Page 38 of Midnight Enchantment

Raedan fell back as the wolves brought the deer down. He growled low in his throat as the scent of fresh blood teased his nostrils. He resisted as long as he could before easing his way between two females and lapping at the blood. He had only taken a little when he imagined Liliana’s horror if she could see him now.

Backing away, he loped back the way they’d come. He paused at the stream to wash the blood from his muzzle, then shifted to his own form.

What if she was your daughter?

Like it or not, he owed Quill Falconer an apology.

“I hope you’re happy,” Lily said through her tears. “I’ll probably never see him again.”

“Lily … ”

Dashing the tears from her eyes, she said, “I’ll never forgive you for this. Never!”

“Ava Liliana Falconer,” Callie said sternly, “you apologize to your father this instant.”

Lily crossed her arms over her chest, her expression mutinous.

“I mean it,” Callie said. “From the moment you were born, your father has never had anything but your best interests at heart. And so have I.”

Lily took a deep breath and muttered, “I’m sorry, Father,” in a frosty voice. Turning on her heel, shoulders back and head high, she returned to the house without a backward glance.

Callie blew out a sigh. “That didn’t go very well, did it? Where do you think Raedan’s gone?”

“He can’t go far enough to suit me,” Quill muttered.

“The more we’re against him, the more Lily will defend him. You know how kids always want what they can’t have.”

“She’s hardly a kid anymore.”

“You know what I mean. She doesn’t have a lot of worldly experience, especially with men.”

“So what are you suggesting? That we give our daughter permission to date a vampire-demon? A guy who’s likely the most powerful vampire in the whole damn world?”

“I don’t know what to do,” Callie confessed as she followed Quill through the back door and into the living room, where she sank down on the sofa. “I just don’t know.”

“As far as I can see, we’ve only got two options,” Quill said, pacing back and forth in front of the hearth. “Either you put her under a sleeping curse, or we keep her locked up in the house for the rest of her life.”

“That’s not remotely funny,” Callie retorted, kicking off her shoes and wiggling her toes.

“I know. I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right. If we continue to object, he’s liable to contact Lily secretly, maybe even talk her into running away with him.”

“Or he could just spirit her away,” Callie murmured. “And if that happens, we might never see her again.” It was a distinct possibility, one that sent an icy chill down her spine. And then she brightened. “Maybe he won’t come back. Lily certainly seemed to think he was gone for good.”

“I hope she’s right, but I doubt it. You heard what he said. He intends to have her with or without our permission.” Quill blew out a sigh. “Girls are a lot of trouble, aren’t they?” he muttered as he dropped down on the sofa beside her, only to throw up his arms in self-defense when Callie hit him over the head with a sofa pillow.

“Hey!” he exclaimed as he caught her in his arms and kissed her. “I was only kidding.”

Lily wept until her pillow was damp and she had no tears left. Sitting up, she rested her head on her bent knees and contemplated going back to America. She didn’t want to stay here. Her parents treated her like a child. Maybe she could stay with Ava again until she could find a job and afford a place of her own.

Liliana, your father is right.

Her head jerked up at the sound of Raedan’s voice. She glanced around, expecting to see him in her room, but he wasn’t there. “I don’t believe that.”

Think about it, love. If you stay with me, you will be an outcast. Your people will never accept me. My kind fear me. There is no place on earth that I can call home.

“We can make a place together. If you love me.”

You know I do. That’s why we cannot be together.

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