Page 188 of Change

Chapter Thirty-Two

Bianca

Change

It was a miracle of miracles that I’d been able to hold on to that grim determination for a couple of days. Events had passed by quickly, as the college was preparing to end their fall semester, and my first, very awkward, meeting again with Dr. Nam had taken place. Gloria hadn’t taken on any new work yet, and when I’d visited, I saw that she seemed to regularly lounge around her office as a wolf.

I’d only had time, really, with the boys. Quiet moments stolen in the evening hours when they expressed the different ways my near-death (or actual death) experience had made them feel.

Miles was clingy and cooked a lot. And when we sat to watch a movie—mostly romcom—he’d pull me into his lap while whispering French things into my ears.

Then there was Julian, who’d taken me back to his secret hideout in the woods at least twice, and the two of us would sit together in silence while I rested my head on his shoulder.

The strangest of them all was Damen, who, since everything, had almost reverted entirely into himself. He wouldn’t touch me, and when he saw me coming into a room, he fled.

Compared to that, Titus’s over-protective nature and the perturbing way he could read my mind was positively normal.

Between everything, I hadn’t dwelled on my eventual meeting with my biological father, until two days before it was finally set to happen.

In fact, I hadn’t evenrealizedit was almost that time until, one day when I was reading the rest of Miles’s book, Titus knocked on my door.

“This is for Thanksgiving,” he said as he held out a piece of clothing on a covered hanger.

My heart had begun to race as my sight zeroed in on the object, but he didn’t allow my anxiety to take hold.

“I’m going with you,” he’d said, and from the set manner of his shoulders I knew it wasn’t something up for debate. “But don’t worry about it now. We’re going out to dinner tonight.”

That certainly got my attention, and I lowered the book to my bed. “Where?”

“Someplace you’re going to be interested in,” was his only reply. “It’s along the border of the faery realm.” He was wearing one of his nice suits, and I glanced down at my casual clothes. “You look beautiful either way,” he said, “but you might want to dress up a little for this. Not too much though.”

My face heated as I moved to my feet. “Okay.”

I waited until he left before I rummaged through my closet, grabbing a knee-length, pale-blue and white-lace dress and short, tan heels and putting them on. There wasn’t much to do in the way of makeup. I’d been experimenting with different looks earlier, before settling on pink neutrals for the rest of the day, and my hair was cooperating for once.

Thank God he caught me before I took a shower.

And thankfully I’d thought to already cover the still-healing bruises.

Titus met me at the door—nobody else was even home—and offered me his arm as he led me to his car. I got in, as did he, but he still refused to tell me where we were going.

And I was proud of myself. I’d waited almost fifteen minutes after we’d passed the park where Julian took me, before asking, “Are we almost there?”

My question was from both curiosity and rising dread. Curiosity because, of course, anyone would want to know why we’d had to drive forever in the middle of a bare beaten path in the woods. And dread, not because I was afraid of anything Titus would do, but rather…

This would be the first time I’d left this realm. Or almost left this realm. Were we leaving this realm at all?

Even if we did, it wouldn’t be the first time. They said I was born inWhisperwind, so obviously I’d been there before. And then there was that minor incident with Belial when he asked me to stay with him in exchange for Titus’s freedom.

Titus swerved suddenly, almost crashing into a tree, before he looked at me. “What?”

“Oh.” My eyes were suddenly dry, and I squeezed them shut as I rubbed them. I’d forgotten entirely about that incident. Too much had gone on since then.

And my mind recoiled at even considering the foreboding request. When I thought of it, what it might have meant, I thought I might fall to pieces. “It happened.”

“What. Happened?” Titus sounded like he was speaking through clenched teeth.

“Just that.” Really though, it was no big deal. Maybe I was worried over nothing. Kiania had come and scared him away before any promises were made.