Page 26 of Awakening the Dhampir

Several snarls and low growls echoed through the parking lot, but I didn’t need to pull my eyes from the ground to know it was Elliott and Damon. I wanted to tell them to stop because Nathan was right. But I said nothing, just continued to stare at the concrete. I’d already created enough turmoil for them. Arguing wouldn’t make it better.

“Let’s go,” Nathan said, and his luscious scent disappeared.

I stood in the same spot until they finished loading all the boxes on a cart. Elliott gave me a look of longing before following Nathan to the terminal.

“Come on, d’laej. We have a long drive ahead of us,” Damon said. “And I’ll need you to sit in the front so I can regenerate some energy.”

“How long do you need?” Kenrid asked, opening the front passenger door for me.

I assumed he was talking to Damon, so I hopped into the front and pulled the seatbelt across my shoulder.

“Three or four hours,” Damon replied, climbing into the back seat. “We should stop and get some food for Lorna before I do, though.”

“Good idea,” Kenrid said, then closed my door.

The conversation sounded a little weird to me, but I wasn’t about to deny myself a meal. Now that they mentioned it, the thought of real food made my stomach growl.

Damon’s chuckle from the back did weird things to my insides. I wanted to be close to him, but I knew I couldn’t. Not just because of Nathan’s warning. I wasn’t ready to test my resolve. The fact that my dhampir wasn’t pushing made me think she wasn’t ready, either. I had a feeling that Damon wouldn’t wait, though. They all wanted to find out how far they could push me before we made it back to the compound.

A few minutes later, we were back on the road. Another half hour after that and we were pulling into a fast-food drive-through. I ordered several cheeseburgers, fries, and an extra-large soda. Kenrid ordered a salad and several bottles of water. Damon’s order looked a whole lot like mine.

I felt a little guilty that Kenrid had to pay, but I had nothing on me except Elliott’s clothes. As soon as I got back to Kenrid’s house, I needed to give him most of the cash I’d taken out of my account. I’d left everything in the room he’d been letting me use, which was probably a good thing.

“You shouldn’t eat all of that at once,” Kenrid said as he pulled out of the drive-through and back onto the main road. “It’ll likely make you sick.”

I sifted through the bags anyway. He was probably right, but I was starving. Luckily, the restaurant separated our orders into three bags. I handed Damon’s back to him and set Kenrid’s on the center console, wondering how he’d eat a salad while driving. Maybe I could offer to drive so he could eat.

I frowned as realization struck me. “So… where exactly are we?” I asked, while unwrapping a cheeseburger.

The first bite melted in my mouth. I almost cried. Scratch that. Tears spilled from my eyes as the burst of flavors made love to my tongue. Yes, I know it was just a cheap cheeseburger loaded with unhealthy calories, but it was also heaven.

“We’re in Vermont,” Kenrid said, seeming not to notice my mini breakdown.

I quickly swallowed my next bite. “Holy shit,” I grumbled. “I didn’t put two and two together when Elliott said he’d see me in two days. It’ll take us that long to drive back, won’t it?”

“Yes,” Damon replied from behind me. “We’ll drive for the next sixteen hours or so, then stop for the night. We should reach New Orleans before the end of the next day.”

“Oh, okay.” I stuffed another bite into my mouth. Had he really said we were going to New Orleans, not Pensacola? Kenrid mentioned before that their main headquarters or whatever were in New Orleans. They must’ve intended to keep me there.

Not in another cell, my dhampir hissed.

No, I don’t think so.

I really didn’t. She should feel their dedication to me just as easily as I did. If I really was Damon’s mate, I couldn’t see him agreeing to lock me in a prison. Right? Or would he? I had no idea how demons treated their mates. Come to think of it, I had no idea how any of the supernaturals treated their significant others. I just automatically assumed it was like a normal marriage. What if it wasn’t?

Do you know? I asked my dhampir.

I’m only a day old, she snapped. How would I know?

For some reason, her response made me giggle.

So, you’re like a baby dhampir?

Shut up, bitch.

I laughed out loud. Children aren’t allowed to use that kind of language, I taunted.

She didn’t respond, but I could feel her amusement.

---