Chapter 13
“Bye, Aunt Sel,” Allie called as she opened the front door. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Have a good day at school!”
Selene carried her coffee cup from the kitchen into the living room and sat at the writing desk.
She still had thank-you notes to finish up from the campaign, and while her next job didn’t start for another three weeks, she hoped to have some organizational leg work finished before the contract began.
But she mostly wanted a distraction, and work had always been the best way to keep her mind occupied when she was upset.
And Selene was upset.
The worst part was that she didn’t know what she was the most upset about. There were far too many problems competing for the number one slot on her anxiety list:
Her niece was still dating a werewolf.
For her own part, Selene was far more interested than she wanted to admit in dating yet another werewolf.
Her new, yet closest, friend was trafficking illegal paranormal weapons in and out of Avondale.
Allie’s presumed-dead father had reappeared and was now a vampire.
Since she had no immediate solution for any of her problems, Selene decided to focus on things she excelled at instead. Unfortunately her new life with paranormals seemed to intrude no matter what she was doing.
This morning that intrusion was the card she’d left on the desk when Fen had arrived for dinner the previous evening. In the chaos of Daniel’s appearance and the fight on the lawn, Selene had forgotten that Fenris even handed her the envelope.
She picked up the card and turned it over in her hand. Her name appeared in fine calligraphy, dark ink against the creamy linen fibers. She broke the wax seal and pulled out the card. As she quickly read its contents, her brow knit.
She’d been expecting some kind of personal note from Fen and was embarrassed by how quickly her heart had been beating as she anticipated what it might say, after she’d effectively ended their involvement last night.
She suspected if Fen had written anything remotely romantic, she’d fall for him all over again.
But it wasn’t a letter from Fen. It was a formally engraved invitation to an event she’d never heard of.
Selene frowned and read the card again.
Mr. Fenris Hall Requests the Honor of Your Presence
at the Annual Beltane Rite
Saturday, the Thirtieth of April
at Sunset
The Sacred Grove
Crescent Moon Valley Park
No RSVP Required
Selene picked her phone up from the desk.
“I know I woke you up, sorry. I’m your super-annoying new friend,” she said. “I have a question . . . Yeah, it’s about paranormal stuff. How would you feel about breakfast at Midnight Broil?”
She waited a moment. “What if I told you Daniel showed up again last night? It turns out he’s a vampire.”
Selene had to hold the phone away from her ear at the sudden screech.
When she deemed it safe, she continued, “So I’ll see you in twenty minutes?”
“Sorry again for waking you up this morning,” Selene said.
They were tucked into one of the booths at Midnight Broil because, once again, Selene was desperate for Natalie to help make sense of her very messy, magic-infested life. She knew infestation wasn’t a fair description, but right now it felt apt.
Natalie had shadows under her eyes. “Don’t worry about it. You should have called last night.”
“I think I was in too much shock last night to talk about it.”
“What can I get for you ladies?” Their waitress appeared with two cups of coffee and set them on the table.
“Egg-white veggie omelet,” Selene said and handed her the menu.
“I’ll have blueberry pancakes,” Natalie said.
The waitress nodded and left.
Selene glanced around the restaurant, a little worried about having their conversation overheard, but only a few tables were occupied.
It was late enough to have missed the breakfast rush but too early for the lunch crowd.
Some solitary diners using the café as a workspace clacked away at their laptops.
A young couple huddled in a shadowed corner of the restaurant.
They looked hungover, slumped in their chairs, sipping Bloody Marys.
The man’s face was covered by a hooded sweatshirt, and they seemed much more interested in each other than the food that sat untouched on their plates.
A group of senior citizens were the closest to Natalie and Selene, and they were still two tables away.
Natalie was shaking her head. “I can’t believe Allie’s father is a vamp.”
“Neither can I,” Selene said.
She nodded, then pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. She was simultaneously exhausted from lack of sleep yet still wound up so tight that getting a nap in was out of the question.
“So what happened?” Natalie asked.
“Fen wasn’t happy that Daniel was there,” Selene said. “He knew Daniel was in town and a vampire. Daniel wasn’t supposed to bother us.”
Natalie shrugged. “That’s not a surprise. If Fen’s interested in you, there is no way he’d let any vamp near you. Particularly one that has a personal history in your life. He’s probably worried Daniel might try to turn you.”
