Chapter 11 #3
She opened the front door, gasped, and slammed it shut again. Insistent knocking began immediately.
Selene sucked in a steadying breath and opened the door a foot, positioning herself so she blocked the sight line into the house.
Daniel was laughing. “What the hell was that about?”
“What are you doing here?” Selene hissed.
“I’m here to talk.” He leaned against the doorframe and grinned. “You said another time. It’s another time.”
“It’s not a good time,” Selene said. “If you want to talk, you need to schedule something with me. Please leave.”
She glared at him, but he continued to smile.
In the backyard his features had been obscured by shadow.
Under the porch light his skin looked strange, washed-out and chalky.
It suddenly occurred to her that Daniel might be sick, and it might be serious.
Was that why he turned up after all this time?
He was facing his own mortality and wanted to make amends?
“That excuse won’t keep working, babe,” he said.
The pinch of sympathy she’d felt a moment earlier vanished.
“Do not call me ‘babe,’” Selene snapped. “And I’m serious about it being a bad time. We have dinner guests.”
“Really? You have quite the lively social calendar these days.” He straightened and smoothed the front of his shirt. “May I come in? I’d love to meet your friends.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not,” he replied. “I’m serious about being back in Allie’s life, and that means your life, too, Selene. Invite me in.”
Her pulse gave a hard thud that felt like a warning. “No.”
“Why not?” Daniel asked with a teasing smile. “Don’t you think your friends will like me?”
The door suddenly swung open, and a pair of strong hands settled on Selene’s shoulders. Though the pressure wasn’t anywhere near painful, she had the sudden impression of being bolted to the floor.
“Probably not,” Fen said quietly.
Daniel snarled. Selene’s eyes widened because he had just snarled.
“You must be Daniel,” Fen continued in a voice softer than death. “Do you know who I am?”
Cold fury blazed in Daniel’s eyes. He nodded reluctantly.
“Then you’ll understand my disappointment at seeing you here,” Fen said.
“I don’t think I like you touching Selene.” Daniel glared at him, then shot a pleading look at her. “Listen, beautiful, you need to invite me in. Now.”
“Do not ever invite him into your home, Selene.” Fen’s grip on her shoulders tightened. “Once extended, the invitation can’t be revoked. He’s too dangerous. And I won’t always be here to protect you.”
“What are you talking about?” Selene was a little relieved when she turned to look at Fen and he didn’t attempt to hold her in place. “Fen, how does he know you?”
Fenris kept his eyes on Daniel.
“You no longer have a claim on this family or this household,” Fen said. “You forfeited that right when you joined the forsaken.”
“You may be some kind of dictator in Avondale,” Daniel shot back. “But you have no right to keep a man from his child.”
Fen’s smile was brutal. “You are no longer a man.”
“I’m more of a man than you are, dog,” Daniel said, his lips curled back. Something glinted in the porch light. Long, sharp canines.
Selene gasped.
Daniel. Had. Fangs.
Oh my god. He’s . . . he can’t be . . . not that.
“Auntie Sel, what’s going on?” Allie appeared from the living room with Josh right behind her. “Who’s here?”
“Allie, wait!” But Selene was too late.
Allie’s eyes fixed on the figure in the door. She frowned and then her eyes went wide.
“Daddy?” Her lower lip quivered. “Is that . . . is it really you?”
She spun to face Selene. “Auntie Sel. That’s Daniel, isn’t it? That’s my dad.”
Selene’s heart tore slowly in half. “Allie, honey.”
What do I do? I don’t know what to do!
She heard a growl rumble in Fen’s chest as Allie turned to look at Daniel again, her lip trembling. “Dad? You came back?”
Daniel grinned. “Hey, Alley-Cat. Look how you’ve grown up. I’ve missed you so much.”
As his gaze focused on Allie, his eyes seemed to glow. “Come give me a hug.”
His voice was oddly resonant, lingering in the air. And it was familiar. He’d spoken in a similar tone when Selene found him lurking in the backyard. Something about it was off.
Tears began to drip along Allie’s cheeks, but she looked bewildered, almost dazed, and took a step toward the door.
“You go too far.” Fen took two strides forward, and, with what looked like a casual sweep of his hand, he lifted Daniel off his feet. Daniel sailed in an arc from the porch, landing with a solid thud in the middle of the front yard.
Allie screamed.
“Josh, get her out of here!” Fen ordered.
Josh had Allie in his arms and up the stairs so swiftly, Selene barely saw it happen.
Fen was already out the front door. She rushed after him but stopped when she saw Daniel on his feet, brushing grass from his jeans.
How is he even conscious?
He glared at Fen. “I’ll tear your throat out.”
“Do you think you can threaten me, leech?” Fen laughed. “The only reason you’re alive is that I don’t kill members of Marie’s coven without discussing the matter with her first. Consider yourself fortunate.”
Selene cautiously approached them. Pale skin, glowing eyes, fangs, a coven. Truths crashed into one another, like domino after domino leading to a horrible conclusion: Daniel was a vampire. Allie’s father hadn’t died ten years ago. He’d joined the ranks of the undead. But how? And why?
Daniel’s eyes found her. His teasing demeanor had vanished, and his stare was nothing but malicious. “You stupid bitch. You know what he is, and you’re having dinner with him?”
Selene stumbled back as if she’d been slapped. Though she shouldn’t have been so surprised by his abrupt change in demeanor. Here was the Daniel she remembered and loathed.
Fen’s fist laid Daniel out on the lawn once more. “Do not ever speak to her that way.”
Daniel licked blood from his lips and scrambled to his feet. He smiled, though his eyes were full of rage. The fangs were even sharper than when she’d first seen them. He hissed but backed away from Fen.
“Daniel, what happened to you?” she murmured.
“The greatest adventure you could imagine.” He laughed and ran his tongue over his sharp teeth. “I’d love to tell you about it when you’re not being held hostage by Cujo here.”
“If you come near Selene or Allison again, you’ll find yourself chained to a tree waiting for dawn,” Fen said in a flat voice. “Marie will tell you the same thing.”
“And what if Selene comes near me?” Daniel snapped. He turned to her. “Are you going to let him tell you how to live? Please, Selene, I’m sorry I got angry. This asshole is pissing me off. You need to hear me out. For Allie’s sake. For Emma’s.”
When he spoke Emma’s name, Selene flinched. Her hand pressed to her sternum, which suddenly burned with grief.
Fen looked at Selene, and for a moment his eyes flickered with uncertainty. He remained silent. She searched his face and then looked at Daniel’s hate-filled glare. Stepping closer to Fenris, she folded her arms across her chest.
“I owe you nothing, Daniel,” she said with more confidence than she felt. “Stay away from us.”
Daniel offered her a half-cocked smile. “You don’t mean that. You and I . . . there’s always been something there.”
He continued to address Selene, but it was Fen he smirked at. “Don’t try to deny it.”
Selene dropped her gaze to the lawn because the ground suddenly felt like it was tilting beneath her feet. When she lifted her eyes again, Daniel had vanished.