Page 34 of Awakening the Dhampir

When I wandered back into the living room—I’ll call it that for lack of a better term—Kenrid had three boxes of pizza spread out on the low coffee table. He sat on the sofa facing me with his phone up to his ear. His emerald eyes made a burning path from my wet hair down my chest that was covered by his T-shirt. He smiled when he reached the baggy sweats covering my legs.

My mind immediately went to how his lips felt against mine. My face flushed, and Kenrid winked at me.

“We’ll be heading back out as soon as Damon is ready,” Kenrid said to whoever was on the phone.

It wasn’t dark yet, so I assumed it was Elliott. Kenrid waved me over and pointed at the boxes of pizza, tempting me with their promise of pepperoni goodness. I dropped into the seat next to him and started rummaging through my choices.

I should’ve been freaking out over his proximity, the way the boxes were haphazardly stacked on the table, and the fact that I didn’t have a plate. But I wasn’t. Was my dhampir right? Had it just been a product of her being locked away without an outlet?

Kenrid hadn’t given me an answer earlier, but I couldn’t blame him. I’d totally distracted him with my neediness. Something else I’d never had. I felt like everything in my life was changing. I could either fight it—and probably lose—or adjust. I wasn’t used to change. Every bit of it scared me.

“Did you flip the laptop over?” Kenrid asked the person on the other line. A few seconds later, he laughed. “Let me know what you find. Lorna and I will be awake for a couple more hours. I’m not expecting Damon to move until midnight at the earliest.”

A moment later, he tossed his phone on the sofa and leaned back, draping one arm behind me.

“Everything okay?” I asked, picking up a slice of pepperoni and sausage.

“Yes,” Kenrid replied. “Elliott’s been going through the boxes they took from Conrad’s estate. They’ve found some interesting stuff, but he wouldn’t discuss it over the phone.”

I took a bite and moaned with pleasure. I’d missed out on so many meals over the last few weeks. Pizza wasn’t even one of my favorites, but it felt like it at the moment.

“Can I ask you something?” Kenrid’s voice was low and a little guarded.

“I guess,” I hedged, not taking my eyes from my dinner.

“Did they hurt you?” he asked.

“No,” I whispered, knowing what he really meant to ask. Did they rape me? “Not physically. The isolation was awful, more so than I could’ve imagined. Conrad’s mind games with his blood were even worse, though.” I set my slice of pizza back in the box. “Jared pretended to be nice to me, but he never once offered me an extra meal or even a bar of soap. They never hit me or anything like that, but they messed with my head.”

I let out a long breath. It felt good to actually say it out loud. What they’d done was awful, but it also could’ve been far worse.

“We expected to find you battered and broken,” Kenrid murmured. “We’d even prepared for the possibility of you being dead. I can’t tell you how relieved I am that we were wrong.”

I shifted in my seat and looked up at his beautiful face. He hadn’t let go of his glamour, but it didn’t change how handsome he was. I reached up and laced my fingers through his hair. Their silky strands almost made me jealous. Mine would never be that soft.

“What happens when I get to New Orleans?” I asked.

Kenrid pulled my hand into his. “Do you remember the man that Conrad brought to you during your first week there?”

“You mean the one with the wild hair and strange gray eyes?” I asked. He’d been my only visitor besides the vampires.

Kenrid nodded. “He’s the reason we found you. He’s a friend of Elliott’s.” My eyes widened, and Kenrid gently squeezed my hand. “His name is Jonah. He believes that Conrad was recording everything that happened in your cell. We’d like to release the video of you shunning the master vampire and his lackeys.”

My body tensed. I’d nearly lost control when the asshole filled my room with vampires. Had it not been for the slight reprieve my visitor—Jonah—gave me, I would’ve lost it. I knew Conrad or his people had been watching me. Of course they’d record it.

“Why?” I asked, my voice cracking. “Why would you share that video?”

“A dhampir cannot deny that many vampires,” he said, gently gripping my chin with his free hand and forcing me to look up at him. “A dhampir also cannot stand next to Nathan and Damon without reacting. We’d like to convince everyone that you are not dhampir. It’s the best way to keep you safe.”

His plan sounded good in theory, but only if I could pull it off. I wasn’t sure I could.

“How do I convince everyone that I don’t want to …” My face flushed. I couldn’t finish that sentence after the kiss I’d just shared with Kenrid. I very much wanted to run my tongue all over Damon. Well, my dhampir did.

Kenrid graced me with one of his smiles, and some of my anxiety melted away.

“I think I have an idea,” he said. “I’m sure Damon won’t argue.” He released my hand and my chin. “You don’t have to keep your hands off Damon. He’s already claimed you as his mate. So, everyone will expect to see you lusting after him.”

My ears burned hot with embarrassment and a little discomfort. “But what about you?” I asked. “Damon’s not the only one I want. I know he said it was okay if I gave myself to you, but how do you feel about that?”

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