Page 15 of I Hate Myself For Loving You (Wolf Mates #7)

Chapter Eleven

“T he parakeet.”

Lassiter rocked back on his heels and gave her a wary glance, taking her with him to the old sofa he had in the living room and plunking down on it. “Yep. He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother. Drake. His name is Drake.”

“And he’s always been a bird?”

“For as long as I can remember being in foster care. My parents died when I was seven. I was found with Bud, er, Drake and the letter. I couldn’t read or maybe I should say, I didn’t understand the letter for a long time, but I never told anyone I had it.

I only knew my parents left it with me and told me to always keep it safe, that someday I’d understand.

I made such a ruckus about keeping him that I guess the state let me.

We were moved a lot until the Fullers found me. ”

“So you did know your parents?”

His handsome face had a faraway look. “Yes. I don’t remember them as well as I’d like, though.”

“I’m sorry, Lassiter. I’m sorry they’re gone.” Her remorse was clear when she grabbed his hand to squeeze it.

“Anyway, Drake is cursed. I’m guessing my parents thought the state would split us up. Turning Drake into a parakeet was a possible way to ensure I’d keep him.”

“Call me crazy, but I gotta ask. How can you possibly know that Bu— Drake is really a human? I mean, you don’t, right?”

His chuckle was ironic. “Yeah, I do. We can communicate via telepathy. He talks to me all the time. He understands everything. In fact, he said to tell you he’s glad I stopped being an ass.”

Avery laughed out loud. “Well, tell him, me, too. So you had the letter and if I think I understand this properly, you dug up a lot of Adams land because Adams is a common last name and you were searching for a needle in a haystack, right?”

Lassiter ran a hand over his hair. “Right. As crazy as it sounds, that’s what I did and I’ll keep doing it until I find what I need, Avery.” His words were said as almost a threat.

Avery held up her hands like two white flags.

“Hold onto your fangs there, pale boy. I’m not denying you the right to dig stuff up anymore.

Now that I understand, of course. See before?

Avery had no clue there was a purpose to Lassiter’s mindless destruction, because he didn’t tell her. Understand?” she teased.

Lassiter rubbed her hand with his. “How do you tell someone, anyone , you’re a vampire?”

“Point. Tell me about this vampire stuff. Don’t you need blood to survive? How did the state explain that to the Fullers, or any of your foster homes for that matter?”

“They didn’t have to. I didn’t even know I craved blood until I donated some and eyed up the vials of it like they were a rare steak.”

“Huh? If you’re immortal and the only way to sustain that immortality is blood, I’d think you’d need O negative in copious quantities.”

But he shook his head. “No, Avery. I’m not entirely a vampire.”

Okay, here’s where she should tell him his rocker was broken and he was off it, but Avery had to finish this. She looked directly at him. “Do I look befuddled to you? Because this is the face of a woman who thinks you’re a whack.”

Laughing, he pulled her close and rested his chin on the top of her head. “I’m half werewolf too, Avery.”

“Are you serious?” she yelped.

“Yep, I shift just like you. I found that out quite by accident on a night with a full moon when I was ten. The only thing I can figure is my vampire- werewolf signals are all crossed, and what I need to survive are small parts from each species that make me whole.”

The wonder in her voice rang throughout the trailer.“I don’t know what to say…”

“What can you say to a guy who wants to suck your blood and mount you from behind, all at the same time?”

She laughed. “Why couldn’t you smell that I was a werewolf, Lassiter? Why couldn’t I smell you?”

He shook his head, his eyes confused. “I’ve got to go with the theory that I don’t have all of the perks each species has. My sense of smell is keen, but I couldn’t have told that you were a werewolf just by smelling you.”

For a moment, Avery felt the sense of displacement Lassiter must have felt all of his life and it squeezed her heart. “Why did you stop writing, Lassiter? After you left, I thought we’d still be friends, but you stopped calling and writing.”

“No, Avery. I didn’t. I sent letters. I called and when I did, your mother told me you were out.”

Her mother. Never happy about the time she’d spent with Lassiter, she’d obviously decided to interfere. Running her hand down his face, she kissed his cheek.

