More shouting came from the room behind them, drawing Bijou’s attention.
“Is that him?”
“They just told him the good news,” Eclipse offered, his voice ringing with what sounded like both concern and amusement.
Bijou’s hand went to her mouth, her eyes filling.
“Maybe you could go talk to him,” Kaj suggested, though he wasn’t sure what the fuck he was doing. Honestly, he would’ve preferred she stay somewhere else while this was going down. Since no one knew what to expect, he would’ve felt better knowing she was safe. Preferably in another hemisphere. At the very least, surrounded by thefiestreigh, who would go to battle if something were to come at them. Namely an ancient fucking vampire.
His daughter’s watery gaze met his and she nodded.
Because he could not risk Oliver going apeshit on Bijou, Kaj followed her. He rapped his knuckles on the door, then opened it, stuck his head in.
Oliver’s face was a brilliant shade of red, his hair sticking up as though he’d been pulling on it.
“Bijou would like to see you.”
Almost instantly, the human’s eyes calmed. “She would?”
Kaj stepped into the room and allowed Bijou in behind him.
“Could I have a few minutes alone with him?” she requested.
“No,” Kaj stated firmly.
“But we’ll step out,” Penelope said softly, her arms hugging her middle as though she was attempting to hold herself together. “I love you, Oliver. I hope you know that.”
The human grunted.
“Pretend I’m not here,” Kaj told them when it was just the three of them.
He stepped back against the door, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Dad. Give us a minute,” Bijou demanded.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“He won’t hurt me,” she insisted aloud, then projectedHe can’t hurt meinto Kaj’s head.
Being a vampire, she was far stronger than the human, but that didn’t mean—
“Leave us, Dad.”
Kaj met the human’s gaze. “Don’t you dare hurt her.”
“I would never,” he said, his voice nothing more than a gravelly whisper.
Because he wasn’t going to win this one, Kaj decided to give in.
But he would be outside the door.
Just in case.
Once her father stepped out, Bijou triedto come up with something to say, anything that might make this easier.
Considering she still hadn’t come to terms with it herself, she wasn’t sure if that was even possible. It pained her to see Oliver like this, so distraught, so anxious. Not that she blamed him for what he was feeling. She had no idea what they’d told him, but she suspected Penelope had laid it all on the line.
Wringing her hands, she took a step forward, closing the gap between her and Oliver. When she moved closer to the bed he was sitting on, his legs dangling over the side, she reached for his hands, taking them both in hers.
