Wicked Soul (Ancient Blood #1)(58)
I snorted and patted my new food-baby. “Yeah. Just need to lie down for a bit.”
I disappeared into the bedroom to get my duvet. When I returned, dragging it along after me, Warin was already sitting on the couch watching the same channel I’d had on while talking to my mom.
I flopped down next to him and, not waiting for him to approve, placed my feet in his lap and swung the duvet over me. “Just unmute it and change the channel if you want. I’m too tired to do anything meaningful.”
Warin didn’t touch the remote. He just leaned back and, after a moment’s hesitation, rested a hand on top of my duvet-covered feet. “What did your mother want?”
"To guilt-trip me, mostly. And force-invite me to fly home for Thanksgiving.” Why, oh, why hadn't I come up with a quick lie about having to work? I’d have to dig into my savings to afford the last-minute flight and motel booking, and for what? The privilege of playing the family scapegoat for a night?
The vampire watched me closely, the blank expression on his face somewhat guarded. "And you will be bringing a… guest?"
I groaned involuntarily. "No! I don't know why I said that! Or yes, I do know why I said that—it's because I'm weak and still let myself get manipulated by those horrible, cold, unreasonable…" There just wasn't a strong enough finish for that sentence, so I just flailed a hand for emphasis.
"You have a strained relationship to your family?" he asked, voice soft.
I buried my face in my hands and pushed all the issues from my upbringing down, as I'd made a habit of doing since I left my mother's house at the age of eighteen. "I'd really rather not to talk about it right now, okay?"
"As you wish." His hand gently patted my foot, leaning back against the couch. A tension I hadn’t noticed before seemed to ease out of his shoulders as he let his gaze flicker to the muted TV.
It was in that moment, while I looked at the man whose arms I’d felt so safe in last night, that an idea struck like lightning from a clear sky.
“So, er… Warin?”
"Hmm?" His gaze slid back to me.
"What are you doing for Thanksgiving…?”
If he knew where I was going with this, he pretended not to. "I usually don’t celebrate human holidays.”
“…Warin?”
“Yes?”
"Do you remember that horrible vampire party you’re going to make me go to tomorrow?”
The corner of his mouth twitched in response to my pleading tone. “I do.”
I narrowed my eyes a little, trying to imagine him in a turkey sweater, but the image just wouldn’t form. "Is there any possible situation where you would maybe consider…?”
“Consider what, Liv?”
I drew in a deep breath. “Would you go with me to Denver to this Thanksgiving dinner?”
His eyes locked in mine. "There are one or two scenarios where that could happen. But are you certain that you would want that?"
I thought of my family's general ignorance toward everyone who wasn't like them. About how I’d always been so different to them, an outsider, even if we shared DNA. And I thought about having calm, strong Warin by my side through what was bound to be a nightmarish experience. "I am absolutely certain. But…" I sighed. Full disclosure needed. "I have to tell you that it probably won't be a pleasant experience. They are not… very nice people."
Warin watched me with his head cocked for a little while, then nodded. "Very well. In return for your participation and compliance with the meeting I am making you join me for, I shall book plane tickets to Denver when I get home tonight."
I sighed in relief and leaned back in the couch. "A million times thank you. You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"As you are for me," he said quietly.
A blush spread across my body alongside a warm feeling of happiness. I still had no idea why he chose to spend just a little bit of his immortal life with me, but one thing was for sure: every fiber of my being was thankful for it.
“We also need to talk about the meeting with Joana,” I said, changing the subject before my stupid heart got any grand ideas. Clearly the little fucker couldn’t be trusted. “Do they have information on how to find the skinwalkers?”
“They do.” Warin sighed, clearly unhappy. “But I wish you would let me handle this, Liv. I don’t want you further involved.”
“Do we really have to do this again? You know I’m not going to accept it. And, if you recall, the only reason you had that meeting with Joana and her merry band of witches was because of me. I know I’m not part of your supernatural club, but as long as this involves me, you’re going to keep me in the loop. Got it?”
“Got it,” he sighed. “The High Priestess have given us the location of one of their main cells, but she also confirmed my suspicions that they have a vampire patron. She couldn’t tell me who, or why, but whoever it is, he or she have fed the skinwalkers their blood. They are much, much stronger than regular skinwalkers, and even my Guard and I will have to be cautious when we attack. But I can’t move on them before we have discovered who this patron is. If we take down the skinwalkers without unveiling who’s behind them, they’ll slip between my fingers. And that… that I can’t let happen. Whoever they are, they’ll be very, very sorry they picked Chicago for their schemes.”