Chapter Fifteen
Family Can Be a Difficult Dilemma
After they returned from hunting, showered, and curled up on the couch together, Brandy looked over at him. “Stefan, there’s something I’d like to ask of you.”
“Okay, shoot.” He nuzzled her neck, gently kissing her as his fangs accidently slipped free, scraping her soft skin.
“Stefan, pay attention,” she chided, rubbing her neck. “I’d like you to consider coming to Maine with me to meet Hannah and Tristian.”
“Uh-huh,” he said absently, tracing his finger along her jawline. “Whoa. What? I don’t think so. They don’t like me.”
“They don’t know you. All they know is that we had some problems, like all couples.”
“Only those problems stem from the fact that I’m a vampire and want to drink your blood.” He smiled wide, the firelight glinting off his still prominently displayed fangs.
“Well, there is that. Now put those things away before you hurt someone.” She grinned, surprised at her ability to tease him now without him getting defensive. “The only problem I see is that they are aware I am seriously involved with someone. They don’t know who or what you are. This may present a problem at first.” Chewing on her bottom lip, she added, “Oh, and Tristian is a human. Will that be a problem for you?”
“No more than every other warm-blooded human on this planet on a bad day,” he complained sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.
She watched a shadow of doubt cross his dark eyes and chalked it up to nerves. “I’ll call Hannah and tell her we’re coming.” She pursed her lips and wrinkled her brow. “But I don’t think it’s wise to tell her you’re a vampire over the phone.”
“Probably a good choice.” He stretched his long legs out in front of him.
“You should know that Tristian is not just a human. He is a demon slayer.” She dropped her voice to just above a whisper. “And a warlock.”
****
“He’s what?” The words flew out of Stefan’s mouth before he had time to gather his thoughts. He bolted upright. Well, that confirms his identity. He is Tristian, the demon overlord’s assassin. But why—how is this possible? I’m sunk. Brandy’s sister was with Tristian, the warlock he’d fought side by side with as the Vampire Council’s assassin. This situation couldn’t get more complicated if the demon overlord appeared himself. Shit.
Brandy’s eyes narrowed with annoyance. “Oh, calm down, Stefan. You are not a demon. You have nothing to worry about.”
Right. Nothing to worry about, only watching my life unravel before my very eyes. Stefan closed his eyes and calmed himself. When he opened them again, Brandy was staring at him expectantly. He cast a dark look in her direction. “The girls in your family don’t like their own kind, do they?” Brandy jumped up, her hands fisted on her hips, her green eyes blazing. “No, vampires and demon slayers are much more interesting than gryphon shapeshifters. Get real, Stefan! I am sure that Hannah didn’t plan to fall in love with a warlock demon slayer any more than I did with a stone-cold vampire. It just happened.”
Staring at her, intrigued at how quickly his words ignited her Irish temper, he backed off. “Okay…okay…point taken. If your family can accept that you are seriously involved with a vampire, then I am willing to accompany you to Maine.” He reached for her fisted hand and pulled her back down on the couch, gently straightening her fingers out one by one, laying her open hand on his thigh.
She huffed out a breath, settled down caressing his thigh mindlessly. Her hand wandered higher inside his thigh but stopped as if she’d reconsidered. A sly smile curved his lips.
His gaze traveled from her hand to her sparkling eyes. Her temper was quick but cooled just as fast. “You know what they say about people who play with fire.” He grinned, teasing her. “You ready to get burned?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She gave one last caress of his thigh and used her hand to brush back strands of wayward hair from her face.
As if the recent revelations weren’t enough, a jolt of remembrance came to mind. Serena was from Maine, in fact, not far from Misty Harbor. All those feelings of anger, betrayal, and helplessness churned inside him again. He tried to dispel the feelings before Brandy noticed. Too late.
Brandy’s forehead creased in concern as she wrapped her arm around him. “Stefan, are you all right?”
