“We kind of have another problem now,” Mitchell said softly.
“What happened now?” Danny asked and instantly regretted the edge to his voice. This had just been one hell of a day.
“First, we really appreciate you getting the medicine,” Faith said.
Danny’s face softened. “You don’t have to thank me. If I didn’t want to help, I wouldn’t have. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m thinking Faith can’t go home,” Mitchell said.
“Are you afraid your parents will hurt you because of the baby?” Danny asked, his temper rising.
Faith shook her head and opened her mouth to reveal a pointy set of fangs.
“Crap,” Danny said and banged his forehead against the doorframe. “That does create a new set of problems. Are you sure about how your parents will react to this? Learning their own daughter is a vampire might change their opinions.”
Faith shook her head and wiped tears from her eyes. “They’ve never exactly been happy about living here. When they found out I had vampire friends, they practically lost it and wanted me pulled out of school. My mom said she’d rather I died than sympathize with blood suckers. From what I heard, Connor told them I had to stay in school if they wanted to live here, and said they needed to learn to get along with the vampires or leave. I heard my dad tell my mom that it would be okay for me to stay at the school since I’d been vaccinated against the Moon virus. When they find out about this, I’ll be dead to them.”
“I’m sorry,” Danny said. His mom had sucked, but she’d been a lot better than these people. It made him wonder why they’d moved to this settlement. Then something she’d said hit him. “Wait! How is it even possible for you to have contracted the Moon virus if you were vaccinated against it?”
His friend Muriel needed to have the virus injected directly into her blood stream during two pregnancies in order for it to take, and it had been more than ten years since she’d been vaccinated. Faith would not have been considered high-risk, meaning she hadn’t been vaccinated until after she’d arrived at the vampire settlement. Also, the Moon virus wasn’t a sexually transmitted disease.
Faith looked down at her toes. “My parents think I was vaccinated. Another girl in my class wanted to get the vaccine and I didn’t, so she pretended to be me.”
“Which inept doctor bought that?” Danny was having trouble believing no one had confirmed the other girl’s identity.
Mitchell answered. “It probably wasn’t a mistake. Some of the younger doctors believe in letting people make their own decisions, and they kind of break the rules a little. You won’t tell anyone, will you?”
“About the doctors? No.” Six months ago, Danny would have been furious that the girl hadn’t gotten her vaccine when she’d had the chance. Even after he’d first moved here, he’d believed the vaccine was important for all humans. Now, he thought it was a personal choice.
“Coming here was a bad idea,” Mitchell said. “We’ve put too much on you already.”
That’s when Danny realized he’d been muttering to himself. “No!” he said quickly. “I’m going to need more help with this. Faith needs a place to stay, and she obviously can’t stay here.”
Mitchell looked even more relieved than Faith. “I know Layla would help, but I think she and Simon have enough going on.”
Layla would also go over and beat the hell out of Faith’s parents. She might be a little woman, but as a shape-shifter, she could kick some serious ass.
“You two are going to have to trust me,” Danny said as he took out his phone. He spoke the message he wanted to send. “I need to see you at my house right away.”
Shelby was there in less than five minutes.
Even though she hadn’t been on rotation that day, Shelby had heard the updates and was still dealing with the aftermath of what they’d found. While Connor was back, he was currently dealing with some bigger issues related to the vampire council. Danny figured it was best to leave him out of the loop temporarily.
To say Shelby was a little bitchy would be a huge understatement. “This had better be really important or I’ll kick your sorry ass.”
Mitchell cleared his throat, bringing Shelby’s attention to the teens. Faith was standing in the corner, looking worried. The girl was terrified and rightfully so. This was more than anyone her age should have to deal with.
“This is my friend Shelby, and she’s going to help you,” Danny said gently.