“Yes,” Selene replied quietly. “That’s what Fen said.”
“Who knows if that’s the case.” Natalie sipped her coffee, then continued.
“Daniel would have to jump through a lot of hoops to get permission to change two humans. It doesn’t matter who they were in his past. In Avondale, changing humans to paranormals is taken very seriously.
The transformation must be voluntary and be approved by the bigwigs.
Daniel has to know that. Everyone here knows that. ”
Selene frowned. “So is it just bias then?”
“What?”
“Fen said Daniel is a danger to us. Josh told Allie the same thing. But is that true? Or is it a werewolf-versus-vampire, jealousy thing? They just don’t want Daniel around us?”
“It might be partly jealousy,” Natalie said. “But I wouldn’t say Daniel is safe under any circumstances. He’s still a vampire.”
“Why does that make him more dangerous than Fen or Josh?” Selene asked.
Watching Fen toss Daniel, who was not a small man, halfway across her yard served as a sharp reminder that werewolves were unbelievably strong.
“Vampires are less predictable than the werewolves,” Natalie replied. “They aren’t as social. Wolves live in packs. They always answer to a pack leader, and the leader is usually old, wise, well liked, and interested in keeping peace with the human world.”
“But don’t vampires live in covens?”
“Vampires live in covens by choice if they decide they want to try to fit into society,” Natalie said. “But many prefer to lead a solitary existence. They don’t like the restrictions that are imposed by covens.”
“Like what?”
“Not preying on humans.”
Selene didn’t respond, and Natalie sighed.
“I’m sorry, Selene,” she said. “Werewolves may eat raw meat, but they don’t need human flesh.
They’re just as happy feasting on wild game.
Or cows, for that matter. They can curb their predatory instincts.
Vampires need human blood. They always crave it, and that makes them a danger to any humans they’re near. ”
Selene nodded and glanced at the water bottle she’d filled at Tim and Marley’s before coming into town. She probably didn’t need to carry it with her during the day, but its presence was reassuring after a very rough night.
“Vampires aren’t all bad. The local coven leader, Marie, is an interesting woman. I’ve always liked her.” Natalie looked apologetic. “And maybe Daniel will turn out to be one of the more trustworthy vamps out there.”
“He doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to trustworthiness,” Selene muttered.
“Yeah, I thought that might be the case.” Natalie reached across the table to pat Selene’s hand. “I’m sorry.”
Selene let out a long sigh. “I guess I’ll take Fen’s warning to heart then.”
“That’s probably wise,” Natalie agreed. “I have to say, Daniel is either brave as hell or crazy. No one challenges Fen.”
“I’m starting to notice that. One other thing.” Selene lowered her voice. “Can you get another silver cross? I’d like Allie to have one.”
She didn’t think Allie would try to seek Daniel out on her own, but if some impulse to meet up with her father took root, Selene wanted to be sure Allie had something to defend herself on hand. Though it might take some convincing to get Allie to carry around anything silver that would burn Josh.
“Of course,” Natalie said. “Just send her by the salon this week.”
Their waitress reappeared with plates of food. “Egg-white omelet and blueberry pancakes.”
“Thanks, Amy.” Natalie smiled and reached for a fork.
“Anything else I can get you?”
“I think we’re fine,” Selene replied as she shook pepper onto her eggs.
Amy left, and Selene glanced at Natalie. “You know the waitress?”
“She’s a client,” Natalie said simply.
Selene watched the waitress disappear into the kitchen. A client for which business? Was that young woman hiding out from some monster? Or did she simply have a cute haircut courtesy of Nat?
“Something else is bothering you.” Natalie speared her pancake with a fork. “Besides Daniel.”
“I told Fenris I can’t get involved with him,” Selene told her.
“How did he take that?” Natalie asked.
“He took it fine,” Selene replied, grimacing. “I think.”
Natalie took another bite of pancake, regarding Selene with interest.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Selene asked.
“You didn’t like it,” Natalie said.
Selene tore her omelet apart with her fork, pushing the pieces around her plate. It was hard to have an appetite when she was so tense. “Didn’t like what?”
“That he took it fine.”
Shoveling in a heaping forkful of egg so she didn’t have to reply immediately, Selene considered lying, but she suspected Natalie would see right through her attempt to dodge.