Chapter Twenty-Five
Best Kept Family Secrets of Gryphons, Vampires, and Warlocks
Brandy slept peacefully for a couple hours. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she gazed sleepily up at him from under her lashes. “Good morning, my love.”
“Good morning, sunshine. Did you sleep well?” He leaned over and pulled her close, lightly kissing the tip of her nose.
“I did, thanks, except for Tristian’s interruption. Did I hear Da’s voice in the middle of the night, or was I dreaming?” Her voice still a bit sleepy and brows knitted in puzzlement, as she tried hard to remember. She reached up and fingered his gold serpentine neck chain as she had numerous times before. Only this time she wondered, “There’s no clasp on your lovely chain. It’s not long enough to slide over your head either…” Her voice trailed off.
“You did. Tim wanted to talk to me.”
“In the middle of the night? Why?” Fully awake now, her expression concerned, she sat up and gave him her complete attention.
“He wanted to confirm his suspicions about me.” Stefan could block his thoughts from her at times, which he’d done last night after his conversation with her da, so she could sleep.
“Oh, is that all. I figured he knew after your altercation with Kevin.” Shrugging, she laid her head back down on his chest.
“Brandy, he’s concerned and has every right to be. He is also worried about how to tell your mom. We should have told them when we arrived.”
“Aye, maybe we should have. I’m pretty sure Ma knows too. She’s waiting for us to bring it up.”
“And your brother?”
“I believe he knew from the first time he met you. It would never matter to him. He’s dated outside our kind and likes what he’s found. Da won’t be happy when it’s three-for-three since our kind’s true blood is dwindling quickly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, shapeshifters for the most part are human first, then whatever they shift into second. Once they decide not to shapeshift anymore, for whatever reason, they live out the rest of their lifespan as human.”
“Okay, but I still don’t see.”
“In our case, we are gryphons—magical creatures first and the human forms we take second. We’ll always be magical creatures no matter how long we remain in human form. We are immortal, as you are.”
“I see. So it’s not just talents that you have; it’s actual use of magic.”
Pursing her lips, she sighed, shifted, and sat up again. “Sort of, but the ability to feel others’ emotions and hear thoughts is rare. That is a talent, not magic.”
“I chose the elite of your kind. Is that what you are saying?” he asked with a cheeky grin.
She swiped at Stefan, nearly knocking him out of bed, then laughed. “Yes, I guess you could say that. I’ve always had trouble reading Da. I think he’s okay with you. Disappointed a bit because you aren’t a gryphon, but you’ll win him over, if you haven’t already. How’d your talk go?”
“His initial concern was your safety and your family’s. He resigned himself long ago to the fact that you were looking for something, someone else other than your kind. I assured him that there was no danger from me. Even though you and I both know the possibility will always exist.”
Frowning, she shook her head. “I don’t believe that.”
Shrugging, he gave her a serious look. “I will always be a vampire. You’ll do well to remember that. I left the rest of the discussion for this morning and returned to our room, where you took unfair advantage of me.”
“Aye, that I did and enjoyed every minute of it.” She laughed easily, threw her arms around him, and hugged hard. “I didn’t hear any complaints from you.”
“Never,” he agreed. “Now, I think it’s time we get up, get dressed, and meet your family for breakfast. It’s going to be an interesting day.”
“That it will.” She slid out of bed and sauntered seductively to the shower. “Care to join me?” she teased over her shoulder.
“You bet.”
Sometime later, they dressed and stepped out into the hallway. “I think by now your da is aware his son-in-law is not what he seems either.”
Brandy tossed her hair and shot him a saucy smile. “Want to wager on it?”
“No way. That’s a sucker bet, and I’m no sucker.”
“Speaking of magic and ‘not as it seems,’ you never answered me about the chain around your neck.”
“It’s a long story, but the short version is, the chain is the reason I am able to enjoy the sunshine and not spontaneously combust.”
“But you said that was a myth.”
“For me it is as long as I wear this chain.” He reached up and tugged thoughtfully at the serpentine chain. “It was conjured for me by my grandfather, a shaman in my tribe and the man who raised me. I didn’t mean to ignore your questions. It’s just that early in our relationship, trust didn’t come easy for me, and the truth put me at risk. Now, I’m happy to tell you everything, but right now let’s take care of the situation at hand.”
“One more thing. Talking about myths and legends, the Vampire’s Kiss—is that legend true?”
He sucked in a deep breath out of habit rather than need and blew it out. “Later.”
Reaching out, he took her hand. She intertwined her fingers with his and walked into the kitchen. Tim and Mary sat at the head of the large oak table with Gavin, Tristian, and Hannah seated to the left and across from two empty chairs. If a fire had been lit, it was dying, and there was a slight chill in the room. All eyes turned to her and Stefan as they entered the kitchen.
“Good morning,” they said in unison as she walked over, kissing her ma and da on the cheek. Mary reached out and hugged Stefan, patting his back affectionately. He gave her a quick hug and sat down next to Brandy.
Everyone continued to look at them expectantly. They were the center of attention once again. He nudged Brandy.
She grinned. “The floor is yours, Stefan.”
“Thanks, Brandy.” He looked around uncertainly. “Well, guys, it’s going to be an interesting ride.”
The cool, uncertain atmosphere started to melt with Tim’s half laugh as he leaned back, relaxed slightly, and put his arm around Mary.
“Did we miss breakfast?” Stefan asked, looking around the room.
“What do you care? You don’t eat breakfast, at least not our kind,” Mary said with a glint of amusement in her eye, if a bit unsure, and a wide grin spreading across her face.
“You got me there.” He returned her grin and leaned his chair on its back legs, laying his arm across Brandy’s shoulders.
Gavin’s chair scraped across the wood floor as he got up and walked over to tend to the fire. After adding a couple more logs, he coaxed the embers into a crackling fire that warmed the room.
Stefan turned to Tristian. “Well, did you tell them?”
“Not yet.” He stiffened in his chair, glaring.
“There’s still more to tell?” Tim sighed with exasperation. “’Tis not enough that me little girl has taken up with a vampire?”
“Da.” Brandy let out an exasperated groan.
Gavin’s brows shot up, but he smiled and said, “I knew it.”
“Oh, yes, the girls have seen to it that our family is well rounded,” Tim said with a deep chuckle rumbling in his throat.
Looking from Tim to Tristian, Stefan opened his mouth only to be interrupted by Tristian.
“I’m a warlock who has spent his adult life as an enforcer…assassin, if you will. Until recently. I manage my teams more than physically go out into the field as an enforcer—a lifestyle change necessitated by having a wife and family…A tale for another time.”
Eyebrows shot to the hairline and eyes rounded on individuals sitting around the table as if all they’d heard was ‘assassin.’
“Relax. I work for the good of man and magickind, which provides me a very comfortable living.”
It was Stefan’s turn to look shocked. “Comfortable? More like royalty.”
Tristian shot him a warning glance.
Stefan shrugged. “Everything out in the open. Remember?”
Tim shook his head while rolling his eyes and leaning over against Mary, “Where did we go wrong with our girls? Vampires, ah…warlocks. What next?”
“Well, now that you mention it…” Stefan grinned wickedly at Tim and winked at Brandy.
Brandy returned his grin, but it faded quickly. The air around them electrified, and her eyes grew wide.