“I’m assuming this is the reason you asked me to pick up those meds,” Shelby said, not waiting for any confirmation. “Dammit, Danny!” Despite her obvious annoyance, she kept her voice level to avoid upsetting Faith. “We should not be getting involved in this.” Shelby took several deep breaths. “What kind of asshole parents try to force their kid to end a pregnancy?” She turned to Faith. “You’re from the island settlement, right?”
Danny was surprised Shelby knew this, but he really shouldn’t be. The only person who seemed to be more on top of things was Connor. That might be one of the reasons Shelby was left in charge most of the time when Connor was away.
Faith nodded but didn’t look up at Shelby.
“Is the father a vampire or human?” Shelby asked.
“Vampire,” Mitchell said, quickly adding, “It’s not mine,” when Shelby glared at him.
“Okay, so your parents want you to end the pregnancy. I hate to say it, but we’re going to need more than the meds to make this work.”
“We got another complication to deal with,” Danny said and pointed to Faith who had her top teeth over her bottom lip, probably a nervous habit.
Shelby’s eyes widened. “Yeah, I’d say we have a hell of a lot more to worry about than keeping her pregnant. Your parents are pretty anti-vamp if I’m guessing right.”
“They don’t want the vampires dead or anything like that,” Faith insisted. “In fact, they always thought we should find a way to live peacefully with the vampires, just not in the same settlements. They’d like us to be segregated more. I was supposed to get the Moon virus vaccine when we moved here, but I didn’t.”
Danny bit his tongue because he didn’t want to upset Faith, but based on everything she’d said, he’d guess her parents wanted more than segregation.
Shelby’s eyes softened. “Have a seat, Faith,” she said, gesturing to the sofa. “I know you’re scared and stressed out right now, but everything will be okay.”
“My parents will never forgive me for this,” Faith said and started to cry.
“Give them time,” Danny said, even though he was pretty sure she was right. “I’m not promising they’ll come around, but they might after they get used to the idea.”
“In the meantime, you’ll stay with me and Carla,” Shelby said.
“Really?” Faith asked.
“Yes,” Shelby said. “I’ll let your parents know you’ll be staying with me. When things settle down, I’ll talk to Connor about the situation.”
“I should be the one to tell my parents,” Faith said with a shaky voice.
“Not yet,” Danny insisted. “Let us take care of things for now. If they seem receptive to seeing you, then we’ll set up a meeting. I’m worried about how they’ll handle this.” Until he had a better idea of what was going on, he’d prefer to keep Faith away from her parents.
“I agree,” Shelby said. “When I talk to them, I’ll pack your stuff. For now, I’m dropping you at my house. Carla’s off today, so she can help you get settled in and work with you on some of the basics you’ll need for feeding.”
“Can I still eat regular food?” Faith asked.
“Yes, but you should avoid animal products like meat or eggs,” Shelby said. “Hopefully, you know how to cook, because we don’t eat solids.”
“I’ll have Layla make you something and bring it over,” Mitchell said.
Danny caught his arm. “Until we get things more settled with Faith, I need you to avoid doing too much hovering. I know you’
re friends, so I don’t want to tell you to leave her alone completely, but limit it to school for now.”
Mitchell looked like he wanted to argue.
“This will make it easier for her too,” Shelby added.
Mitchell reluctantly nodded.
By the time Shelby, Faith, and Mitchell left his house, Danny was exhausted. Looking around his empty home, he suddenly felt like the lost little boy he’d once been. Crazy as it was, he felt like something was missing in his life. Maybe he’d spent too many years living with a roommate. This was the first time he’d ever lived alone, and it took some getting used to.
His phone buzzed, indicating he had a new message. Picking it up, he saw it was from Mark and clicked it open.
I’m still edgy. Wanna go beat the hell out of each other in the training center when you finish your meeting?
Danny grinned. That was just what he needed.
Be there in fifteen.
Chapter Twenty
Ian’s new favorite hobby was watching Kyleigh swim naked. No, it was his second favorite hobby. What they did after Kyleigh swam naked was his favorite hobby.
