Page 19 of It's in His Bite
And then she was there, too, embracing me while Rhiannon did, running her hands through my hair. She sucked in a startled breath as she saw the new bites.
“Wait, did you two…?”
Voices got louder as more people filed in.
Tessa turned. “Dylan! Keep people outside for a bit longer. We haven’t had time to set it up for her parents.”
“All right,” Dylan said, drawing out the syllables. “You sure you’re all okay? Because that doesn’t look like happy girl scheming. It looks like sad girl intervention-ing.”
“Dylan!” Rhiannon hissed. “Just keep the parental figures outside!”
“Right! Okay! I’ll do my best!” His footsteps disappeared back toward the front door. A moment later, it slammed behind him.
Rhiannon pulled me away from her, her eyes bright with anger.
“What did hedo?”
The words came out stilted, and some tears managed to break free and run down my cheeks. Tessa was quick to wipe the away, her own sadness growing with each part of it all I tell.
“We’re F-Fated,” I admitted. Both women sucked in a gasp. “The… the bites don’t itch. Or burn. Only the first one bruised.”
I tilted my head and pulled the turtle neck down to fully show the first one he’d laid the night before, right under my left ear. Tessa stared in shock. Rhiannon slowly traced the bite. I couldn’t help but shiver.
“We’ll run interference,” Tessa said. “You still want to surprise your parents with this? We could wait until tomorrow.” She gestured to the bag she’d left on the counter.
I closed my eyes and counted to twenty, trying to reel myself back in.
“Tomorrow. I… Let’s do it tomorrow.”
Tessa hugged me tight again, pressing her cheek to mine. Another tear fell down my cheek, but Rhiannon wiped it away.
Chapter Thirteen
Landon
Meridith’s delighted scream cut straight through me. I leaned against the hallway threshold, my hands shoved in the pockets of my slacks, trying to keep the same stoic expression I nearly always wore. Joshua smiled, pulling his daughter into his side and kissing the top of her head.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said, just loud enough I could hear it. She flushed with his compliment and hugged him back.
“You got it! Oh my gosh! You got it!” She hugged Harlowe close exactly how I wanted to, how I did until my idiocy yesterday. She pulled the bag and looked at the small mementos Harlowe’s friends had gotten to symbolize the internship. “You’re going to France!”
Harlowe smiled, but it didn’t quite touch her eyes. It seemed like I was the only one who noticed. Because I’d been the one to put the melancholy undertone there in the first place? Or because she was my blood mate?
I didn’t know. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to know, honestly.
The rest of the large friend group surrounded them, crowding in until I couldn’t see Harlowe at all expect the flash of her bright red hair through the mass of limbs. Miles Brown somehow managed to get to her first, pulling her into a hug that she clearly didn’t want. I had to swallow the growl that wanted to rip through me.
“What has gotten into you? You’re more high strung than a damn tight rope act.” Joshua asked without preamble, crossing the space. “You look like you’re preparing to be staked for you crimes.”
Yeah, well, it was only a matter of time until the whole situation came out.
I shrugged and shoved my hands in my pockets. Miles touched Harlowe’s elbow. Again. He never kept his damn hands off of her. My nails lengthened into claws, and I fisted them to keep from ripping up my slacks. Bloody hell, I needed to get out of here, needed to see literally anything but that wanker of a vampire flirt with Harlowe the entire damn holiday. I turned away from the entire group of them, heading deeper into the cabin.
Joshua followed, a silent wraith behind me.
The moment we were in his office, he closed the door and flipped the lock. When I turned back to him, his arms were crossed and he leaned back against he door, his gaze wary where he observed me.
“She has bites,” he said without preamble.