by Jaye Wells
She debated putting on makeup and doing her hair, but then decided to go with a quick blow-dry and a dab of lip gloss. She pulled on her comfortable faded jeans and a large white button-down shirt. If Logan was forcing her to bum around his house for the next couple of days, she’d be damned if she was going to put any effort into looking good for him.
Now that she was dressed, she looked around for something to do. She wasn’t used to inactivity. She usually worked every day, even on the weekend. The museum always had something going on, so even if she wasn’t conducting research, she was leading tours or attending events.
She had not taken a vacation since she’d started at the museum. Before that, she was so busy finishing her masters’ degrees and doing her student teaching that she never had time for a break. Until now, she had not given much thought to the fact she seemed to do nothing with her life but work.
Her experiences with her family and friends after she broke her engagement with Cole made her wary of trusting anyone. But who could blame her for keeping people at arm’s length? When she tried to explain her reasons for breaking the engagement, her own mother called her ungrateful and spoiled. Now she understood that her parents couldn’t fathom her desire to marry someone who respected her for her ambitions. Not when their own marriage was essentially one of two strangers living in the same house and showing up to the same social functions. Even her former girlfriends didn’t understand. In fact, she recently heard one of her bridesmaids was now engaged to Cole. Better her than me, Syd thought.
Despite the trials of the last few years, Syd had mainly felt optimistic about her life. She was proud of her decisions. But recently the lack of companionship got to her more and more. However, she still found herself pulling away when someone tried to get close to her. She was too used to being alone, and too afraid that once she got to know someone they would push her away like her family did. After all, if she couldn’t rely on her own family to stand by her, then whom could she trust?
Logan, her mind whispered. She shook her head. Logan had done nothing but lie to her from the moment they’d met. She understood why he hadn’t told her sooner about the vampire thing, but still, if he could hide something like that, what other secrets was he hiding? No, her decision to distance herself emotionally from him was a good one.
She headed downstairs, hoping to find a book to keep her mind occupied. Luckily, she found a note from Logan telling her he’d be in his lab and that Kira was coming over for dinner.
Good. At least we won’t be alone tonight.
In the library she scanned the shelves. She grabbed a book by Dan Brown she had wanted to read but never had the time. She was mildly surprised a vampire included best sellers in his book collection but figured even vampires could enjoy a good book.
A cozy leather club chair next to the fireplace beckoned her. She settled in and sighed contentedly as the action of the book swept her in from the first page. She couldn’t remember the last time she had read something for pleasure. Maybe this forced vacation would do her some good after all.
“As you can see, Lifeblood is compatible with the samples of the elders’ blood we tested. Now, we just need to gather our group of test subjects to drink the blood in real life situations and report back. Once that formality is done, we can release it.”
Logan smiled. “Great work, Alaric. I know the council will be thrilled with our progress, especially given the delays we’ve had recently.”
“Any news on Raven?” Alaric asked.
Logan shook his head. “Callum will check in if he finds something. The good news is if her goal was to distract us so much we couldn’t finish Lifeblood, she failed,” Logan said, glad something seemed to be going his way today.
Alaric nodded and began putting the Lifeblood samples he had brought with him into the refrigerator under the counter.
“So, how are things with Sydney?”
Logan sighed. “She seems to be handling the fact we’re vampires pretty well. She’s not too thrilled with me, however.”
Alaric frowned. “What did you do?”
“Why does everyone keep asking me that?”
Alaric chuckled. “Sorry. But you have to admit that sometimes your people skills leave a lot to be desired.”
“I talk to people,” Logan said defensively.
“You talk to your family and me, Logan. All vampires. Mortals are a different breed. You have to finesse them a bit.”
“Easy for you to say. Admit it; you’ve gotten so used to reading mortal’s minds that if suddenly you couldn’t, you’d be as clueless as me.”
“I guess you’re right.” Alaric shrugged. “Although I have the advantage because I was mortal. I know how their minds work. You, my friend, are a True Blood. You’ve never known the concerns mortals face.”
“That’s true, but Callum doesn’t seem to have any problems in that area, and he was born into this too.”
“Yes, but you have also spent the last couple hundred years in a lab. Callum has always been more social. Even before Murdoch Biotech was created, he always had a more public role in the family.”
Logan frowned. Had he spent too much time with test tubes and not enough being around people? He knew the answer was yes, but honestly, after four hundred years on the planet, he had lost his patience for socializing.
“I suppose I have become a bit of a recluse,” he said.
“Hey, man, don’t sweat it. You’re doing fine. You just need to remember Sydney’s different from us. She has mortal concerns that drive her. Your only interaction with women in the last couple of centuries, and that was even limited, was with vampire females. They lack the vulnerability mortal women have. Try to be more sensitive.”
“Lord, help me. If you say I have to recite poetry, I am going to gag.”
Alaric laughed and playfully punched his friend in the arm. “Nah, you just need to listen to her. Really listen. You can’t analyze everything she says using logic. You have to see underneath her words to the subtext.”
“What the hell are you talking about? Have you been watching Oprah again?”
“Hey, Oprah rocks! But seriously, women don’t always come right out and say what they really mean. You have to read her body language. Watch her when she doesn’t know you’re looking.”
