Page 20 of Awakening the Dhampir

“How about you just hold my hand and lead me out?” she suggested. “I plan to have my eyes closed the entire time.”

Elliott chuckled and grabbed her hand, then headed for the door. I followed behind them like the good little soldier I was. Most of the time, I didn’t feel like the weakest link in our group. I was fae. We’d practically invented arrogance, but spending too much time around three strong alphas made me feel inferior.

I hated feeling insecure. I needed to get back to New Orleans and my regular routine. I almost snarled at the ridiculous thought but caught myself. I could never go back to the other Exiled fae. Not unless I was willing to bring Lorna with me, and I wasn’t.

I would not put her at risk. Even if we successfully convinced everyone she was not a dhampir, I couldn’t stomach the thought of another fae touching her, and they’d definitely want to. She was beautiful even though she was only half-fae. No, she didn’t have our eyes or ears. Yes, she lacked some of our magic. But she drew people in with her beauty and kept them there with her dhampir’s thrall. I was pretty sure she never realized she was doing it.

Just like I’d told her before she was stolen from us, the fae were very sexual. They had no problem sharing partners unless they found their soulmate. Then they became like any other supernatural. Except the chance of an Exiled finding their soulmate didn’t even warrant a statistic. It just didn’t happen.

Until I met Lorna.

I was pretty sure her soul called to mine, but she also called Elliott and Damon. I suspected Nathan was in it too; he just hadn’t had an opportunity to reveal himself.

We were halfway across the lobby when Lorna’s legs gave out. It surprised me that she made it that far. The smell of blood still hung heavy in the air and was now mixed with gasoline. It wouldn’t take much to set it ablaze. Which was the whole point.

Elliott scooped her up in his arms and raced for the door. I jogged after him. Nathan and Damon waited by the truck. Elliott stopped several yards away and set Lorna on her feet. Her body tensed as she took in the vampire and the demon.

“Will we be okay in one vehicle, or do I need to steal one of Conrad’s?” Nathan asked as I stepped up to Lorna’s side.

A heavy silence fell between us, and I looked over at Lorna. She chewed on her bottom lip, her eyes focused on the pavement beneath her bare feet. I was about to suggest we take separate vehicles when she finally raised her head and met Nathan’s gaze.

“Can we try?” she asked. “I think I’ll be okay if Elliott and Kenrid sit in the back with me. I also think I’ll know right away if we can’t do it.”

I wasn’t the only one surprised by her suggestion. I didn’t think the ‘we’ in her statement included the males standing around her. She was talking about her dhampir.

“I’ll be right back,” Damon grumbled. “Nathan’s driving.”

I tossed the bags in the bed of the truck and closed the tailgate, then opened the back passenger door. Lorna crawled in first, and I followed her. Elliott laughed and walked around to the driver’s side. We’d have to talk about everyone’s claim sooner or later.

As soon as we were settled in, Lorna sighed. “I need to do this,” she said. “We have a lot to talk about, and I can’t get answers if I can’t be around Nathan and Damon.”

Once again, she surprised me. I’d expected her to retreat into her own mind, yet here she was, ready to talk.

“Let me know what you need,” I said. “If you start to feel out of control, tell me. I can’t speak for the others, but I’ll do what I can to make this easier for all of us.”

I glanced over her head at Elliott, hoping he would read into my words. I was fairly certain he’d finally stopped lying to himself about Lorna being his mate, but that didn’t mean his wolf would allow him to share. I couldn’t deny my attraction to her, but I was willing to do what was necessary to make it work. I truly hoped Elliott would be able to do the same.

Elliott’s eyes darkened for a moment, and a swirl of his shifter magic churned around the cab. It settled just as quickly as it rose. Elliott winked at me, then said, “What Kenny said.”

I rolled my eyes at the asshole. He hadn’t called me Kenny in ages. I hated it and he knew it, which was probably why he did it. Lorna’s short burst of laughter pushed aside my annoyance. Damn shifter making her laugh again.

“One of these days I’m going to make you explain why you want to help me, but I don’t think I can process that today,” Lorna said, smiling up at me.

Everything bad in my world melted away with her smile. If she could manage a small trace of happiness after everything she just went through, then so could I.

“I can’t promise that someone else won’t spill the beans,” I said, letting a grin escape.

“I’ll punch Damon in the throat if he even thinks about it,” Elliott said.

Gasping, Lorna twisted around to face him. “You two aren’t still fighting, are you?” she asked, with genuine concern in her voice.

Elliott laughed, and I shook my head, knowing exactly what he was going to say.

“Damon and I always fight,” Elliott replied between chuckles. “If he refused my challenge, I’d think he didn’t love me anymore.”

The baffled look on Lorna’s face was hilarious. Not that I could blame her for being confused. I didn’t want either of those muscled-up idiots hitting me.

“Men are morons,” Lorna mumbled, making both me and Elliott chuckle again.

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