Wicked Soul (Ancient Blood #1)(75)

I shook my head and leaned in so my forehead pressed against his shoulder. "I don't want to talk about it. Not now, when I have to face them again this evening."

His hand moved from my shoulder to circle my waist, and I relaxed in his embrace. "You don’t have to go back. I’ll take you anywhere you wish.“

My mouth pulled up in a soft smile against his wool coat. "Thank you," I whispered.

Feather light lips brushed against my hair. "Shall I take you back to the hotel?"

I pulled myself back up right and looked at him, the thankful smile still on my lips. "Not yet. If we leave now, they'll just think they got to me.”

"Does their conviction matter?"

Unfortunately, it did. I sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry. I know I'm weak."

Warin shook his head. “You’re not weak. Blood… has power over everyone, even mortals.”

“Isn’t that a bitch?” I sighed.

He chuckled in response. “Indeed.”

“Come on, let’s get back inside. The sooner we get coffee over with, the sooner we can go home.” I pulled back and offered him a teasing wink. “And if you’re really lucky, Brad will have some more car questions for you.”



* * *



The family had spread out over the house in small groups when we came back in. Brad, with Kathy in tow, made a beeline for Warin the second we stepped inside, and if I’d been the betting sort, I’d have won big when he immediately began talking engine size.

I, however, excused myself and went upstairs to find the bathroom.

I spent some time in front of the mirror giving myself a pep talk, not terribly concerned with having left Warin alone with my relatives. He could handle himself in a group of small-minded humans just fine—especially when they were all fawning all over him due to his obvious wealth.

“Olivia?” My mother’s voice sounded from the other side of the bathroom door, followed by a rap of her knuckles. “Open up.”

I grimaced at my own reflection. “Just a minute, Mom.”

She rapped her knuckles against the door again, and I allowed myself a deep breath before I unlocked it. “Hey, sorry, I’ll get out of yo—“

“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed, grabbing onto my arm when I tried to walk past her.

“What do you mean?” I asked as calmly as I could, even as my heart sped up to overdrive, my knees feeling oddly weak as adrenaline kicked in.

“How dare you speak to me like that in front of the family! I’ve never been more humiliated! If you think you’ll endear yourself to that man by mouthing off to your own mother, you’re in for a nasty surprise. He’ll dump you the second he realizes what a trashy piece of shit you are.” The contempt in my mother’s eyes cut through my chest, making me tremble as I struggled to keep calm and breathe evenly.

“Is this about cleaning the stupid table?” I managed.

“It’s about you and your big mouth, as it always is, Olivia! God, I don’t understand what went wrong with you! I’ve given you everything—everyone has! You’ve had everything served to you on a silver platter, and what do you do? Throw it in my face the second you’re asked for the tiniest favor!” She shook my shoulder, eyes wide with fury. “You ungrateful, spoiled cun—“

I gust of wind cut her short. An extremely pissed-looking Warin was inches from her face, and the hand she’d been holding onto me with was uselessly raised in the air, the vampire’s fingers wrapped tightly around her wrist.

“Be. Quiet,” he hissed, and when he spoke I saw the length of his fangs gleaming menacingly.

My mother trembled in his grasp, eyes bulging with fear—but she was completely silent.

“If you ever speak to Liv like that again, you’ll regret it. If you ever touch her, you’ll regret it. If you ever mention another ill word about her to anyone in this family, you’ll regret it. Have I made myself clear?” he asked, and though his voice was low, the deadly quality to it gave me goosebumps.

My mother nodded violently, though.

“You’ll never be able to tell anyone, in any way, what I’ve told you tonight—or even that you fear me. But you will remember my words. And you will live the rest of your miserable life knowing that just one mistake will bring you pain like nothing you’ve ever experienced.” Warin released his hold on her wrist and, after one final stare through narrowed eyes, turned to me. “Come, Liv. It’s time to leave.”





23





Neither one of us uttered a word on the drive back to the hotel. Warin was quietly seething by my side, knuckles tight around the steering-wheel. And I… I was too stunned to say anything, or even wipe away the steady streams of tears rolling down my cheeks.

At the hotel, Warin walked me to my room, a hand resting on the small of my back as a gentle but constant reminder that he’d kept his promise—he’d stuck by my side through a night I hadn’t known how to get through.

And he’d stood up for me, like no one ever had. Not even me, truth be told. I’d never had the strength to. There’d always been that small voice at the back of mind telling me that I deserved what my family said to me. What they did.