“Yeah.”
“Things will be easier for you both now,”Ethan said and squeezed his shoulder.
“What is that?” Aiden asked and gestured athis hand.
Ian hadn’t realized he was still holding thepad until Aiden gestured at it. He lifted it up so they could seethe drawing. “Paige’s father.”
Ethan folded his arms over his chest. “I cantell.”
“How is Brian going to be able to helplocate him?”
“Brian seems to have a way of knowingthings,” David replied. “but how he could help with this, I have noidea. I’m beginning to realize there’s a lot we don’t know.”
“You aren’t kidding,” Aiden muttered.
Ian stared at the picture of a man he’d onlyencountered briefly, but already hated. “What if Brian’s making itup?”
“There’s many things about Brian that annoyme, and there’s been many times I’d like nothing more than to punchhim, but he doesn’t make things up,” Ethan replied. “If he says hecan help find this man, and Ronan believes him, then there issomething there we don’t know about.”
“Have you met Ronan before?” Ian inquired ofDavid. David had spent most of his life with his family, but he’dencountered Stefan and Brian before any of them were born.
“No, I’ve heard of him and histeam.They’re ruthless, but they serve a purpose.” David rubbed at theblond stubble lining his chin and cheeks. He appeared older andmore tired than Ian had ever seen him, but David had always beeneasier going in nature, more like himself, and fighting had neverbeen something he’d relished. “They prefer vampires not to knowabout them, and if they do, they don’t know much. That’s the waythey like it.”
“Men In Black, vampire style,” Aiden said.“Sounds kind of interesting.”
“Or like a good way to get killed,” Ethanreplied.
Aiden shrugged, but his leaf colored eyesdidn’t waver from Ethan’s unrelenting stare. “Do they really rulethe vampires?” Aiden inquired.
“After talking with him, I realize therewill never be a way to rule us all,” David replied. “There’s no wayof knowing when someone is changed, by whom, or when a vampire isborn. They do take care of purebreds that get out of control orturned vampires who become completely rogue. Vampires who aretracked because of their antics and draw attention to themselveswith their reckless behavior are the ones they hunt. They are themost powerful group amongst us. Our family may be a close second tothem with all of the purebreds within it, but we don’t hunt othersand gain power from it like they do. How is Paige handlingeverything?”
Ian couldn’t help but smile as his thoughtsturned to Paige and what had passed between them this morning. Hecould still feel her feeding from him, moving over his body, as thebond connecting them grew ever stronger. Reaching out, he allowedhis mind to brush reassuringly over hers. He felt her contentmentover their bond when his mind connected with hers.
“Ugh,” Aiden said and stuck his index fingerin his mouth. “I’m going to be spending alotmore time withThe Stooges.”
“She’s doing well,” Ian replied as if Aidenhadn’t spoken. “She was a little confused and overwhelmed by sightsand sounds this morning; she still is, but she’s adapting.”
“It will take time. Emma still breaks thingsand doesn’t like to be around loud noises. She may be able to helpPaige with the transition,” Ethan replied.
“That would be good; I have no idea whatshe’s going through. The world has always looked, sounded, andtasted the same to me.”
Ethan laughed and leaned against thebuilding. “Where do you think her father is?”
Ian stared around the small town, searchingfor anything menacing that might be out there; he felt nothing outof the ordinary. “I don’t know. Wherever he is, I plan to find himand take care of him. Otherwise, she’ll never know peace, and I’mgoing to make sure she has the stability and security she’s neverhad before.”
CHAPTER 22
Paige could barely keep her hands still, and shedefinitely couldn’t keep her eyes still as they were drawneverywhere at once. There were so many colors in the world; flecksof shades she’d never seen before danced before her eyes likefireflies through the woods. Everywhere she looked amazing newthings existed within things she’d seen just yesterday, but hadnever trulyseen, until now. She’d never thought thatbecoming a vampire would open her world up in this fascinating andoverwhelming way.
Of course there were some things she’dprefer not to see or smell so well, like the cook at the diner whoapparently had a really bad gas problem and didn’t care aboutspreading it around to everyone in the restaurant. Before, thescent of the food had covered it up. When she’d walked into thediner before, in order to test herself around humans, she’d beenconfronted with it first thing. But the bad always came with thegood, and there wasn’t anything she would change about what hadhappened between them.
She could feel the edge of Ian’s consciousbrushing against hers, an ever-present, loving source that warmedher soul. She leaned against him, unable to believe how happybecoming the one thing she’d despised the most over the past fouryears, had made her. No, there wasn’t one thing she would everchange, and she let him know that through the intricate bondjoining them. If she’d ever had any doubts about the depth of hislove for her, or his ability to remain faithful to her, they hadall been officially buried.
Every heartbeat sounded a rhythmic pulse oflife within him. She could hear the blood coursing through theveins of everyone within this room, but there was only one whoseblood she craved, only one whose heart beat in sync with hers.
She looked up at Ian standing by her side.The cinnamon and copper scent of his blood was still seared intoher nostrils; the memory of its warmth filling her mouth caused herheart rate to increase. Like a plant seeking the sun, she turnedinto him and pressed closer against his side. She didn’t thinkshe’d ever get used to this new world, this new being she’d become,or the man who was now her mate.
Paige’s gaze traveled to Brian when hereappeared in the doorway. He’d walked in five minutes ago, takenher pad, and walked out the door without a word. “Nice drawings,”he told her and handed the pad out to her.
