CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT || COLE
“I’m surprised you bothered learning how to cook,” Thierry said the following morning, watching me with a frown as I plated the pancakes I had finished cooking from scratch. “I can’t imagine you were especially domestic for the past eight centuries.”
I grabbed two plates and moved to the table, setting pancakes in front of Thierry and Jeremy. Eli already had his in front of him, but he hadn’t started eating yet. He was waiting for me.
“I wasn’t,” I admitted. “And I’m hardly a good cook. But I’ve been learning.” I gave Eli a small smile. “We’re learning together.”
“How saccharine,” Thierry huffed. “I might prefer you when you’re evil.”
I knew he was joking, of course. There was a strange expression on my brother’s face, almost as if—
It’s like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, Eli’s mental voice was so clear that it was as if he had spoken aloud. It startled me all over again to realize that he could hear me just as easily.
Yes, I agreed, crossing the room and grabbing my own plate and napkins for everyone. He’s always been wary about enjoying himself. Of the two of us, he’s the reserved one. Though I suppose it’s nice to know that some things never change.
They truly don’t, Eli agreed. He flashed me a broad smile, affection transforming his face. “The pancakes look amazing, by the way.”
“They look adequate,” Thierry said, frowning down at his plate. “Though I will never understand what possesses vampires to learn how to cook. First Nathaniel, then Rico, and now you.”
“Feeding your partner is a way of showing you love them,” Jeremy said. He grinned at Thierry. “Or so I’m told.”
“I’ll have you know that I’m frequently romantic,” Thierry huffed.
“Oh, I’m aware.” Jeremy’s grin deepened, turning more mischievous. “Also—would you like my pancakes?”
Thierry rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched with amusement. “Yes.”
Eli’s brows slid together, and he flashed Jeremy a disapproving look. “You’re not hungry?”
“I’ll eat later,” Jeremy said. “I can’t stomach most kinds of food anymore.”
“Because you’re a vampire-werewolf hybrid,” Eli said, sounding fascinated. He shot me a questioning look. “Is that a normal thing?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard of,” I replied, setting my plate down.
I placed the napkins in the center of the table, then took my seat.
It struck me all over again how beautifully domestic and ordinary this all was.
Certainly not what I would ever have expected my future to hold—nor something I could have imagined wanting. But I did.
“As a rule, wolves don’t trust vampires,” Jeremy explained. “We’re not exactly a welcoming bunch with other supernatural races. If one of us is in the transition process, we generally choose not to return.”
“You can choose?” Eli asked, startled. “It doesn’t just happen?”
“Wolves are an exception,” Thierry explained. “They’re intimately tied to the spirit world, so they tend to have more awareness in altered states—including the death process, apparently.”
Jeremy nodded. “But I couldn’t leave him.” He swallowed hard, meeting Thierry’s eyes. “I’ll never leave.”
Thierry visibly melted for a long moment, returning his smile. “I love you, wolf.”
Huh, Eli said telepathically. I was kind of expecting him not to get sappy.
He’s in love, I replied. I’m rather familiar with the feeling.
Eli took my hand under the table, an adorable smile softening his features.
“So,” I said. “Any updates from Godric?”
He had offered to check himself into the hotel Sam worked at, in order to keep an eye on her. After returning, he’d said my home was too crowded for him, and when we mentioned Eli’s sister needed protecting as well, he had jumped at the opportunity.
Thierry shrugged. “He hasn’t seen anything amiss thus far. He’ll stay there for the immediate future.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good thing,” Eli said, his tone sharpening. “I don’t like him. I’m not sure I trust him around Sam.”
“He’s not evil, exactly,” Thierry offered. “He won’t allow your sister to come to any harm.”
“Fine. I still don’t like him,” Eli said firmly. I could sense that he was thinking about the fact that Godric had initially attacked us on sight.
“No one likes him,” Jeremy agreed. “Except maybe Rico. But Rico likes everyone.”
“Who are these people?” I demanded, mystified.
“You’ll meet them eventually,” Thierry assured me. “And Rico is Godric’s fated mate. They’re… friends of mine.”
The way he said the word, it was as though he were testing it out.
“No, they’re your family,” Jeremy said firmly. Then he raised his gaze to meet mine. “They adore Thierry. I’m sure they’d love to meet you and Eli as well.”
Before I could reply, my phone chimed. I pulled it out and looked down at the screen. It was a text message from Harris: Cole, you need to call me ASAP.
I frowned down at the screen, reading the message multiple times. A cold feeling crystallized in the pit of my stomach. It wasn’t like Harris to message me at all—much less for his message to be so urgent.
