carys.”
