Page 93 of Seared Fates

“I need your sweet ass all healed up and ready to go. No sexy biting.”

“Got it,” Kai snickers. “No hanky panky.”

“Good. Enjoy your visit home,” she tells him, voice lighter. “Oh, and bring me back something sweet.”

Chapter thirty-four

Vidar

An hour later, when the storm has passed and night has settled, Kai and I leave Vampire Manor, as he loves to call it, and head towards his family home. A tray of brownies sitting on my lap.

“I’m surprised you let me drive.” Kai turns the wheel of my Range Rover, a car Lucero left in the garage waiting for me.

“I hate driving.”

“You do?”

“It’s boring.” I drop my voice an octave. “And this way I get to look at you all I want.”

“So you’ll always let me drive?”

“Happily.”

He drops a hand on my thigh, squeezing. “Good to know, my little passenger princess.”

I cock an eyebrow. “You're what?”

“Fine.” The corner of his mouth twitches. “My big passenger princess.”

This highly amuses him, and Kai cracks up into pearls of giggles.

‘Tease me all you want, my love. As long as you're happy.’

I stretch out, already thinking of ways to convince Kai to keep this car instead of his piece of shit Mini Cooper held together by duct tape and love.

Soon we find ourselves in a suburb with not a pothole in sight, passing rows of identical houses with identical square lawns.

“You promise you didn’t bring that big ass broadsword?”

“Any man would be proud of it.” My jaw ticks. Visiting the family of my beloved without a gift is all wrong. Disrespectful. “It’s a highly prized piece.”

“Vidar, my Dad doesn’t want a sword.”

“The bride price—”

“I am begging you, at least call it a groom price.”

I scoff.

“Thegroom priceis important. It shows your family how much I value and love you. Vampires lose our traditions with age, but some things should still be done. I will not half-ass this simply because it’s old-fashioned.”

Kai releases a long breath. “Stop making me fall deeper in love with you.”

I squeeze the hand he’s placed on my thigh. “Never.”

We come to a stop, the engine cutting off as Kai parks. He snaps off his seatbelt and turns to face me.

“My Dad’s name is Kwame, and he’s a big softie. He works with disabled children as an art therapist and cries at pretty much anything. My Mum is Charlotte and is probably the most vicious person you’ll ever meet and a badass solicitor. My youngest brother, Thomas, is studying in Japan, so he won’t be home. But Teagan is and…”