My phone dinged. Picking it up, I blinked through blurry eyes at the message.
Mom: don’t overdo it.
How did she know that I was up late working? She always knew when I was going too far. Doing too much. It was like she had some kind of sixth sense.
Peering down at her message, I contemplated asking about Kyren. She had seven lovers. Surely, she had to deal with jealousy, and they’re vampires, except Darren. Surely one of them had killed someone for her at one point or another.
Me: I won’t.
Me: can I ask you a question?
Mom: Always.
Me: has any of my dads killed someone for you?
Mom:... like in protection of me?
Me: more like cause they were jealous or mad someone else hit on you.
Mom: XD you realized that’s basically a declaration of love for these testosterone-filled men.
Me: Not a human man.
Mom: Oh believe me, Darren did plenty of marking his territory in his own way. But for a supernatural? A vampire specifically. Violence is their way of dealing with big emotions.
I sighed, staring down at the phone. I was afraid of that. Not that I had much room to judge. I wasn’t exactly the picture of pacifism.
When I was upset or frustrated, I hunted. Violence was in my nature. It was my go-to option for dealing with emotions. It only made sense that Kyren and even Tate would feel the same way... even more so when it came to me.
Figuring the conversation was over, I turned back to my book. Then my phone dinged again.
Mom: Just remember. If they’re not trying to bleed for you or someone else, then they don’t care.
I laughed at that.
As if that didn’t completely encompass every male that I had fallen for. Before now, Julian was always getting in the way, ending up beaten and bloody more times than I could count. Tate had yet to bleed for me, but had gotten between me and plenty of wolves since I’d known him and almost came to blows with Julian, had I not stopped him both times. Now Kyren, of course, would be the one who had already gone to the extreme, bleeding someone for my sake.
Sighing, I closed my book and put it in my bag. I wasn’t going to get anymore studying done. I might as well try to go to bed.
The sun was high in the sky when I finally left the library. There were a few students milling about. Most of them dragging ass from one party or another. Others, like me, were unable to sleep.
When I reached my bedroom door, it was cracked open.
I froze. My hand dipped into my bag, fingers curling around the butt of my gun. I inched toward the door, sniffing the air. A lingering scent I didn’t recognize trailed into my room.
Pulling my gun out, I lifted it with one hand while pushing the door open with the other. I swept the room and frowned when I found it completely empty. Only the faint smell of the intruder invaded my space.
I walked into the bathroom, checking around once more before also checking the closet and under the bed.
All my things were accounted for. They hadn’t stolen anything at least. Still, it made me feel icky to know someone had been in my room while I wasn’t there.
Dropping my bag on the ground by the bed, I moved over to my dresser and searched for something to wear to bed. My eyes caught on a cream-colored envelope tucked into the edge of one of my textbooks. Glancing around once more, I picked up the envelope.
The back had been sealed with a wax seal. Definitely old school or someone who wanted me to think they were.
Grabbing my phone, I took a picture of the seal, a cauldron with a quill and some kind of leaf. Maybe Julian or my parents will know who it belongs to. Using my nail, I pried the envelope open and pulled out a card, the size of an invitation.
Written around it in scraggly red letters, it said:We know what you did.
