Chapter Fifteen
Meredith stayed behind at the house as Daric and Signe went for their walk. She helped Vivianne with the dishes, as Graham went off to do some work on the house. They chatted, and Meredith was glad to have had some time alone with the witch. Having never known her mother or been around females much growing up, she secretly enjoyed the attention from Vivianne. She felt a pang of envy that Lara grew up with such a lovely and supportive mother (though, according to her friend, sometimes too supportive), but then again, Meredith couldn’t—and wouldn’t—change her past.
“Are you all right, dear?” Vivianne said as she handed Meredith a clean dish to put away.
“What?” Meredith shook herself out of her thoughts.
“I’m just wondering. You seemed distracted, that was all,” the older woman said slyly.
“Uh, just tired from the drive,” she sighed. She wished they didn’t have to go back to Manhattan. The coven compound reminded her of Archie’s place outside Portland. His mansion was built on an acreage and surrounded by trees and greenery. This time of the year, the leaves would be turning, and soon the entire landscape would have been bursting with golds and reds.
“Are you sure you can’t stay?”
She shook her head. “Grant’s orders were explicit. Get in and get out.”
“I’m sorry about your father, dear,” Vivianne said quietly.
Her automatic denial of Archie being her father didn’t come out this time. “Thank you,” she said gratefully. “Please, let me,” she said, taking a tray of clean dishes from Vivianne’s hand. “I can put these back.”
As she opened the cupboard and began to place the dishes on the shelf, she looked out of the window, wondering how far Daric and Signe had gone. She frowned. That butt hole. Calling her his driver. None of his other insults had stung as much as that one did. She drove me here. Really, asshole? That’s how he introduces her to his mother?
“Uh, Meredith, dear,” Vivianne said, taking a glass from her. “Maybe I should put away the dishes…before you break them with your bare hands.”
“What? Oh. I’m so sorry Vivianne,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”
“Not Daric, I’m guessing?” the witch asked wryly.
Meredith’s head jerked toward Vivianne so fast, she thought she’d get whiplash. “What…uh, never mind.” Maybe she should be glad she didn’t have a mother to embarrass her or have the awkward sex talk with.
“Oh, you two,” Vivianne sighed. “I don’t know if you were going to stab each other with your forks or have at it on the kitchen table.” She shook her head. “The sexual tension between you is practically electric.”
“And that’s all it is, just tension,” Meredith pouted.
“Dear, you’re a woman,” Vivianne said. “You’re young, gorgeous, and sexy. Just take what you want.”
“You don’t think I’m insane?”
“Why? For getting horny? For wanting that hot piece of ass?”
Meredith was shocked at Vivianne’s words.
I like her, the she-wolf said, seemingly popping up out of nowhere. You should listen to her, instead of your stupid friends.
“You young people today,” the witch tsked. “I swear, I don’t know how you all can be such prudes, with your sexting and hookup apps. You’re worse than Lara.”
“Are you suggesting I try to bang Daric?”
“Why, yes,” Vivianne encouraged. “You should do just that.”
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Oh shut it, horny bitch.
The wolf laughed and tossed its head.
Meredith groaned. “I think…I’ll get some rest before the drive back. Great pep talk, thanks,” she said before she scampered out of the kitchen.
Try to seduce Daric? Daric had been the one coming to her. Maybe she should be the one to come to him this time.
***
“Thank you again,” Daric said to Graham and Vivianne, as they walked him and Meredith to their car. “For your hospitality and taking care of my mother.”
“Please, come and visit anytime,” Vivianne said.
Signe embraced her son one more time. “Think about what I said.”
“I…” Daric hesitated. “I will think about all of it. Thank you.”
The witch turned to Meredith. “It was lovely to meet you,” she said with a bright smile on her face. “Please, take care of my son.”
“Uh, yeah, sure,” she said, frowning. What did the witch mean?
After their final goodbyes, Meredith and Daric got into the SUV, and soon, they were driving back to New York City. Much like their trip upstate, the warlock remained quiet, but he seemed different this time. Even more withdrawn. They were already halfway into their drive, and neither had said a word.
“Did you find out anything from your mother?” Meredith finally said, when she couldn’t take his silence and the distance between them.
“Yes,” he said, his voice cold and eyes turning hard.
“Well? Are you gonna tell me or what?” she asked impatiently. Maybe she shouldn’t listen to Vivianne. It was obvious something had happened while Daric and Signe talked. Did the witch tell her son to stay away from her? Possibly. And that thought slashed at her gut.
“Perhaps it would be best to wait until we talk to your brothers, that way I don’t have to waste my time explaining things twice.”
“Right.” Because it was a waste of his time talking to her. “Well, we should—”
Meredith let out a shriek as the vehicle suddenly lurched forward and began to sputter. She swerved to the side of the highway, getting out of the way.
“What’s wrong?” Daric asked.
She shrugged and tried to start the car. The engine gave one last heave and then nothing. “Motherfucker!” she cursed, slapping her palm on the wheel. “Goddammit! This stupid piece of shit!”
“Do you know what’s wrong?” he asked.
Meredith shook her head. “I know zilch about cars.” With a sigh, she reached over to the dash and got the cell phone Alynna had given her for emergencies. It was locked down, and she couldn’t use the data to access the Internet, but she could call and send text messages. She supposed this counted as an emergency.