Moonlight's Ambassador (Aileen Travers Book 3)(59)

"I'm not doing this to punish you," he said, speaking for the first time since he'd gotten into the car.

I didn't respond, letting my silence speak for me. I felt like a rebellious teen brought to heel and about to face the music. It was not a good look on me, but I couldn't force myself to act in a more mature fashion. Not when I felt my choices and freedom slowly slipping away.

"After your little escapade, the wolves no longer trust that I can control you. We need them as allies. This will bring you more fully into our ranks and give you a little breathing room when it comes to them. With Thomas as your sire in truth, they will trust he has a handle on you." Liam's gaze turned towards me, his gaze burning into the side of my head.

Sensing he wanted something from me, I pulled myself out of the deep morass of self-pity I'd been indulging in. "You don't have to explain, Liam. Baby vampire, here. I won't know any better anyway."

With those final cutting words, I shouldered my way out of the car, walking towards the house. There was a pop of air, and then Liam was stalking along beside me.

"You’re being stubborn and childish."

"Whatever you say, enforcer."

I took my time mounting the steps, feeling like a death row inmate going to my executioner. Liam's frustration kept pace with me as we entered the mansion.

"Where are we going to do this?" I asked, stuffing my hands in my pocket and looking around the luxurious entry way with feigned boredom. "I assume you already called ahead to let him know."

Liam's gaze rested on me, thoughts hidden just beneath the surface of vivid azure eyes. "Follow me."

He turned and led the way through the mansion until we were at the section Nathan had warned me about that first night. The area he said was monitored by both cameras and magic. Guess it served as Thomas’s place of business, or maybe they did all their weird drinking rituals here.

We stopped in front of a dark wooden door that felt as imposing as any principal's door I'd ever had to knock on. Guess this was it. My skin felt clammy with sweat, and my heart raced as my stomach tried to twist itself into knots.

Liam's hand on mine stopped me from twisting the knob. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared unseeing at the door. He seemed to be wrestling with an internal demon.

"Shore up your mental defenses and maintain a sense of self," he said in a soft voice that barely reached my ears.

He let go of my hand and stepped back. I gave him a questioning look over my shoulder as I opened the door and stepped through. His expression was impenetrable, giving me no notion at what was going through his head or what that warning was meant to do. Help me? If he'd wanted to help, he could have made it so this wasn't a requirement.

Left with those cryptic words, I turned to the room, a home office, by the looks of it. One that fit in an opulent mansion filled with vampires. Despite the fact it had a raised ceiling and was done in dark shades of brown, the place managed to seem inviting. On one side were floor to ceiling bookcases filled with an impressive number of books, as well as items that Thomas must have picked up on his travels.

The desk was on the other side of the room in front of oversized windows looking out on the topiary gardens. It was made of simple lines and clear of any clutter. Thomas stood with his back to me, hands clasped behind him, as he stared out at the garden. His dark hair curled against his neck, and he was wearing a charcoal gray suit that lovingly flowed over his body.

He'd been wearing a similar suit the first time I met him, and I could see how the younger me had fallen for his suave charm. He'd managed to seem sophisticated and charismatic in that bar full of twentysomethings wearing tight jeans and polo shirts. He'd seemed different from the people I'd hung out with for the past year, and I'd been reckless and desperate to forget the war.

"Why did you give Nathan the slip?" he asked without turning.

The window cast a reflection against the dark, and I could see a wisp of a woman, pale faced and exhausted looking. His reflection's eyes moved slightly so he could study me, watching me without seeming to.

I shrugged, not caring if the gesture translated or not. "I had things I needed to do that I couldn't with him shadowing me."

"Things like visit Caroline Bradley's mother?" he asked.

The question threw me. They couldn't have known about that, or else they would have pulled me off the street rather than allow me to wander further.

My surprise must have shown. "We had surveillance set up in case her daughter decided to visit. Unfortunately, our people didn't realize you were to be apprehended until it was too late."

Huh. Lucky me.

I glanced at the chair, considering sitting for just a minute before discarding the idea. I had too much energy to try to confine myself to the chair, and I didn't like the thought of him towering above me.

"How did your visit with your mother go?" he asked, his voice idle. His apparent lack of interest didn't fool me. He either knew exactly what had happened, or he found the answer to be important. I didn't know him well enough to tell which it was.

"Why does that matter?"

His shrug was negligent. "You’re the only vampire currently maintaining a relationship with your human family. I'm curious what such a relationship looks like."

"You didn't see your family once you became a vampire?" I asked.