“I’m sorry. I never got the letters and I never heard about the phone calls.”

He cupped her cheek, his gaze warm. “Are the Adams werewolves like you, Avery?”

She nodded her head, and then a thought occurred to her. “Do you see what you could have avoided if you’d just told me the truth?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Did you tell me the truth about you?”

Sighing with exasperation, she said, “No, but I don’t have a brother who has feathers either. I’d say your situation was much more desperate than mine.”

“You know what’s funny? I didn’t know there were others like me, or at least half like me. Do you know what a relief it is to know you’re Princess?”

Her face flushed. “Do you know how much it sucks to put your sock in my mouth?”

Lassiter howled with laughter, making Avery smile. This felt like what they’d once shared. It felt right. “I can’t believe you were capable of such deceit,” he teased, pressing a kiss to her lips.

“Look, I wouldn’t cast the first stone there, big boy,” she joked, nudging him. “But this could mean you’re an Adams, Lassiter. You’re half werewolf. Why else would that letter say you should come here? So next, we go to the Adams and talk to them.” She rose, taking his hand.

“No.” He remained stubbornly seated.

“Fuck that ‘no,’ Lassiter. Get up.”

His face returned to that glacial expression he wore with such finesse. “I won’t be mocked by a bunch of werewolves who won’t accept me because I’m half vampire, Avery. Not a chance in hell.”

Oh, that was rich. She threw her head back and laughed. “Um, Lassiter? Get up off of your ass, and lemme tell you a story about a family called Adams. Trust me when I say no one will mock you.” She yanked his hand hard. “Get up and move it. We have some phone calls to make.”

A reluctant, confused Lassiter tagged behind her as she dragged him out of the house and toward the Adams house.

Avery waved at Bud in his cage on the way out. “Hang tight there, Big Bird.

We’re going to figure this out once and for all.”

* * *

“Avery, right?” a woman said from the chair in the Adams kitchen. Her blue eyes twinkled even in the dim light of only the stovetop bulb’s glow.

“Oh, my God! You’re the infamous Eva, aren’t you? Max’s grandmother?” Avery greeted her with a warm smile. “I’ve seen your picture.”

“That’s me. Is everyone off in Manhasset with Julia and Xavier?”

Avery nodded with a warm smile. “Yep. They were pretty excited.”

“I so love babies.” She smiled back at Avery and Lassiter. “I must do what needs to be done here and get right off to New York then.”

“What needs to be done here?” Avery asked. “I told Max and everyone I’d hold the fort until they got back,” she assured Eva.

Eva almost ignored her in favor of seeing Lassiter. Her eyes held him while he hovered at the edge of the kitchen. Rising from her chair, Eva smiled. “Oh, you must be Anna’s boy,” she cried, moving toward Lassiter and putting a hand on his arm.

Lassiter cocked his head, seeking Avery’s eyes from across the room. “How… how did you know?”

Eva hugged him with a chuckle. “I’d know Anna’s boy anywhere. Anna and I were raised together. My family adopted her. She was the sister of my heart, though I was a great deal older than her. We had a bond like no other.”

“You knew my mother?” Lassiter asked in disbelief.

Eva beamed. “I did indeed. Such a beautiful girl. Dark like you. She was an impulsive one, Anna was. Anyway, you’re home now, young man. What’s your name?”

“Lassiter,” he answered woodenly. For the first time since she’d met him, Avery sensed he was overwhelmed.

“A fine name for a handsome boy. We have work to do, yes?”

He held up a hand. “Wait. I have no idea what’s going on here. I’m… I?—”

“You’re confused, Lassiter,” Avery offered. “Eva? Could we sit down and talk. Lassiter has some questions, I’d think.”

“Isn’t he here to help his brother? We need to hurry to do that, don’t we?”

Lassiter’s brow furrowed, his eyes confused. “Yes, ma’am, I am. How did you know that?”

Eva rolled her eyes at him and put her arm around his tapered waist. “Because I’m the one who created the spell for Anna, silly.”