As near as he could tell, it had been nearly two weeks since he’d woken up in Kyleigh’s bed, and he’d spent a good part of those weeks getting to know everything he could about her. Ian had no idea when he’d become the type to sit and talk for hours, but he’d shared more with Kyleigh than he had with anyone since he’d lost Kate and Sarah. Kyleigh answered all of his questions, except when he asked too many about the Fae or seeing Mitchell. If he had to guess, Kyleigh wasn’t sure what would happen if he saw Mitchell.
Most days, Kyleigh was called out two or three times to help souls. Ian asked to go with her every day, but she told him it wasn’t safe for him yet, and he believed her. He wasn’t sure why, but he trusted Kyleigh. She was more than a woman he wanted sexually; she was a woman he genuinely liked.
Ian sat in the sand with one knee raised, taking great pleasure in the sight of Kyleigh emerging from the water. Her breasts swayed back and forth as she approached him, and Ian’s dick stood up and took notice.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” she asked with a smile.
“I’d be enjoying myself more if you’d come down here and join me,” Ian said, reaching out a hand to her.
Kyleigh took a step back and shook her head. “I don’t think so. Last time I let you talk me into sex out here, I had sand in places I’d rather not mention.”
Ian grinned and got on his knees. “Do you need me to investigate any of those places to make sure you got all the sand out?”
Kyleigh placed a hand on her hip and tried to look stern, which Ian decided was impossible when she was naked and soaking wet.
Ian quickly got to his feet. “Let me help you,” he said as he stalked toward her, which caused Kyleigh to take a step back. “Careful or you’ll be in the water again.”
She gave him a saucy smile. “Then I guess I’ll be safe from your lewd advances since you can’t swim.”
“Wanna bet I can catch you before you make it that far?” Ian asked.
Kyleigh raised an eyebrow. “A wager? What would the terms be?”
“I’ll bet you can’t make it to the water before I catch you,” Ian said. “When I win, you have to let me examine every inch of that sexy body for sand.”
Kyleigh laughed. “Well, it doesn’t sound like I have much to lose if you catch me. How about if we make it more interesting?”
“What’d you have in mind?”
“If I make it into the house without you catching me, you have to give me a nice relaxing massage,” she said confidently.
Ian was already hard from seeing Kyleigh naked. The idea of chasing her made his dick literally ache, and he was sure she hadn’t missed his erection since he was only wearing a pair of boxers. Looking over his shoulder at the house, he knew there was no chance of her making it. He turned back toward Kyleigh. “Agreed, but remember, when I catch you, I get to explore your body right where you stand.”
“Deal,” Kyleigh said with an impish grin.
“Shall I give you a head start to be fair?” Ian asked.
“No need for that,” Kyleigh said. “Just don’t move.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, invisible bonds wrapped around Ian’s body. No matter how much he struggled, they wouldn’t budge and he couldn’t even speak. He glared at Kyleigh, both impressed and pissed off.
She gave him an innocent shrug. “Did I forget to mention I could do that?” she asked sweetly, trotting past him toward the house.
Ian was most annoyed that he couldn’t turn his head to watch her boobs jiggle while she ran. As soon as the front door slammed closed, whatever had been holding him prisoner released him, and Ian took off running.
“You cheated!” he accused as he walked in the front door.
“Did not,” she said. “There were no rules specified. Now, I believe you owe me a nice relaxing massage.”
“You are one sneaky woman,” Ian said as he stalked toward her. “Not sure why that turns me on so much, but it does.”
“Uh uh uh,” she said with a hand up. “Massage first.”
He flashed a predatory smile with a hint of fang. “Oh, I plan to give you that massage, but don’t you think you’d be more comfortable in bed?”
Kyleigh grinned at him. “Don’t try to intimidate me with that look.”
“Intimidate you?” he asked innocently. “This look usually gets you pretty wet, and that’s my goal right now.”
She laughed. “Massage first!”
Ian followed her into the bedroom, thoroughly enjoying the view of Kyleigh’s ass with her hips swinging back and forth. She smiled at him over her shoulder before climbing onto the bed and lying on her stomach.
