“Good morning,” Hanish said from the bed. She turned to see him smiling at her. The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains and illuminated his handsome face.
She climbed back into bed and kissed his cheek. “Good morning to you.”
Hanish ran the backs of his knuckles over her cheek affectionately. “How are you this morning?”
“I’m well. And you?” She looked deep into his eyes and searched for answers. She was afraid of what it might mean if a vampire had bitten her all those years ago. Hanish certainly hadn’t had a very positive response.
“Every day is like a holiday when I wake up next to you.”
She smiled. “You’re so darling.”
Hanish clapped his hands together. “How about some breakfast? I’ve been dying to try out that new waffle maker.”
“That sounds heavenly.”
They wrapped themselves in bathrobes, and JoJo quickly checked on Tor, who wasn’t due to wake up for another hour. Then they made their way downstairs to the kitchen. The coffee was already brewed, and Hanish poured himself a cup. JoJo made herself a cup of tea.
“I hope the guys got you the right type of tea,” Hanish said as he mixed the waffle batter.
“It’s perfect.” She took a sip of English Breakfast and sat across from him at the counter. He poured waffle batter into the hot skillet. When he closed the lid, the scent of baking waffles filled the air.
“That smells so good,” she said, her mouth watering. “I’m starving.”
“I worked up quite the appetite after last night,” he said.
She giggled as she sipped her tea, and the flavor flowed over her tongue. When the first waffle was done, Hanish scooped it out of the waffle maker and plopped it onto a plate for JoJo. He slid it across the counter to her and poured her a glass of orange juice. Then he topped the waffle with strawberries and maple syrup.
When she took her first bite of his cooking, she groaned with approval. “I didn’t take you for the type who was a good cook,” she said with her mouth full in the most uncouth manner. “But this is quite good.”
“Thank you.” Hanish dished up his own waffle and joined her on the other side of the counter. They shared breakfast over pleasant conversation, discussing what they would do for the day. JoJo could tell Hanish was holding something back, and the subtle sense of discontent was making her uncomfortable. Right when she was about to ask him what was wrong, Tor cried through the baby monitor.
She slipped off the bench. “I’ll go get him.” She hurried upstairs and stepped into the nursery to find Tor sitting up in his crib. She smiled down at the child and saw him with new eyes. He had always been a precocious young baby, but now she knew he was not human.
She gathered him into her arms, giving him an affectionate cuddle. “Now let’s get that diaper changed.”
“I love seeing you with my son,” Hanish said from behind her. “You are so beautiful together.”
JoJo felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she crossed the room and began to change Tor’s diaper and clothes. Hanish watched her from the door. She wanted to say something about what had happened the night before, but she felt as if the moment had passed. They would have to have it out eventually. They couldn’t just continue to pretend that nothing had happened. But the words choked up in her throat every time she tried.
When Tor was prepared, she carried him to the door to where Hanish waited. He opened his arms, and she handed him his son.
“Such a sweet boy,” JoJo said.
“He’s going to be the leader of the House of Storms someday,” Hanish said proudly.
“He will be a good leader just like his father,” JoJo said.
Hanish smiled and lifted his son high into the air. The boy squealed with delight.
The three of them proceeded downstairs to the kitchen, where Hanish prepared Tor’s breakfast as JoJo put him in the high chair. As Hanish was spooning the first bite of strained peas into Tor’s mouth, he smiled. Raiden came into the room and poured himself a cup of coffee, looking bleary-eyed and tired.
“Late night?” Hanish asked.
“My guild was up all night raiding,” Raiden said.
“I find it hilarious that a thousand-year-old dragon from another planet is obsessed with video games,” JoJo said.
“What’s not to like?” Raiden asked. He sat across from them at the kitchen table and took a sip of his coffee. “You didn’t make me any waffles?”
“There’s still batter left if you want to make your own,” Hanish said.
“I don’t know how to work that thing.”
JoJo laughed. “It isn’t that complicated.”
Raiden frowned as Zephyr entered the room and gave them all an appraising look. “I am glad to see that things are proceeding well. You don’t seem to be traumatized by the events of yesterday upon learning the truth of Hanish’s identity,” Zephyr said to JoJo.
“Well, I’ve always known there was something different about me. And I’ve also always known about the shadow men… I mean the vampires.”
“Tell me about your Dragon Soul power.”
“I have what is usually referred to as telekinesis,” JoJo explained.
Zephyr tapped his chin in thought. “Interesting. How long have you had this ability?”
“Since I was a child.”
“The shadow men, as you call them—how long have you known about them?” Zephyr asked.
“Just about as long,” JoJo admitted.
“She has a bite mark on her neck,” Hanish said.
JoJo looked at him, shocked that he would share something like that in front of everyone. Her face turned red, and she looked down at her hands.
“May I inspect the mark?” Zephyr asked.
She nodded nervously and brushed back her hair to reveal the mark.
“Very interesting,” Zephyr said. “Very interesting indeed. I have seen a mark like this before. Recently.”
