Page 53 of Bound By Blood

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. A little uncomfortable, perhaps. I can’t imagine why your father put him up there.”

“Mom, Zack’s a vampire. One of … of the Others.”

“Oh, dear.” Elena sank down on the edge of the mattress, and then frowned. “Where’s your bedding?”

“I used it to cover Zack. Mom, you have to help me! I love Zack.”

“I don’t know what I can do. You know how your father feels about the Others, and from what I’ve heard, I can’t say as I blame him.”

Kaitlyn stared at her mother. “You don’t even know Zack. He’s wonderful.” She clenched her hands, her anger and frustration growing. She had been so sure she could count on her mother for help. “If you won’t help me free Zack, I’ll find someone who will!”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Help me get him out of the tower before it’s too late.”

Elena shook her head. “I can’t believe your father didn’t tell me about this.”

Kaitlyn sat beside her mother. “He’s a monster.”

“Kaitlyn, what a terrible thing to say about your father!”

“How can you defend him? Zack could die up there! He never did anything to anyone here. Dad has no right to …”

“Your father has every right to do what he thinks is best for us.”

“And killing Zack is best?” Kaitlyn sprang to her feet and began to pace the floor. “He has no right to judge Zack. He doesn’t even know him. And neither do you!”

“Kaitlyn, calm down. I’ll speak to your father as soon as he wakes up.”

“I can’t wait that long. Will you help me?”

“I assume you tried to free Zack and failed?”

Kaitlyn nodded.

“That’s what I thought. What do you think I can do that you couldn’t? I don’t have any superpowers.”

“Maybe between the two of us, we can free him,” Kaitlyn said. She didn’t wait for an answer. Unlocking the door, she turned to face her mother. “Are you coming?”

“Your father won’t be happy about this,” Elena said. “Not happy at all … oh,” she murmured as the door swung open and she saw her husband standing on the other side.

“What is it I will not be happy about?” he asked, glancing from his wife to his daughter and back again.

“I want you to let Zack go,” Kaitlyn said angrily. “Right now.”

He didn’t waste time pretending he didn’t know what she was talking about. “This is between me and him.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Drake,” Elena said, taking a place between her husband and her daughter. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

“Two against one,” he muttered. “That is hardly fair.”

“This isn’t like you,” Elena said. “If Kaitlyn loves him … we have to trust her judgment.”

“You two can argue later,” Kaitlyn said. “Dad, please get Zack down from the tower.”

Drake stared at his daughter. He had rarely refused her anything she asked for, but this … As far back as he could remember, he had been taught that the Others could not be trusted, that they were monsters, incapable of human emotions. And yet his daughter loved Zack. And Zack must love her in return, else why would he have come this far to find her?

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