Page 38 of The Baby Hex
“Jasel,” I said the name that sounded like someone just shoved jazz music in front of the letter L.
“Jasel,” Pierce nodded.
His family’s estate was sprawling with walking paths and tiny roads just wide enough for one car heading off in every direction. Everblooming rose bushes marked all the paths with their big crimson blossoms and their inch long thorns sticking out in every direction.
“Remind me not to run for the bushes if something happens,”my wolf huffed from inside his inner sanctum.
“The main house is where my parents stay,” Pierce said, nodding in the direction of an old manor house that had recently been added to. “The one not far behind it is us. It’s three stories because it’s newer and has a little balcony in the back where I keep the telescope. It’s hooked up to the computer though. So you can watch the night sky from any device in the house.”
“Uh… For magic or leisure?” I asked.
“Both. Blood magic doesn’t rely on the heavens as much as some families of magics do but it is important here and there. Vampires have their own astrological signs and everything. I was born under the fang. From what I know of you, I believe you were born under the fire. You’re a December baby, right?”
“Yeah,” I nodded unsure of how he knew that.
“Under the fire,” he nodded.
“What’s that mean. I know what being a Capricorn means. I’m stubborn and hardworking. But what does being born under the fire mean?”
“If I told you, you’d accuse me of making it up,” Pierce grinned.
“What? Now you’ve got to tell me.”
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Just tell me already,” I said as he pulled up onto a small parking space and killed the engine.
“Those born under the constellation of the winter fire, also called the Hearth, are said to bring change to their families. They’re the generations trauma healers, the curse breakers, and generally raise hell or follow their own path.”
“Of course,” I rolled my eyes as he got out of the car and opened the door for me. “What about the fang?” I asked, as he took all the fast-food bags in one hand and offered me his other to help me out of the car.
“In my family it means we possess a very unique gift.”
“Let me guess another family secret?” I arched a brow, trying to take some of the bags from him but he caught my hand and held in his instead as we made our way up the flower lined walk. Thankfully, this walk wasn’t surrounded by blood thirsty rose bushes. Instead, bushes with little baby blue flowers surrounded our ankles.
“I’m home!” He called out and I startled.
“Who do you live with?” I asked as the door opened, and a doormat appeared in front of us. He wiped his feet and waited for me to do the same. Then he heeled off both of his shoes as soon as we stepped inside.
“You can leave them anywhere. The house will put them away in one of those cubbies,” he said, nodding at a little section of wooden shoe cubbies next to the door. “But mind the hardwood.”
I kicked off my shoes and sniffed the air. The whole place smelled like Pierce and breathing his scent deep into my lungs was a messy idea. I almost crashed into him. It would’ve been easy to back him up against the door and kiss him until our lips were too swollen to do anything else for the rest of the week. I could’ve dropped to my knees and sucked on him until he had no choice but to divulge all his family’s secrets. Against my better judgement, I inhaled deeply again. The whole damn house smelled like him because his blood was everywhere. It washidden here and there and mixed into paint and hidden under things. The coppery scent was nearly overpowering.
“You alright?” he arched a brow. “Do you want to eat at the table or are you more of a fast-food means eating in the living room person?”
“I--- either,” I said as my list of questions grew. “I’m alright with either. And yeah. I’m okay. I--- Your blood is here. A lot.”
“I’m a vampire,” he said leading me down a narrow hallway into an expansive dining room.
“You do know that usually means you spill other people’s blood, right?” I asked.
“That shows how much the general public knows. Yes, I feed on blood. I like it. Actually, depending on the source, I even love it but as an alpha vampire of my lineage, I spill a lot of blood for magic. I can spill a lot of blood and keep going, if I’m careful.”
He sat out the food on the dining room table and turned to grab plates from a small nearby cart. I normally didn’t bother with plates for fast-food but this was his house and--- Of course, he needed a plate. As soon as he unwrapped the crimson paper from around his burger it oozed with greasy blood. My bird turned his head from one side to the other ready to pick up a bite. I startled when a fast hand slid a bite of the half-raw burger into the mouth I didn’t know was hanging open.
“Next time I want one of those,” I said, as my inner beasts voiced their agreement. “It’s greasy like a burger but bloody. How do they do that?”
“Very carefully I’d guess. If it wasn’t for your bird, I’d be worried about you eating it, but crows eat carrion.”