“Flora has one exactly like it,” Raiden said, pouring batter into the waffle maker.
“I just thought it was a scar.”
“I can run some tests, and we can determine the extent of your injury,” Zephyr said.
JoJo felt her eyes widen. “What injury?”
Zephyr studied her neck. “Did the person who bit you draw any blood?”
“You mean did he drink my blood? Or did it bleed when it happened?”
“Both.”
“A little. But I knocked him away and refused to ever see him again. I pushed him so hard that he hit his head against the opposite wall and was unconscious for a few minutes.”
“Serves him right,” Hanish said.
“I thought he was just an overzealous prick. I almost reported him to the Student Security Council but decided against it, especially since I knocked him unconscious afterward.”
“You should have,” Hanish said.
“Either way,” Zephyr continued, “I should be able to get an idea of the extent of the damage.”
JoJo looked at each of them in turn. “What damage?”
“If you have any vampire DNA in your blood,” Zephyr said. “Or if the vampire was able to claim you in any way.”
“Claim her?” Hanish asked.
“Since you were able to recognize her as your mate, it is probably insignificant,” Zephyr told Hanish. “But we should still run the tests to be safe.”
Chapter 15
JoJo went to her room, arranged her clothes on the bed, and got in the shower. When she was done, she stood in front of the foggy mirror. Wiping her hand over the glass, she stared at herself. Looking deep into her eyes, she tried to understand who she really was.
Zephyr had complimented her on her emotional stability in the face of the reality-shifting information that had come to her attention over the last several days. But the truth was, JoJo was still struggling. And now that she had come to find out the small scar on her neck was actually a vampire bite, she could feel the edges of her calm and c
ollected manner beginning to break down and fray.
She took a deep breath and let it out, reminding herself that she was British. She would remain polite and civilized no matter what the external situation might be. But deep down, she knew she couldn’t maintain it. It was getting to be too much. Her feelings for Hanish were not in any way diminished, but there was only so much that love and attraction could do. He had been a dear to her, and she was certainly feeling the effects of a budding romance in her blood. But with all this vampire business, she didn’t know how the two of them would get through it.
She finished putting on her makeup and doing her hair before getting dressed and meeting the rest of the family down in the living room.
“Are you ready to be tested?” Zephyr asked her.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, trying to maintain a stiff upper lip. She smiled, but it was faker than she’d intended it to be.
“Let us proceed to the basement,” he said.
Zephyr led her down the hall, past the safe room and the bowling alley, to the last doorway. They then stepped into what was obviously the bridge of an advanced extraterrestrial spaceship.
Her mouth dropped as she took in the sight of the holographic control panels and highly advanced technological equipment.
“You can sit right there.” He motioned to a chair.
She sat in a high-back chair and waited for further instruction.
“Greetings, JoJo Morris,” a disembodied female voice said. “I am Azure, the shipboard AI for the House of Storms.”
“Did your computer just talk to me?” JoJo asked, not sure what the social protocol was for such things.
“Indeed. Azure is welcoming you aboard our ship.”
“I apologize, Azure,” JoJo said. “I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s nice to meet you.”
“No apology necessary,” Azure said. “It is understandable that you would be unsure of how to respond to artificial intelligence.”
“Shall we proceed?” Zephyr asked. “Azure, I would like to run a diagnostic on the effects of a vampire bite in JoJo’s blood and DNA.”
“I will begin the physiological scan now. But we also need a blood sample.”
“Very good.” Zephyr produced a device from one of the drawers in the wall. He brought it over to JoJo and began scanning her entire body. With the scan complete, he asked her to reveal her arm. She pulled back her shirt sleeve and set her arm on the armrest of the chair. Zephyr scanned her veins and pricked the crook of her elbow with his device. Blood began to channel from her arm into a vial. A moment later, he clicked a button, and the blood stopped flowing. He bandaged her arm with a piece of gauze and brought the sample to the computer dashboard. JoJo watched him as he dripped her blood onto an analysis plate and it uploaded into the computer system.
“Blood analysis commencing,” Azure said.
“Estimated completion time, Azure?” Zephyr asked.
“Inconclusive, Lieutenant Zephyr,” Azure said.
Zephyr sighed. “Very well. Please alert me when the analysis is complete.”
“I will do so immediately, Lieutenant,” Azure said.
“How are you feeling, JoJo?” Zephyr pulled a penlight from his pocket and examined her eyes.
“I feel fine.”
“You aren’t lightheaded?”
“Not at all.”
“You are free to go and proceed with the rest of your day,” Zephyr said.
“I’m very interested to know what you find.”
Zephyr nodded. “I will let you know as soon as I have any new information.”
“Thank you.” JoJo left the basement and climbed the stairs. When she reached the top, she found Hanish coming down. He had a concerned look on his face.
“You seem very worried. Is something wrong?”
“Everything.” He brushed past her as if he couldn’t get away fast enough.
JoJo crossed her arms, feeling less at ease than ever. She had just come to understand her feelings about Hanish, and now he was acting so distant.