Damn her empathic abilities. He blew out a breath and tried to keep his voice nonchalant. “Yes, I’m fine. It’s—the vampire that turned me, Serena, and her group of friends are from Collinsport, a small town about fifty miles outside of Misty Harbor. There are vampire covens and activity in and around that town.”
“You’ve never heard from her again?”
“No. And that’s a good thing. I thought myself in love with her, which now I know was only infatuation. Still, her betrayal and my own stupidity cost me everything. I was forced to leave my tribal home because I couldn’t be trusted. It nearly killed my grandfather. For the longest time, rage and revenge…Never mind, you don’t need to hear this.”
“If it helps to talk about it, I’m a good listener,” Brandy offered.
“Forget it. I’m learning to let it go.”
“Okaaay…” She paused for a beat. “You know, my sister never mentioned anything about paranormal activity around their area. I would assume she and Tristian would know of such things. But then again, she hasn’t confided in me a lot since her marriage.” Brandy studied his face and rubbed her hand affectionately across his back. “Anything else you want to tell me?”
Oh, Tristian would know all right. I’m going to need to come clean about my past with the Vampire Council before Tristian outs me. Stefan rubbed his temple irritably. “No. I’m not a damn child you have to coddle. Just thought you should know. That’s all.” He paused and drew a deep breath he still didn’t need. “When did you want to visit your sister?”
Her eyebrow shot up at the sudden change of subject “First of next week. I’ll make the plane reservations and then call Hannah to tell her when we’ll arrive. One more thing while we’re about this, I’d also like us to spend Christmas in Ireland with the rest of my family.”
He shoved up from the couch and stared incredulously at her. “Brandy, that’s three thousand miles from here, fourteen—fifteen hours cooped up in a plane with a couple hundred warm-blooded humans. Not to mention being around your family twenty-four seven, or will we be staying in a B&B? I’m sorry, but that’s asking an awful lot.”
She tapped her finger lightly on her lips. “I’d have to arrange time off from work, but we’re going into the off-season, so that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Getting time off for me shouldn’t be a problem. Russ hires interns throughout the year to fill in. He gets free labor, and in turn, they get hands-on training. It’s a win-win for everyone. If I agree to go.”
She blinked at him and smiled coyly from under her long red lashes. “Please,” she wheedled.
“Let me think about it,” he said sharply, his tone leaving no room for discussion.
Over the next few days, he repaired the holes in the wall and hung new draperies in the living area and kitchen. Just standing there looking around, it was apparent that Brandy had put her mark on the cabin. She had made a mark on his heart as well. He also, unbeknownst to her, arranged to take extended time off. The thing with Synn weighed heavily on his mind. Something wasn’t right.
That evening, she warmed up a small frozen lasagna and garlic bread and set them on the breakfast bar. He poured two glasses of wine and handed her one. “Will you be refurnishing your cottage before we leave, since the construction is completed? Or would you consider moving in with me as a permanent arrangement?” He took a sip of wine, eyeing her over the rim of the glass.
She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed a bit, chewing on her bottom lip as she took a seat in front of the lasagna. “I don’t really want to give up my cottage—yet. I noticed you must’ve boxed up and labeled all the things that weren’t damaged and the clothes I left behind. She forked up a bite of lasagna, blew on it, and popped it in her mouth. “Mmmm. This is really good. Want some?” she teased, scooping up another bite and offering it to him with a grin.
Wrinkling his nose, he carefully pushed the fork back at her. “Very funny. No thanks,” He took another sip of wine. “Easier to move boxes during construction. Less chance of more things getting damaged. I’m not suggesting giving up your cottage. It makes sense to leave it unfurnished and packed up while we’re gone. Less chance of vandalism and less for Cody to keep an eye on. We could actually store most of your personal things in the cabin while we’re gone.”
Her eyes widened and she put her fork down. “Hey, wait a minute. You’re agreeing to the trip?” One corner of her mouth turned up in an unsure smile.
“Yes, if it means that much to you.” He chuckled.
“That’s wonderful. I’ll make the reservations right now.” Brandy hopped off the chair, stood on tiptoe, planted a smacking kiss on his lips, then pulled her phone out of her pocket.
