Chapter 34
Chapter thirty-four
Vidar
An hour later, when the storm has passed and night has settled, Kai and I leave Vampire Manor, as he loves to call it, and head towards his family home. A tray of brownies sitting on my lap.
“I’m surprised you let me drive.” Kai turns the wheel of my Range Rover, a car Lucero left in the garage waiting for me.
“I hate driving.”
“You do?”
“It’s boring.” I drop my voice an octave. “And this way I get to look at you all I want.”
“So you’ll always let me drive?”
“Happily.”
He drops a hand on my thigh, squeezing. “Good to know, my little passenger princess.”
I cock an eyebrow. “You're what?”
“Fine.” The corner of his mouth twitches. “My big passenger princess.”
This highly amuses him, and Kai cracks up into pearls of giggles.
‘Tease me all you want, my love. As long as you're happy.’
I stretch out, already thinking of ways to convince Kai to keep this car instead of his piece of shit Mini Cooper held together by duct tape and love.
Soon we find ourselves in a suburb with not a pothole in sight, passing rows of identical houses with identical square lawns.
“You promise you didn’t bring that big ass broadsword?”
“Any man would be proud of it.” My jaw ticks. Visiting the family of my beloved without a gift is all wrong. Disrespectful. “It’s a highly prized piece.”
“Vidar, my Dad doesn’t want a sword.”
“The bride price—”
“I am begging you, at least call it a groom price.”
I scoff.
“The groom price is important. It shows your family how much I value and love you. Vampires lose our traditions with age, but some things should still be done. I will not half-ass this simply because it’s old-fashioned.”
Kai releases a long breath. “Stop making me fall deeper in love with you.”
I squeeze the hand he’s placed on my thigh. “Never.”
We come to a stop, the engine cutting off as Kai parks. He snaps off his seatbelt and turns to face me.
“My Dad’s name is Kwame, and he’s a big softie.
He works with disabled children as an art therapist and cries at pretty much anything.
My Mum is Charlotte and is probably the most vicious person you’ll ever meet and a badass solicitor.
My youngest brother, Thomas, is studying in Japan, so he won’t be home. But Teagan is and…”
“You’re worried about him.”
“I’m worried about him.”
I take hold of his chin and drag him forward until our lips meet. Owning his mouth with my tongue and swallowing his every gasp, exploring deeper.
Slowly, regretfully, I pull back, only our foreheads touching.
“He’ll be okay. And you are going to make a good Father, Kai. I’m glad you’re having my babies.”
Emotions flicker across the jade in his eyes until they shine brilliantly. “Really?”
“I have no doubt.”
We stay enclosed in the car for a beat or two. Eyes hooded and connected, fingers entwined. Sharing each breath.
“Thank you.” Kai kisses me again, then slips out of the car. “And I can’t wait to get you pregnant.”
I clear my throat, then clear it again before I follow him out, holding the brownies. “We haven’t actually agreed on….”
He grins, taking my arm and leading me up. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“But…” I clear my throat. “It’s something you enjoy?”
He raises his fist, flashing me a smirk as he knocks on the door.
Before I have time to speak or question the strange stirring low in my gut, the door flings open, and a short, portly man with dark skin and black coiled hair is pulling Kai into a bear hug.
“Welcome home!” The man, Kwame, I assume, cries like his son just came back from war. Huge dark eyes filling with tears.
“Hey, Dad…” Kai replies, clinging on to him.
I realise, while Kai is enveloped in his father’s thick arms, how much he needed this visit.
The click of heels on hardwood announces another person before a tall, sleek, black woman slinks towards us with the grace of a hunting panther.
A sharp, assessing glare pins me in place as Kai’s mother comes to a stop in front of her husband and son. Her long, pin-straight black hair flows down her back like a river of ink at midnight.
“Oh, darling. ” Kwame beams, wiping away a stray tear. “Kai is here!”
“And it’s good to have him home, darling.” Her voice is a dusky rasp. “And who is this man you’ve brought, Kai?” she says ‘this man’ like Kai dragged me in on the bottom of his shoe.