Logan groaned. “Can’t you just read her mind for me and report back?”
Alaric slapped Logan on the back. “Sorry, dude. Gotta work through this on your own.”
“Traitor,” Logan said, knowing he sounded petulant but not caring.
“Consider it a personal enrichment exercise. You’re growing.”
“That’s it. No more Oprah.”
“You can’t stop me, man. I’ve got TiVo.”
Logan chuckled, but he respected Alaric’s opinion. Maybe tonight, when he approached Syd with his questions, he’d try the whole sensitive guy thing. Hell, he couldn’t mess up any more than he already had.
Syd jerked awake when the doorbell rang. She rubbed her eyes. She vaguely remembered the hero of the book running through the streets of Paris. Apparently, the suspense in the book couldn’t compete with her body’s need for sleep.
The doorbell rang again. Guessing Logan was still in his lab, she got up and headed for the door. Spying Kira through the peephole, Syd opened the door with a smile.
“I have come bearing pizza,” Kira announced. She held up an armload of pizza boxes.
“My savior,” Syd responded with a grin.
“I hope you’re hungry. I brought enough to feed an army.”
“Pizza’s my favorite.”
“I know,” Kira said with a wink. She walked into the foyer, bringing with her the intoxicating aroma of spicy sauce and fresh-baked pizza crust.
This was one time Syd appreciated the woman’s skill at mind reading. Her mouth watered as she followed Kira to the kitchen.
“I assume the boys are in the lab,” Kira said.
Syd nodded. Kira placed the boxes on th
e center island and went to the wall intercom.
“Logan, Alaric, put down those Bunsen burners and get up here. Pizza’s getting cold.”
She turned from the wall and sent Sydney a conspiratorial smile.
“The doorbell is wired to ring in the lab, but sometimes nothing can coax Logan out. Luckily, Alaric is a fool for pizza, so he’ll drag Logan up here.”
“How did you know Alaric was here?”
“I called him earlier. He said he was on his way over.”
“Oh,” said Syd, feeling silly. She assumed Kira had sensed his presence or something.
“Don’t feel silly, dear. I can sense him. However, I was telling the truth. We did speak earlier. And to answer your next question, no, vampires cannot read each other’s minds. Only mortals’.”
Syd didn’t know what to say, so she just went to the fridge and grabbed a soda.
“How are you holding up, dear?” Kira asked as she pulled plates from the cabinet.
“Oh, you know,” Syd said evasively.
“Yes, dear,” Kira said with a sympathetic smile. “I do know. But if you need to talk, I am here for you. I know Logan can be . . . well, a man . . . so if you need girl talk, I am a good listener.”
Syd smiled. She really liked Kira, but she had no idea where she would even begin to talk about her feelings. And she was afraid she felt so comfortable around Kira that once she started she’d never stop. Before she knew it, she’d be asking for love advice from Logan’s mother.
“If it would make you feel any better, I could pretend he’s not my son while we talk,” Kira said.
Syd’s head snapped up. Drat! She’d gone and thought in front of Kira again. She really needed to stop doing that.
“Uh, would you be offended if I asked you to stop doing that?” Syd asked.
Kira laughed. “Of course not, dear. I apologize if I was being intrusive. I am afraid old habits die hard.”
Syd nodded. When she heard footsteps coming down the hall, her heart leapt.
“Chin up,” Kira said, her tone sympathetic and commanding at the same time.
Syd smiled gratefully at Kira and decided not to chide the woman for reading her mind again. But as she uncrossed her arms and forced the tension in her neck muscles to relax, she realized it wouldn’t take a mind reader to see she was nervous. She walked to the other side of the island from the door just as the two men strode through it.
Alaric, leading the way, was the first to notice Syd.
“Hey, Sydney, how’s it hanging?”
She chuckled. “Hi, Alaric. What’s new?”
“Oh, you know, trying to stay out of trouble,” he responded.
“And failing as usual,” Logan joked as he walked up to the island across from her. Syd laughed and looked at Logan. He caught her eye and smiled back.
Alaric cleared his throat, breaking the moment. “So, uh, are we gonna eat?”
Soon everyone was seated with their meals, Sydney across from Logan, thanks to maneuvering from Kira.
“Logan, how is the research coming along?” Kira asked.
“Very well,” he responded with a smile. “We’re ready to begin the real world tests.”
Sydney watched his eyes light up as he discussed his work. She found his dedication admirable. Of course, she had already witnessed his dedication to his family. He might pretend to get annoyed with them, but the love he felt for them was obvious.
Seeing him joke with his family now, she suddenly felt like an outsider. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever have a family like this of her own—people who cared about her work and who wanted to know all about the things that mattered to her. She knew the chance of reconciliation with her family was impossible. The only way she could have that type of relationship was to find a partner and create her own family. She glanced at Logan again as he continued to speak, suddenly sad to her bones that Logan could never be that partner for her.
“Sydney, are you all right, dear?” Kira’s asked with concern.