Her emotions got the best of her, and she held back a shuddering sob. Luckily, Raiden was shouting into a headset as he sat in front of the TV, playing one of his shooting video games. He didn’t look up at her or ask what was wrong. She didn’t even know what was wrong and would’ve had no idea how to answer. She just needed to be alone.
Upstairs, she closed her bedroom door, checked the baby monitor, and lay down to take a nap. Maybe when she woke up, she would find that this had all been a bad dream. Maybe she would wake up to a reality that made sense, and she would be in control again.
But that was not what happened.
Chapter 16
Hanish was coming up from the basement when there was a sharp rap at the door. He turned toward Raiden, who was playing one of his ridiculous games. He knew his friend wouldn’t get up, so Hanish answered it himself. On the other side of the door, he found a man in a uniform, holding a package.
“Hanish Storm?” the man asked.
“Yes,” Hanish said.
“I have a package for you. Please sign here.”
He signed for the package and closed the door. Then he stood in the entryway and ripped open the package. Once he pulled out the contents, his eyes drifted over the words—words he couldn’t even believe he was reading.
Captain Hanish Storm,
It has come to my attention that you are housing one JoJo Morris and that you believe she is your mate. I am pleased to inform you that JoJo Morris cannot be claimed by you because she has already been claimed by me. Any sense of connection, bonding, or duty you feel to the woman is misplaced. I am on my way from England and have been in constant communication with the vampire coven in the area. Due to JoJo’s considerable power, we will stop at nothing to make her one of us. You would be advised for the safety of your house and your son to comply with our demands, as it will be much easier for everyone if you help us bring my mate back to me. She is mine and always will be.
Sincerely, Edgar Norton.
Hanish’s heart dropped like a stone. Everything was falling apart, and he would never be able to pick up the pieces again. The woman he had come to love was not who he believed her to be. She had been claimed by another. And his dreams of having a mate and a family of his own were completely destroyed. Holding back sorrow and anger, he hurried to speak with Zephyr.
He was about to open the basement door when JoJo stepped through. They had a brief and awkward interaction before he brushed past her, not knowing what to think or say. His heart hurt, and his head was pounding. His dragon roared with frustration, and he had no idea how to calm it or himself. He felt as though his dreams and his future were at risk. Everything he had ever wanted was fading away into darkness. He didn’t want to believe the words of the vampire. But the evidence was right there on her neck.
Hanish stepped onto the bridge of the spaceship and found Zephyr sitting in front of the computer, reading the lines of analysis as they slid up the holographic screen.
“Azure is unable to provide an accurate estimate of how long it will take to analyze JoJo’s blood. But I have already found some interesting anomalies I wanted to bring to your attention.”
“What is it?” Hanish wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“I do see evidence of vampiric interference. After reviewing Cato’s work with his mate’s sister, Flora, I’m fairly familiar with the change.”
“But JoJo wasn’t changed into a vampire,” Hanish said, not understanding.
“No, but she was bitten, so she would have received a smaller dose. My question is whether or not it will prevent a dragon claiming.”
“Well, according to Edgar Norton, it will.”
“Who is Edgar Norton?” Zephyr asked.
“Apparently, he is the vampire who bit her. He sent me a letter by courier, stating that she cannot be claimed by a dragon mate since he claimed her first, and he’s now coming to take her away.”
“That is an inte
resting development.”
Hanish fumed. “Interesting isn’t how I would put it.”
“I don’t mean to be insensitive, Captain, but we may be able to use this to our advantage.”
“How can any of this be an advantage?”
“I have observed your interactions with JoJo,” Zephyr said. “And if you don’t mind me saying, she seems quite smitten with you. She’s not a woman who is harboring any feelings for another man.”
“You think so?”
“I have studied human females fairly extensively in my research on mating, and by all accounts, JoJo seems to only have eyes for you. The vampire claims she cannot be bonded by another, but I have yet to see proof of that. It will require more research and a completed analysis of her blood until we can know for sure if his bite can prevent your claiming bite from transforming her body and blood.”
“Read this letter.” Hanish showed Edgar Norton’s letter to Zephyr.
He read it quickly and handed it back, waving his hand dismissively. “We know enough about these vampires to know that they will say and do just about anything. I wouldn’t take this communication seriously, sir. It is just an attempt to undermine your confidence. They’re trying to get something. They obviously know that JoJo is powerful, especially after the attack on your way home. I heard they pursued Aria relentlessly for her power, and I wouldn’t doubt they did the same thing to JoJo.”
“I will kill them myself.”
“With Aria away, our ability to defend ourselves is waning every day.”
“When will she be back?” Hanish asked.
“Aria and Aiden are taking a break from the tour to visit in two days.”
“Let us hope that it is soon enough.”
“Do you fear the vampires will take some sort of action?”
“They already have.” Hanish pointed to the letter. “Double our defenses. The house is on red alert.”
“Yes, sir,” Zephyr said. “I will inform the House of Flames of the situation.”
Hanish: House of Storms (Dragon Guardians Book 6) Page 8