Kai clears his throat. “This is Vidar, Mum, my boyfriend.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” I say. I take a risk and nod to Kwame. “You’ve built a lovely house.”
He shines at the praise like diamonds under sunlight. “Such a polite man! And so handsome, too. And you brought brownies! Wonderful.”
Charlotte’s icy exterior doesn’t melt like her husband's.
“Now you boys must be freezing. Come inside, come come.” Kwame ushers us into a landing bathed in an amber glow.
The hardwood is elegant, polished to a blinding point. Yet the walls hang with a staggering amount of family pictures and childhood art.
“Why did you never tell us about your friend?” Charlotte’s piercing gaze never once leaves me, even as she addresses her son.
Kai clears his throat. “I do like to keep some things private…”
She cocks a perfectly arched eyebrow, looking him over. “Why are you so pale, Kai? Have you been taking care of yourself? Your boyfriend should be taking better care of you.”
“Mum,” Kai says with an eyeroll. “I’m fine.”
She hums low, before the weight of her assessment returns to me. “I’m assuming you have a job?”
I should’ve brought the sword. Just not for his father.
His mother would have made one formidable shieldmaiden.
“I sell historical antiques. Norse, mostly.” Meaning I sell any old swords or armoury I’ve got lying around that historians lose their minds over. I don’t say all that aloud, though. Instead, I summon my old Chieftain voice. This woman won’t be impressed by weakness.
Quick as a whip, she replies, “How much money does that make you?”
“Mum!” Kai interjects.
“Oh, Tilly, you shouldn’t care about such things.” Kai’s father tuts. “But you are looking a little pale, Kai. I’ll make you some tea with honey.”
“It earns me good money,” I assure her. Inwardly cursing myself.
Maybe I should offer her land.
“Enough to look after my child?”
“Enough with the thousandth degree,” Kai complains. “I have my own job. My own money.”
Charlotte doesn’t blink, waiting to see if I’m worth her son’s attention. To most, I’m a predator, but in her house—I’m prey.
“Enough so Kai never has to work a day in his life.” I keep my voice solid, firm.
“Not that I want that, by the way,” Kai mumbles, making his father giggle.
“I love your son.”
Kai’s fingers twitch in mine, and even Charlotte's gaze softens, just slightly. Or it could be the light.
“Kai puts too much pressure on himself to look after everyone else. Something I love about him, but it makes me worry. He’s too stubborn to ever stop, so I plan to make it my job to look after him.”
Kai’s smile is worth his mother’s scrutiny, and in a way, I’m happy he’s got a fierce family, proof that they’ll never turn their backs on him.
His father gasps, slapping his palms over his chest. “How romantic,” he sighs.
“Come eat then. Your father’s been cooking since Teagan said you’d be visiting.” Charlotte slinks towards the kitchen. “Come, Kwame darling, I’ve been craving your meat all day.” She glances over her shoulder, a teasing smirk on her painted red lips. “And you're cooking, too.”
Kai slaps a hand over his face and groans.
His father goes bright red as he scurries after his wife.
Kai shakes his head, but before we can follow, there’s a noise at the bottom of the stairs. Then someone else joins us.
“Teagan.” Kai rushes over to his little brother.
Like his father, Teagan is short, yet with a slender build. He shares the same quiet, intense energy as his mother.
“Teagan, this is Vidar,” Kai says in a way all big brothers do, like he wants Teagan to be polite but doesn’t expect he’ll follow through.
“It’s good to meet you, Teagan,” I tell the younger man. Boy really.
Teagan stays silent. His wide eyes, like two perfect disks of pure obsidian framed by the longest lashes I’ve ever seen, scan me over like he knows all my secrets.
Or will, by the end of this dinner.
Kai nudges Teagan with his shoulder.
Teagan opens his mouth like he might say something, then simply exhales and walks off toward the kitchen.
“Your fly’s undone,” Teagan says, voice quiet.
My gaze shoots down to my fly—finding it up.
A soft, amused snort leaves Teagan as he slips into the kitchen.
Grunting, I look back at Kai to find his eyes dancing.
“He made you look,” he chuckles and takes my hand, dragging me and the brownies along.
Kai really should’ve let me bring the sword.