****
They moved the few remaining items from Brandy’s home to the cabin since Cody had agreed to keep an eye on the cabin while they were gone. Stefan had no intention of allowing her to return to her house, where he couldn’t protect her. The trip gave him the perfect opportunity to take that situation out of the equation, at least until they got back.
Reluctantly, he ran his fingers over the fret board of his guitar as it stood in the wooden stand his grandfather had hand-carved. As much as he’d been through, he’d never left it behind. His music and guitar were the only things that provided comfort during his darkest days as a new vampire. Even now, playing relaxed him, so he was able to cope with a world he didn’t fit in.
Brandy watched him, her eyes gentle and understanding. She rested her hand on his arm. “Stefan, bring your guitar. I’m sure there will be times during our trips your playing will be a comfort to us.”
Arriving at the airport, they checked the luggage. Brandy sat down and picked up a magazine to read while waiting to board. Stefan shoved his hands in his pockets and paced, imagining all the things that could possibly go wrong.
She reached out and caught his hand. “Stefan, relax. Things will be fine. My family is very understanding. There won’t be any problems, except maybe Tristian at first. He’s a little overprotective where my sister and I are concerned.”
“Yeah, I bet he is. Especially when he saw you after our fight,” Stefan said uncomfortably.
It was miserably cold when the plane landed, and the slushy rain turned to snow. While gathering their luggage, Stefan turned to see a young woman hurrying toward them that looked a lot like Brandy. The woman was a bit stockier and shorter with dark-red hair that framed her face and curled around her shoulders. A large, muscular man with shoulder-length, wavy dark blond hair and piercing gray eyes strode behind her. Stefan rubbed the back of his neck. It was definitely the Tristian that he knew.
Brandy rushed forward and threw her arms around Hannah. “It’s so good to see you.” Giving Tristian a quick hug, she kissed them both on the cheek, then twisted around to find Stefan standing behind her and smiled. “Stefan, this is my sister, Hannah, and her husband, Tristian.”
Hannah hugged Brandy again and turned, reaching out to hug Stefan. Uncomfortable with the show of affection, he hugged her lightly. She backed away quickly and looked from him to Brandy questioningly. Tristian’s expression turned to puzzlement when he stopped beside Hannah and extended his hand. Stefan took a deep breath and grasped Tristian’s outstretched hand.
“This is who you are involved with?” Tristian asked incredulously.
Stefan gave an almost unperceivable shake of his head and leaned over to Tristian, whispering, “I’ll explain later.”
Tristian’s eyes darted from Stefan to the back of Brandy’s head before turning to face Brandy and Hannah, who were chattering away. He mouthed something to Hannah and turned on his heel.
“The baggage claim area is this way.” Tristian strode quickly down the concourse, Hannah at his side.
Stefan took Brandy’s hand and followed the couple to a huge area where a large group of people were waiting. With a groan, the conveyor belt began to turn, bringing with it bags of all shapes and sizes. Stefan grabbed his guitar, handed it to Brandy, and snagged the rest of their bags from the conveyor belt.
“Come on. The car’s this way.” Tristian walked briskly toward the terminal exit.
He opened the trunk of his luxury sedan. Stefan carefully stowed the luggage inside. Tristian closed the trunk lid and got into the vehicle. Stefan held the door open for Brandy, then slipped into the backseat beside her. Tristian’s eyes narrowed as he watched Stefan in the rearview mirror and mouthed the words “this better be good.” Stefan wrapped his arm around Brandy’s shoulders and pulled her close. She looked up questioningly but said nothing.
Hannah twisted in the front seat, as much as the seatbelt would allow, so she could see Brandy as they talked. Hannah’s gaze wandered in Stefan’s direction occasionally.
“We have reservations at the motel just a couple of miles from your house. Could you drop us off there?” Brandy asked cheerfully.
“Absolutely not. You won’t be staying in a motel when we’ve plenty of room in our home,” Hannah said.
