Page 30 of The Vampire's Mate

“I’ve got seventeen years to catch up on. Where’s Kian?”

“Doctor. He woke up with a nasty cold this morning.”

I accepted the mug she handed me, and stared down into the steaming liquid like it held all the answers to my problems. I’d selfishly come here for myself, becauseIneeded to see her. Now that she stood in front of me, I had to tell her, I knew I did. When I handed Kian the information Gabriel had found, he deserved to hear the whole truth. That meant revealing who, andwhat, James was. Hannah needed to hear that from me. But as the bathroom door opened, my eyes met his, and I hesitated. It wasn’t just my life on the line anymore. I had him to think about—had apartnerto think about, and that thought terrified me.

“What’s going on?” Hannah asked, looking between the two of us. I should have known that hesitating in any sense would tip her off. She was way too perceptive.

James had crossed the room and slid an arm around my waist. “It’s okay.”

With a deep breath, I gestured toward the small kitchen table. “Sit down. We have something to tell you.”

Wary, Hannah slid into one of the chairs and set her coffee down. I took the seat across from her, and James sat to my left, his hand finding mine the second I was no longer holding my own mug. “James is a vampire,” I blurted.

“Wow, way to ease her into it, love,” James snickered.

“Shut up! I’ve never done this before!”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Hannah interjected, redirecting my attention. “Can you repeat that please? Because it sounded like you just said ‘James is a vampire.’”

“That’s exactly what I said.”

The silence seemed to bounce off the walls, rebounding and slamming into me, ringing my ears. The words lingered between us like a bomb detonating in slow motion. I couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes yet. I felt them boring a hole through me, but I couldn’t move.

“Ryder?”

“Hm?”

“Look at me.”

Slowly, I raised my head. Hannah was watching me with a concerned expression. She scanned my face as if looking for any sign that I was messing with her. She didn’t find one. Aside from James, I could typically lie my way out of anything.This, however, I couldn’t make up if I tried. The last thing I wanted to be doing was sitting in front of my daughter and telling her that my boyfriend was a vampire. It had become a part of everyday life for us, but in telling Hannah, we’d burst our happy little supernatural bubble.

“You’re not joking,” Hannah finally said. I could only shake my head. Seeming to sense that I wasn’t ready to continue, she said, “Did you just find out?”

“No, I found out pretty early on.”

“So last year when you caught me and Kian and accused us of being drunk, you?—”

“Didn’t know,” James finished, jumping in to defend me. “He found out after that, Hannah.”

Hannah sat back in her seat and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “So, why are you telling me now?”

Attempting to find courage in my coffee, I picked it up and took a drink, letting the warmth—and James’s hand—ground me in the moment. “I’ve had a year now to settle into dating someone who’s… not human. We knew we couldn’t keep it a secret forever.”

Hannah traced the rim of her mug, contemplating her response. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but it sure as hell wasn’t, “Okay.”

I flinched as if I’d been hit. “Okay?” I echoed.

“Mmhmm.” Hannah sipped her coffee. “I mean, I can accuse you of being drunk and delusional if you’d prefer a different reaction. Besides, for all I know, I’ve passed out watchingBuffyand this is all a dream.”

“I could pinch you if you want,” I offered, and nearly choked on a mouthful of coffee at the glare that earned me.

“I dare you to try.”

“Do you have any questions for me?” James asked.

Hannah pursed her lips over her cup. “Of course I do. You can’t drop that you’re a vampire on a girl and not expect a question.”

He spread his hands. “I’m an open book.”

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