Page 8 of Awakening the Dhampir

“He tried to convince me she was dhampir,” he replied so quietly I could barely hear him. “Let’s pay up and have this discussion in your truck.”

I agreed completely; we couldn’t talk openly around a bunch of humans. I waved at the waitress and asked for our check. Jonah insisted on paying, and I didn’t argue.

As we stood to leave, he jerked his head toward the back of the diner. “Tell your friend to join us.”

I should’ve known he’d sense Kenrid’s fae magic. Most shifters could smell a supernatural in their midst. Some were just better than others. Jonah had always been among the best, and if he sensed Kenrid, he probably still was.

I met Kenrid’s eyes and nodded. He frowned, a familiar expression for our fae. The smile he’d cultivated during Lorna’s brief stay vanished with her. He tossed a handful of cash on the table and joined me.

As the three of us piled into my truck, Kenrid insisted that Jonah sit in the front passenger seat. I didn’t even try to think about his reasons. Maybe he was just being polite. I doubted it, but also, I didn’t really care.

“So, what makes Conrad think he’s found a dhampir?” I asked as soon as we all settled in.

I’d started the truck and cranked up the air conditioning. New Orleans was hot most of the time and especially brutal in the summer.

“Have you seen him lately?” Jonah asked, not giving me an answer.

I scowled. “What do you think?”

The grizzly laughed, but I didn’t find it funny. Maybe normally I would, but this shit wasn’t normal.

“I hadn’t seen him in decades until last week,” Jonah said. “He looks like a walking skeleton. I’d heard that withdrawal symptoms from the dhampir’s blood were severe, but damn. He looks like shit, especially for being off the Kool-Aid for over a hundred years.”

“And?” I prodded. “Finding a dhampir is no joke, man.”

“No kidding.” He smirked, and I snarled at him. “Lighten up, Elliott. She ain’t no dhampir. Conrad stuffed a half dozen vampires into her tiny cell, and she did nothing. She gave him a bored look and basically brushed him off.”

Disappointment punched me in the gut. Conrad didn’t have our dhampir. Lorna’s control had been astounding around Damon, but there was no way she just ignored a room full of vampires.

“Why did you call her a d’laej?” Kenrid asked from the back seat.

Jonah shifted around to look at him. “That’s the name she gave me. Conrad had been trying to get her to reveal her name for days. When I asked what her name was, she said ‘D’laej.’” He shrugged, but I saw the gleam in his eyes.

“Just tell us what you know, Jonah,” I spat.

He laughed again, and I wanted to punch him in the face. I hated word games.

“Fine, fine.” He chuckled a few more times and then gave me his full attention. “You used to be so much fun. When I left Conrad, I got to thinking. Why would he insist she was dhampir when she obviously wasn’t? Sure, he was a little unhinged, and withdrawals probably scrambled his already addled brain, but Conrad wasn’t stupid. Or at least he didn’t used to be.”

His eyes darted to Kenrid for a moment before trailing back to me. “So, I did a little digging. Found out about the wolves y’all executed for kidnapping one of the clan. Nasty shit. Betrayal like that can only result in death, though. Good move.”

I rolled my eyes at his theatrics. I’d forgotten how much he liked to talk.

“Anyway,” Jonah said, “then I heard this rumor that your missing clan member was Damon’s mate. Imagine my surprise.” He pressed his palm against his chest like he was really fucking surprised. I was gonna hit him. “There aren’t any other demons on the North American continent,” he continued, ignoring my snarl. “I checked, just to be sure. So, who and what could possibly be mated to Damon?”

Jonah’s eyes darted back and forth between Kenrid and me like he expected us to answer. Fat chance.

“When that cute little girl said her name was D’laej, I couldn’t help but wonder. The timing was kind of perfect.” Jonah looked at me. “She was delivered to Conrad the same night your clan member disappeared.”

The grizzly leaned back against the window, crossing his arms over his broad chest. I didn’t like how much he knew. He’d already decided that Lorna was Conrad’s prisoner, but he’d also confirmed she wasn’t dhampir.

“What did Conrad’s prisoner look like?” Kenrid asked.

Jonah tapped his chin like he was trying to remember. I snarled at him again. Stupid drama queen.

“Tall, slender, blonde hair cut really short and the most beautiful hazel eyes I’ve ever seen on a woman,” he replied. “She was definitely part fae, part human. Not dhampir.”

Kenrid’s gaze met mine, and I knew we were thinking the same thing. It sure sounded like Lorna. I thought about Jonah’s timeline. Lorna had been missing for twelve days.

---