Page 10 of Amber: Deja Brew

Amber runs down the stairs after him, and I follow suit. We hear the front door chime, and by the time we reach the cafe, Wes is long gone.

“That was weird,” I tell Amber as the two of us stare at the front door in confusion.

She nods. “Where do you think he went?”

“No idea.” I take a seat at the bar and pick up my Americano. Amber slides onto the stool next to me, and for a few seconds we sip our drinks in silence. Finally, I set my drink down and turn to face her. “You know what I said earlier?”

“About the furniture?” Amber frowns.

“No, I mean how I lost touch with my family...”

“Oh... I’m really sorry about that, Chase.” Amber places her hand on top of mine. “I lost touch with mine, too.”

“You did?” I can’t quite explain how her words make me feel. On the one hand, I’m excited that my mate’s been through the same thing that I have. That we have this thing in common. That she gets me. But I also feel bad, because I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s no big deal,” Amber whispers, though the way she tenses and purses her lips says otherwise. “I’m over it.”

“Same here.” I nod, but I don’t want to lie to my mate, not a day into our relationship. “Actually, I’m not. No matter how much time passes, or how used I get to being without them, I still miss them.”

“I miss mine, too.” Amber swallows hard, and instinct has me pulling her onto my lap. I’m a bit concerned that she might shift into a troll again, but not because she’d crush me with her weight. I can handle a little troll—or even a lot of troll—but the bar stool we’re sitting on probably won’t.

I hold my breath, because I’ve had enough of chairs collapsing under me today, but Amber retains her form. She snuggles against my chest and sighs softly instead. “I don’t really talk about them much anymore. Juli knows, and it’s not like bringing them up will change things. So I try to forget.”

“Sometimes it helps to talk,” I tell her. ”And I’m always here to listen.”

Amber nods against my chest, and a few seconds pass in silence. Then, she tells me her story.

“I came into my power when I was thirteen. My little sister was already shifting, but Mom was convinced I was a late bloomer... No way a child of hers wouldn’t be the perfect chameleon."

I give Amber’s knee a soft squeeze. I mean for the touch to be comforting, but with my mate snuggled close on my lap, it ends up being so much more. A wave of heat courses through me. My pulse accelerates. And I suddenly wish we weren’t in the middle of the cafe having a serious conversation.

If we were talking about anything else—and if I hadn't given Wes my word that I wouldn’t touch her—I’d act on the desire coursing through me. Instead, I’m forced to shift Amber on my lap before she notices my growing carrot.

“The first time I shifted, I grew vampire fangs...” Amber tells me.

“You turned into a vampire?” I ask in awe.

“No, I grew fangs... out of my forehead."

I try to picture it and fight back a grin. It sounds ridiculous, but somehow still epically awesome. Amber’s dejected sigh says otherwise. “Your mom didn’t take it well?” I hazard a guess.

“She completely freaked out. But then she got it into her head that it was a sign of my superior powers. I couldn’t even shift properly, but she kept going on and on about how I was more powerful than her and my sister combined.”

“Why would she think that?”

“I don’t know... but it just made things worse. Maybe if I only had to be as good as her and Adelyn...” Amber sighs. “If she didn’t criticize me every time I got it wrong, maybe I would have—”

The front door chimes, and Wes rushes inside with a duffel bag in hand. He glances at Amber and me, smiles, and races past with a quick, “don’t mind me.”

“Was that weird?” Amber asks, echoing my own thoughts. She turns her head to watch Wes until he disappears up the stairs and then looks at me. “Should we go after him?”

“In a bit.” I tighten my arms around her as my gaze locks on her lips. Suddenly, all I can think about is kissing her. When her tongue darts out to lick her lips, all I can think about is covering them with mine and... No! I can’t do that. Not after the promise I made to Wes. Not when one kiss would only leave me wanting more. Especially not when what my mate really needs is someone to talk to. “What were you saying about your mom?”

“Huh?” For a second, Amber looks confused, but then she spins around in my lap so she’s facing the counter and shrugs. “Just that I got sent to the academy and haven’t seen my family since.”

“Your mom hasn’t visited you?”

“No. She calls me once a month, but that’s about it.”