Looking up at three concerned faces, she shook off her thoughts. Two of those faces had carte blanche access to her thoughts. She grimaced, hating herself for not being more vigilant around these people.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she said, forcing a smile. Kira and Alaric nodded right along with Logan. Syd smiled at them, thankful they didn’t call her on her lie.
“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Logan said. “I’m sure this science talk must be boring for you.”
“Oh, no, Logan, it wasn’t that. I guess I’m just tired,” she said quickly.
“That’s understandable, dear. Perhaps you should get to bed early,” Kira said. “We were just about to leave. Weren’t we, Alaric?”
Alaric looked up. “We were?”
Syd bit back a smile as Kira sent the man a pointed look. He looked longingly at the pizza boxes on the counter before sighing. Syd heard a thump under the table. Alaric’s head whipped around to look at Kira.
“Um, I mean yes, we were,” he said staring Kira down. The pair stood and began clearing the table.
“I guess I’ll hit the sack,” Syd said and started to stand too.
“No!” Logan suddenly exclaimed, making everyone look at him curiously. “I mean, I thought you and I might enjoy the fall weather on the patio for a while.”
Syd looked at him curiously. Why would he suddenly want to spend time together after they had both avoided each other all day?
“You did?”
“Uh, yes,” he said, sounding unsure. “It’s too nice a night to waste going to bed early.”
Syd continued to look at him, her mind furiously trying to figure out his motives.
“We’ll get out of your hair and let you two figure things out,” Kira said, dragging Alaric behind her. “Don’t bother seeing us out.”
Syd glanced at Alaric, who shrugged. Everyone seemed determined to give them some time alone. She turned to see Logan still looking at her. When their eyes met, he raised his right eyebrow in question. He looked so earnest she found it hard to deny him his simple request.
“Okay, fresh air sounds nice actually,” she said with a hesitant smile.
He seemed to let out a relieved breath. “Great. I have a bottle of wine we can open. I’ll meet you on the patio.”
Syd nodded and headed to the French doors that lead from the kitchen to the patio. Outside, she wandered to the edge of the veranda and took a deep breath. The smoky scent of burning leaves and the sharp tang of pine in the air soothed her. The crisp, cloudless night boasted a canopy of twinkling stars and a crescent moon.
After being cooped up all day, the slight chill had an invigorating effect on her. She decided Logan’s suggestion was a good one. After their argument earlier, perhaps spending some time relaxing would ease the tension that crackled between them.
She turned when she heard Logan. He carried two glasses and a wine bottle to the table.
“What an amazing night,” he said, taking a deep breath as he picked up the corkscrew.
“Yes, fall is my favorite season,” she said, accepting the glass he offered.
Now that they’d covered the weather, she had no idea what to talk about. She avoided his gaze as she took her first sip. The smooth, oaky taste of the wine warmed her instantly.
“This is good,” she said as she took a seat facing the large backyard.
Logan took a sip from his own glass and sat next to her. For a few moments, they enjoyed the flavor of the wine. Syd wondered what Logan was thinking. He sat twirling the stem of his glass between two fingers as he gazed into the yard beyond the veranda. He seemed so lost in his own thoughts she started when he finally spoke.
“So, you were pretty mad at me this morning, huh?”
Chapter Fourteen
Smooth, Logan chastised himself as soon as the words left his mouth. He wanted Sydney relaxed and willing to talk. Reminding her of their argument didn’t fall into the category of relaxing subjects.
Her soft chuc
kle helped eased the tension in his shoulders.
“Actually, I’ve had some time to think about that today, and I want to apologize. You were trying to make the best of the situation,” she said.
“Syd, you don’t have to do that. You were right. I was being a tad autocratic,” he said. “I apologize for my actions.”
“And I mine,” she responded, stubborn to a fault. “Let’s just call a truce, okay?”
He took in her smile and responded with one of his own. Alaric was wrong—this relating to women stuff wasn’t so hard after all.
“I’d like that,” he said.
Silence descended again for a moment before Syd spoke.
“How long have you known Alaric?”
“Seems like forever.” Logan chuckled. “But it’s only been eighty years in reality.”
Syd laughed. “Eighty years sounds like a long time to me.”
“I guess that’s true for a mortal,” he said. “But in my case, eighty years goes by like a blink of the eye.”
She didn’t say anything but looked thoughtful as she took a sip of wine. He watched a single drop glisten on her bottom lip. What he wouldn’t give to lick it off for her. He shook himself mentally.
Mentally undressing her probably wasn’t on Oprah’s list of sensitive behavior.
He cleared his throat, trying to remember what they had been discussing. Luckily, Syd saved him.
“How did you two meet?”
He frowned slightly. He was supposed to be asking the questions here. But maybe if he opened up a little, she would feel more comfortable when he started probing her. He mentally slapped his head at his choice of pun.
Probe her, indeed. Focus, man!
“Callum and I found Alaric in an alley after he was attacked by a rogue vampire in Los Angeles. We were able to save his life, but we were too late to prevent Alaric from being infected with the virus. He was disoriented and violent. We subdued him and then brought him home to help ease him through the transformation. He adjusted quite well to the changes, and we all got along so well that he never left. I realized pretty quickly he had an exceptional mind, and he was eager to help me in the lab.”