Well, of course she had. Avery rolled her eyes. Eva was the answer to everything unbelievable and as far out as you could get in the Adams family.

“ The spell ?” Lassiter muttered.

“Yes,” Eva said on a sigh. “The spell to keep your brother with you. I didn’t know why Anna needed it. You do know she was married to a vampire, yes? Your father?”

Lassiter nodded wordlessly.

“Well, it would seem there were other vampires who didn’t like your father, Maddon, mating with Anna.

Vampires who have no sense of diversity, if you ask this old woman,” she spat.

“They didn’t want you and your brother to…

to… How can I put this delicately? They didn’t want you and your brother to, well, exist .

Not at all. Anna’s plan was to hide you, turn you both into parakeets.

I’m sorry for the oddity of the chosen animal, but my spells are limited.

I personally would have gone lion, like our Xavier, had I known how. ”

“Lion,” Lassiter mumbled, his eyes wide.

“Yes, dear. Anyway, the spell was designed to hide you where necessary. Hide you from your father’s family, heathens that they were.

But Anna disappeared shortly after she asked for the spell and then, one day, I woke up and in my heart…

” Her voice caught, but she cleared her throat and steadied it.

“I felt it. I felt she was gone, but I had no clue where you two were. I searched for you everywhere. It’s left a hole in my heart that, now, can finally be filled. ”

Lassiter’s mouth hung open and Eva reached up to close it with a smile. “This morning, when I woke up, I knew in my gut someone needed me here. I wish I’d known sooner. We could have avoided all of this madness my grandsons have kept from me.”

“I’m sure they didn’t want to upset you, Eva,” Avery assured her.

Her eyes twinkled. “If they’d risked upsetting me, all those holes out there could have been avoided, eh?” she teased. “Neither here nor there. I’m so glad it turned out to be you my gut said needed me, Lassiter. What’s your twin’s name?”

Twin ? There were two of them? Phew boy, this should be something. Two over the top, uber pains in the asses.

Lassiter still had that hit by a freight train look on his face. “He’s my twin?”

She grinned, squeezing his arm with her aging hand. “Yes, dear, and your twin needs saving. That means I have some chicken soup to make.”

Holy baloney! Eva’s infamous chicken soup was the key to this? A drink to help you join vamp-kind …

Avery knew the story of Eva’s chicken soup well. She’d claimed to read prophecies in it. “So you thought the drink from the letter was water here on Adams land?” she asked Lassiter.

He looked to her, his handsome face filled with wonder. His nod was slow. “I did. I thought if Drake drank what I thought was water, he’d be turned back.”

“But it wasn’t. All this time, it was actually chicken soup!

” But wait. Hadn’t Eva told Martine and Derrick that it was all just bunk?

“I don’t understand,” Avery interrupted.

“You told Martine and Derrick the chicken soup theory was all just made up to devise a way to get them together. The same with Max and JC.”

Eva smiled knowingly, her eyes crinkling around the corners.

“Well, dear, to a degree it is made up. I admit to tampering with the chicken soup legacy for my own purposes, a bit of manipulation on my part for the good of my grandsons, if you will. But this time the chicken soup is what will turn Lassiter’s brother into a fine young man like himself. ”

Lassiter looked down at Eva, his eyes dark and unreadable. “Do you know how long I’ve looked? How many Adamses there are in the world?”

Avery snorted. “Do you know how much wildlife he’s devastated in his quest?”

“I didn’t devastate wildlife. I disturbed them,” Lassiter defended. “I put everything back the way it was, just like I would have done here when I came up dry.”

“Now, Avery, I think you’d do the same in Lassiter’s position. Let’s not cast stones, shall we?” Eva said with reproach and a shake of her finger.

Lassiter stuck his tongue out at Avery like he used to do when they were kids.

“I do know this journey has been hard for you, Lassiter, and your brother, but you have lifetimes to make up for it. After all, you’re half vampire. Your immortality will grant you some justification. Now, let’s make soup!”

“Soup,” Lassiter murmured.

“Yeah, pale boy. Soup,” Avery chuckled.