Page 106

“Yousaw? Are you stalking me now?”

“You added me to your circle,” he reminds me as he steps out of the car. “So…yes.”

“That’s okay. As stalkers go, you’re all right.”

“You would know.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” I head up the porch steps and then let us into the house. “I was worried I might find my parents cleaning out Noah’s room.”

“Your father is rather intense, isn’t he?” Cassian says as he heads to the kitchen.

“That’s one way to put it.”

“Have you talked to them this morning?” He pulls Noah’s bottle of bison blood from the fridge, sets it on the counter, and looks for a glass.

“Yeah, my mom called to make sure Noah didn’t attack me in the middle of the night.” I lean against the counter, cross my arms, and watch Cassian move around the kitchen. “I don’t know what to do. They forbid me from dating Noah, and Dad said he has to move out. I’m prepared to stand our ground, but Noah doesn’t want to disrespect them.”

“That sounds like Noah.”

“But hecan’tmove out, not after Larissa said she saw someone hanging around the house. I’m not comfortable living here alone—not until we figure that out.”

Cassian nods, looking thoughtful. “I suppose I could move in?”

“No offense, but I don’t think my parents would be happy about that either.”

“You need a female bodyguard.”

“Yeah, no. I’m happy with the two I have.”

“Do Iknowa female bodyguard?” he muses, ignoring me.

“You took a left turn down a road I don’t want to travel.”

But it’s too late—I can tell he’s already pulled someone from his memory bank. His eyes light, and he looks like the Cheshire Cat with a plan.

“Cassian, I don’t want some random stranger moving in with me, okay? Can I be honest with you? I only allowed Noah in here because he’s hot.”

“This isn’t a random stranger.”

I cross my arms. “Who is it?”

But Cassian only shrugs and wanders into the other room.

“Yes,Mom, Noah is moving out tonight,” I say into my phone as I close the kitchen blinds now that it’s dark, trying to keep my tone even.

“I know it’s hard, but I really think this is for the best,” Mom says.

“I know you do.”

“Piper,” she warns.

I decided not to tell them someone’s been hanging around the house. Yes, maybe I could have used it as a reason to keep Noah here, but there’s a better chance they would have abducted me and drove halfway across the country, hanging garlic around my neck and hiding me away from all suspicious vampires.

And no one has time for that.

Noah got home from work late, so we’ve barely had a chance to talk. He’s currently in the guest room, packing up.

Again.