Beet red blush heating her cheeks, his mother huffed, “Bennett. I’ve never heard you speak so… so…”
“Sorry. I guess I’ve been spending too much time with werewolves and demon-spawn and vampires.”
Not a sound on the air, Adair sauntered from the bedroom in her bare feet. He could smell her orchid-laced spice, could feel her accelerated pulse contrasting the calm she exuded. Ignoring the glowers from his furious parents, she poured her coffee and theatrically added a splash of blood. No longer in Quinn’s hand-me-downs, she wore dark blue jeans with a cashmere top that brought out the natural blush of her skin, thanks to her time in the sun yesterday.
Feigning comfort, she eased on the couch next to him and placed a lingering kiss to the pulse point of his neck, smiled, then settled tight against him. He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist the rebellion. Like the sexy outfits and clubs, the slick cars she drove, she used her innocent appearance to her advantage when it suited, but lived up the edge when she could. She smiled with pure vampire-innocent-sweet he knew had worked on so many of her victims in the past. “What were you saying about vampires? Was it that we can’t be trusted, or that I’m taking advantage of Bennett’s…attributes? Or was I teaching him naughty language?”
Before they could fling the attack at Adair, Bennett set down his coffee and rested his elbows on his knees, leaned forward to get down to business. “I’m in town working on something big that I need Adair’s help with. We will be happy to find a hotel so you can have the apartment to yourselves.”
His mother’s brown eyes melted as she seemed to recall that he was the warrior she had trained him to be. Or at least that he was her son and a decent guy. “I’m sorry, you know I would never wish to interrupt your work. Is the team nearby?”
“Not yet. We’re still in the recon stage. Although Quinn’s home with Skye.”
Hand over her chest, Lizzy smiled, a bubble in her throat as she said, “Oh, I haven’t gotten to see her yet. Is she as precious as Quentin and Fiona have been glowing about?”
Taking pity on his parents, knowing his foul mood was driven by the craving, topped with his dread of explaining why he was in Paris, he laid off the attitude. “Adorable. A perfect little mix of her parents.”
Jonathan blew out a long breath he’d been withholding and eased around the couch to sit again. “I’m sorry. That must have ripped your heart out, Quinn falling for someone else and settling so happily.”
Whatever they thought of Adair, of the evil vampire that had taken advantage of his innocence–yeah, he’d been a late bloomer, but he’d been twenty-fricking-years old when he’d met Adair–they’d be fools to deny that she was everything they would want in a daughter-in-law. Well-mannered when she wanted to be, but tough as nails and unafraid to speak her mind. Sipping her coffee, ankles crossed gingerly, she held a companionable posture at his side. Vampire thing or Adair thing; didn’t matter, she was a force, of peace or war, whichever she was in the mood for.
“Somewhat, but not in the way I would have thought. I know you think ill of Ryan because you’re angry at how things turned out, and, admittedly, I wasn’t exactly welcoming at first, but he’s the best. Glad to have him on my team and he’s a good friend, better than I deserve. And the werewolf; he’s probably the most balanced of all of us. Certainly has his shit together better than I do. I make a lot of mistakes, regularly, in fact, but I know what I’m about. I would actually appreciate your input on a few things.”
Lizzy smiled and linked hands with his father. “We really didn’t mean to barge in on you. We were planning to indulge in an impromptu holiday. Perhaps we could talk more over lunch before we leave you to focus on your work?” She glanced to Adair and seemed to remember her manners. “Or let’s wait until dark and we can all head out to dinner instead? I believe we haven’t been properly introduced.”
Bennett slipped his hand into Adair’s. “This is Adair. She’s originally from the highlands, a Fenton by birth. She and her brother were invaluable in helping Quinn, Lana, and I to clear some nasties out of Seattle.”
Adair smiled shyly and extended her hand across the ottoman and shook both their hands.
His mother softened her expression. “Jonathan and Elizabeth Ward. Jonathan actually hails from Inverness.”
“One of my favorite places in all the world. My brother and his wife are not fifty miles from there now.”
Settling back into the couch, his mother asked, “Bennett, what is it I can help with? I miss the days when we used to talk shop, but you’ve been independent, studying and training with your team, so we haven’t chatted as hunters in too long.”
A knot wrenched in his gut as he realized he shouldn’t put it off any longer. “How much research have you done into some of the old prophecies?”
“Every few decades, I feel like I’m scouring the ancient texts for answers on a prophecy coming to light. The banshee war of 1996 was foretold ages ago. And I suppose that is how little Skye came to be.”
“How about anything related to demon hunters, specifically on changing them?”
“Demon hunters can’t be changed. We heal too quickly.”
“Yeah, but what if a vampire knows what they’re doing? One who has changed hundreds? That would have the intelligence and numbers to make it happen?”
At his side, Adair, rested her hand on his knee, silently letting him know she was here with him.
“I guess I don’t know enough about how the change works. Your uncle is one of the foremost experts on vampires; we could call him.”
“Uncle Edwin? He has an excessive hatred toward vampires. I’d rather keep him out of this.”
Glancing to Adair and back, his mother nodded. “I suppose you’re right. He lost a teammate to vampires a number of years ago and has had a bit of a chip on his shoulder.”
Jonathan rubbed his hand over his mouth and leaned forward. “Bennett? What are you getting at?”
Now or never. Rip off the damn Band-Aid. Let them see how messed up their son truly was. As the dread of admitting his recklessness ripped through him, he could feel the sweat beading on his brow, the scent of the human coming up the stairs and strolling into the neighboring apartment. Fuck, he should have fed hours ago.
Pulling his lips back, he traced his tongue over a vampire canine, pricking a drop of blood, healing over just as fast.