Everyone at the table was watching me in silence. Thierry’s expression was increasingly alarmed, so whatever look I had on my face couldn’t have been good.
“Call him,” Eli said quietly, no doubt sensing my sudden alarm.
I nodded, hitting the button to connect the call.
Harris answered on the first ring. “Another vampire attack,” he said without preamble. “You need to get here immediately.”
The note of genuine fear in his words was alarming. Had I ever heard Harris sound afraid?
“Detective, what is it?” After all, a vampire attack certainly wasn’t good, but it was a sunny Los Angeles morning, and the culprit was likely long gone. What could explain the strange quaver in his voice?
Then, a moment later, Harris said, “There was a note on the bodies. It’s addressed to you.”
* * *
Thierry and I drove to the address Harris had given me. Though the late-afternoon sun was warm and vaguely irritating to my senses, I felt colder and colder as we neared the crime scene.
“This all seems terribly public,” Thierry said quietly once I pulled into the lot.
I followed his gaze. We had arrived at the outdoor recreation center in Sherman Oaks, about a mile from where Eli and his sister lived.
That couldn’t have been a coincidence. And yes—it was the opposite of secluded.
But that made sense; Magnus had wanted the bodies found.
Assuming, of course, that Godric, Thierry, and Jeremy were correct.
There were a dozen cop cars and several more unmarked police vehicles in the lot. A few of the officers waved as I drove past, causing Thierry to shoot me a sharp look. “Friends of yours?”
“In a manner of speaking,” I replied, leaving it at that. I didn’t especially want to explain to my brother that I had hypnotized most of the Los Angeles Police Department into doing my bidding.
I parked in the spot next to Harris’s car. He was standing beside it, waiting for me.
“It’s about time,” he said when I got out of my vehicle. “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”
“And miss the party?” I fought to sound calm, but I was too something to truly pull it off. My voice wobbled ever so slightly. “I couldn’t possibly.”
I was going for cool and aloof, but the surprise that flashed across Harris’s face told me he’d caught that I was off-kilter.
“Of course not,” he agreed, still giving me the strangest look. Then his eyes widened when Thierry climbed out of the vehicle. “Wait, why are there two of you now?”
“Harris, meet my twin brother, Thierry.”
“Are you—” He broke off, flustered, and shot me a searching look. “Is he…?”
It wasn’t hard to put together what was on the other side of that hesitation.
“Yes,” Thierry replied, arching a brow at him. “I am.”
“Do you also go after murderers?” Harris demanded, his hand drifting closer to the gun holstered at his side. “Or do you not care?”
“Hmmm. Your friend is rather judgy,” Thierry remarked, frowning at me. “You didn’t mind-control him into submission?”
“I mean, I can’t lie to Cole. So there’s that.” His eyes narrowed at my twin. “But listen—are we going to have a problem?”
“Thierry doesn’t kill,” I assured him.
Harris’s eyes widened. “Wait—at all? I just assumed that all vampires—”
Thierry startled, looking around at the other police officers in earshot, none of whom were paying any attention to us—even though we were discussing vampires and murder. His wide-eyed gaze met mine. “Nicolas, what did you do to all of these nice people? Did you mind-control the entire LAPD?”
I ignored both of their questions in favor of fixing Harris with a hard look. “Where are the bodies?”
“What, no witty banter first? Usually there’s a bit of foreplay before we dive in.”
“Hmmm. Perhaps I misjudged you,” Thierry mused, giving Harris an appraising look. “It’s possible I might come to tolerate your presence. In the fullness of time, of course.”
Harris snorted. “Well, fuck you very much.”
I shot my brother an annoyed look before turning back to Harris. “Sorry, Detective. The back and forth will need to wait. We’re in a hurry.”
His eyebrows knitted together. “You’re sorry, huh?”
I shrugged, glowering at him. I had no intention of talking about my pesky newfound emotions with Harris. Later, perhaps. But now, we had more important things to worry about.
He led the way through the recreation center.
It contained a deserted playground, a squat white building that was probably a gymnasium, several picnic shelters, two baseball diamonds, several basketball courts, and multiple open fields that looked like they might have been meant for soccer.
There were paved paths and at least one unpaved one, all likely used by joggers.
“Wonder what this creep has against parks,” Harris said, nodding to the large aquatic center just to our left, with its shimmering blue outdoor pool. “This is a nice place to take your kids. Why leave your bodies here?”
“I’ve never left my bodies in a place where a child might find them.”