Page 60 of Hunted

When Ellie kicked the heel of her Doc Marten, she glared. “I was at the bridge. And no kicking me. It’s my birthday.”

Ellie hugged her fiercely, setting a party bag with bright tissue paper next to her. “You are the best sister in the entire world. Happy birthday. Oh, and ten bucks says you have some typo in there that completely changes the meaning of your lyrics due to being carb deprived, but your rabid fans will never even notice as long as you make the vibe angry enough.”

Hayden smirked, picking up the gift bag and rustling it. “You so get my style. If people want to debate online, that will even help sales.”

“I don’t pretend to understand your fanbase,” Ethan said from over by the espresso machine, finishing another latte and removing a frozen dollop of whipped cream from a plastic tub to float on top. He passed one coffee to me and one to Ellie. I looked closer. The whipped cream had piped on eyes.

“Ghost pumpkin spice lattes. The cool whip will melt into the coffee,” Hayden informed her sister, lifting a silky bone white top printed with tiny skulls from the bag. “God, you so know me.”

Just then my mom came over, wearing her takes-no-prisoners face. Shit. And of course we would be fresh out of sparkly cat toys to distract her with.

“How are you feeling?” Here’s the thing about my mom. I’d once seen her gun jam in a firefight. She’d pulled a stake out of her hair and stabbed it through the throat of a vampire who’d materialized alongside her. With Sofia Montemayor-Caldwell, innocuous questions were sometimes a warning to start diving for the corners of the room.

“Same as yesterday.” I stabbed at a mountain of spaghetti, figuring if my mouth was full, I couldn’t put my foot in it. No such luck.

“You promised me you weren’t going to try to read people.”

Ethan, I noted, had gotten real busy with the coffee all of a sudden.

“I didn’t forget. I’m reading one person per day as a test, just to see if anything is changing. I need to know if I can hear without pain.”

“When your gift comes back online, you’ll know. You won’t have to test. Your abilities have always allowed you to listen passively.”

“Let Riv be.” My dad came up behind me, sliding a hand to the back of my neck. “Trust that he’s got a handle on this and that he won’t push himself any farther than is safe.” My dad gently increased his grip, then released me. A reminder. That I’d scared the crap out of them once before. And not to do it again.

“Right,” I said to them both. “I’m being careful.”

“And we’re so glad you brought Ellie,” my mother said brightly. Ellie, at least, wasn’t on her shit list. “The work you’re doing is all anyone can talk about these days. I hope you and my son are being careful.”

Ellie’s eyes widened. “Pardon me?”

Hayden kicked her under the bar. Across the room, West shook with silent laughter. Assholes.

“Of course we are.”

“Good,” my mother said, turning to Ellie. “If there’s ever anything you need, I don’t want you to hesitate to reach out to me. I know you have Piper and Meera in Austin, and of course Hayden here in Blood Moon, but I want you to have my cell number, too, in case you ever need it.”

“Thank you,” Ellie whispered, passing her phone over so my mother could program her number in.

“I have something for you.” My mother set a flat box on the counter. “This was made by the same family that crafted my first dagger.”

With shaking fingers, Ellie opened the box to reveal a gleaming silver dagger. “Oh Sofia. It’s a work of art.”

Flowers and leaves swirled around a hilt decorated with two fierce fanged rabbits. It was lovely, a work of art, just like she’d said. But it was so much more. This dagger meant she accepted Ellie as my chosen mate, was welcoming her into the family.

Hayden leaned in. “Ethan designed the artwork. I told her Meera had made us both take her Krav Maga classes, but that you wouldn’t carry a weapon.”

Ellie hurried to hug my mother, who squeezed her shoulders. “I’m so happy you’re seeing my son, and I want you to be safe. Always remember, being underestimated can be a tactical advantage.”

Ellie slipped the dagger carefully back into the box. “Do you believe if we were to create a vaccine that allowed vampires to safely drink from shifters, that the shapeshifter community would ever buy into the idea of serving as blood donors?”

I choked on a mouthful of garlic bread. My dad handed me my sweet tea, clearly amused.

“I like her. Knuckleheads like you and me get marked as soon as we enter a room. Your mom’s right. She’s exactly the sort you underestimate until it’s too late.”

As Ellie and my mother talked, I followed Ethan’s gaze out the large windows over the patio to where August and Rowan stood out back having a heated argument. As I watched, Rowan stabbed a finger into my brother’s chest, blue eyes flashing dangerously. August stood motionless, fists clenched at his sides. After a few seconds, Rowan shook her head. Tears shimmered in her eyes. She turned and dematerialized from the yard. August looked down, swiped his index finger and thumb beneath his eyes and stalked down the street back in the direction of his condo building.

Crap.