Brandy explained, “Tonight we will be staying in a motel, and that isn’t negotiable. After we’ve a chance to talk and you get to know Stefan tomorrow, then we can discuss other arrangements.”
Hannah glanced at Brandy, who shook her head adamantly. Disgruntled, Hannah finally agreed. “Tristian, take them to the motel.”
Stefan hefted the two large suitcases from Tristian with ease. Brandy set the guitar and her carry-on bag on the sidewalk and hugged Tristian and Hannah. “Goodnight. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“We’ll be here bright and early to pick you up,” Hannah said brightly.
Brandy let out a heavy sigh. “Hannah, we’ve just endured a long trip. We’re tired and want to unwind before trying to go to sleep. Bright and early is not on our agenda. We’ll call you in the morning when we’re ready to go.”
That was the final straw. Hannah’s blue eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks, rosy from the cold winter air. “Why are you being so difficult?” she demanded, her gaze darting between Stefan and Brandy. “We are so excited to have you visit. Now you’re closing yourselves off and sending us away.” She drew in a breath. Tristian reached an arm around her and whispered something.
Brandy leaned over and put her arms around her sister. “I don’t mean to be difficult,” she said softly, weighing her words carefully. “I just think it’s best that you and Tristian get acquainted with Stefan when we’re well rested. That’s all. Stefan doesn’t know you nor you him. That could be a very uncomfortable situation, especially if we are staying in the same house. We need a little breathing room.”
Brandy winked at Hannah and whispered, “Besides, Stefan and I would enjoy alone time before Tristian interrogates Stefan. You know how he is.”
Hannah brightened, nodding in agreement. She blinked up at her sister and Stefan, then smiled knowingly, giving him a wink.
Stefan exchanged a look with Brandy and rolled his eyes as he swaggered to the office and registered. He handed Brandy a key card as they walked to the room. Once inside, Brandy padded into the bathroom to shower. She turned to watch him take off his shirt and shoes. He stretched out on the king size bed with a broad smile across his face. Closing the bathroom door, she felt him relax. This must be heaven for him after several hours cooped up in a plane with a couple hundred warm-bloods.
When she stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a long white satin negligee, which clung to her curves, deliberately leaving very little to his imagination, she grinned at the smoldering look he sent her.
Easing into the chair beside the bed, she leaned back, closing her eyes. Stefan got to his feet, bent down, and kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms around her, inhaling deeply.
“Are you sniffing me?” she said on a laugh.
“Keep those eyes closed for just a minute more.” He took her wrist in his hand. She felt the cool metal of the bracelet circle it.
At the click of the clasp, she opened her eyes and stared wide-eyed at the delicate emerald and diamond bracelet. A small gasp escaped her lips as her other hand flew to her mouth. “Stefan, it’s beautiful, but…”
When she brought her warm hand to his cool lips, she shivered a bit. Fire and ice—that’s what we are.
The corners of his mouth curved into a smile as his lips skimmed over her knuckles. “To celebrate a new beginning.”
“Since I returned, your actions have more than shown your intentions.” She reached up and touched her lips to his, though she was still waiting for his words.
He straightened and sat on the bed. “I know, but the next couple of weeks may be difficult. This will remind us what we are working toward.”
Brandy arched a brow. “Trust comes more easily for some of us than others, boyo.” She rose from the chair and curled into his lap. “Actually, it’s a beautiful reminder of just how far we’ve come and where we are going. Maybe to Ireland for Christmas?”
Pausing for a beat, he said slowly, “Maybe.” Stretched out the full length of the bed, taking her with him, he turned her so his lips brushed gently over hers, then took her mouth hungrily, wanting more but showing her he was willing to wait for now.
“Oh Stefan.” She sighed sleepily as he arranged her against him in a cozy spoon position, his front to her back. She drifted off to sleep.
She shivered slightly as he lay quietly next to her. Sleepily, she watched him slide out of bed and his bare feet shuffle into the bathroom. He had a habit of taking a warm shower, then returning to the bed warm against her.