“What should I use to massage you with?” he asked.
“Your hands?” she suggested.
“Don’t be a smart ass,” he warned. “I meant, you don’t seem to have any oil, and your body lotion will dry out pretty quick.”
“Oh!” Kyleigh exclaimed as she realized what he was saying. “I hadn’t even thought of that, probably because I’ve never had a massage. I’ve got something in the bathroom that should work.” She hurried into the bathroom and returned with a jar of a solid white substance.
Ian took the jar, pretty sure it wouldn’t work, and read the label. “Coconut oil?” he asked with one raised eyebrow.
“Yes. I use it for lots of things.”
“That doesn’t look like oil,” he said.
“The oil melts on contact with skin,” she assured him.
“How the hell did you end up with coconut oil if you can’t leave this area? I’ve never seen coconut anything. That’s not true— we had coconuts imported once, but they didn’t go over well.”
“Sometimes I get things from others like me,” she said. “We have a barter system.”
Ian nodded as she lay on her stomach. While the oil did melt when it came in contact with his skin, Ian was still skeptical. “I recognize this smell.”
“It’s what I rub on my skin after showering,” she admitted. “At least, that’s what I do when you leave me in peace long enough to rub it on after a shower.”
Ian grinned. “You don’t really want me to leave you in peace after a shower, do you?”
“Not really,” she admitted with a grin. “Now, get to work on that massage and make it good.”
Ian climbed on the bed and used his oiled hands to massage her inner thighs, spreading her legs so he could kneel between them. Then his hands massaged her ass cheeks, thoroughly oiling them up as Kyleigh wiggled under his touch.
“That’s not how you’re supposed to give a massage,” she said.
“How would you know?” he asked as he gave in to the temptation to slide one of his well-oiled hands down between her legs, loving the fact that she was already wet. “You’ve never had a massage before.”
“I’m pretty sure it should relax me,” she said on a moan
.
“This isn’t relaxing?” he asked, sliding one finger inside of her.
Her hips lifted off of the bed as she pushed against his finger. “No, I wouldn’t call it relaxing,” she said.
Ian chuckled. “Yeah, I’m a little tense myself. Let’s see what I can do to help you relax more.” Reluctantly, he slipped his finger out of her tight sheath and smiled when Kyleigh whimpered at the loss of contact. After putting more oil on his hands, Ian leaned forward to knead the muscles at Kyleigh’s lower back.
A soft moan escaped her lips. “That feels incredible.”
Spurred on by her reaction, Ian continued to massage her back, working out the tension in the muscles. All the while, she moaned and told him how wonderful he was. For some reason, her words of encouragement were getting him even harder. He almost laughed when he realized how much he was enjoying this.
Kyleigh’s eyes drifted closed, so Ian softened his touch, watching with delight as she dozed off. Once her breathing was even, he moved up alongside Kyleigh and watched her.
“I thought you wanted to have sex,” she said sleepily without opening her eyes.
“We can later,” Ian said softly, gathering her in his arms. “For now, just rest. You deserve it.”
Chapter Twenty-One
When Kyleigh had first claimed Ian as her mate, she’d never expected this sort of bond with him. What they had was more than just sex; they were friends. After so many centuries alone, it felt strange having someone who made her laugh and noticed when she was down. The idea of falling in love with Ian terrified Kyleigh; she couldn’t forget what Ian had said about his inability to love again. She also feared having to make a decision about Ian seeing his son soon.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed warm beaches until I started spending time on yours,” Ian said as he lay beside her on a blanket. Why she’d gotten him clothing, she had no idea. He spent most of the day lying on the beach in his boxers.
“How did you end up so far north?” Kyleigh asked. “It sounds like you prefer the weather in the south.”
“I do.” Ian rolled to his side to face her. “My friend, Simon got me to make the move up north. He was on one of the guard details when Connor traveled to Fangri La.”
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