Page 34 of Fated Redemption
“Oh, Rebecca, he is perfect and look at those eyes. He has your eyes.” Abby sniffed and leaned forward to blow raspberries on his tummy.
“Rhys, I’d like you to meet one of my oldest friends, Abigail Wright. Abby, this is Rhys. He belongs to the local vampire coven and has the most beautiful singing voice I have ever heard.”
Rhys smiled at Abby. The woman smiled back at him. Leave it to Rebecca to notice that he had stayed in the background.
“Hybrids and vampires. How long have you been Alpha Mother?” she asked. Rebecca thought about it for a second.
“Coming up on a year.”
“Well, it looks like I’m moving to Arkadia.” Abby sighed.
Rebecca perked up. “Really!”
“Yes, really. Did you honestly think I was going to leave you here by yourself to have all the fun? Besides you’ll need help in your lab. I bet Meg will want in on it too.” Abby made funny faces at Aidhan.
Rebecca started to look nervous at the mention of a lab. “Lab? What lab?” Rebecca asked with a nervous laugh.
Rhys watched as Abby took in Rebecca’s anxious expression and Aleks’s frown. “Right. Well, if you don’t have one, we need one. I can continue to do small trips here and there but I would need a lab to do my research.”
“That’s cool, I’m sure we can work something out,” Rebecca said, letting out a breath.
“Becca, baby, I thought you weren’t allowed in labs?” Aleks asked, still looking concerned.
Rhys was torn between wanting to see what this tiny woman could come up with and being terrified of living in any proximity to her lab.
“Arkadia is off the grid. The US government can’t see me here, so I can work in a lab.”
Abby laughed. “Meg purged your records last year. So, you’re good.” She handed Aidhan back to Rebecca, who cuddled him close.
“Awesome! I can’t wait to show you what I’ve been working on.”
“Working on?” Aleks asked.
“In theory only, baby,” Rebecca said, and shared a look with Abby.
“Oh, okay.” Aleks nodded.
“Did she ever tell you about her napalm experiment?” Abby asked Aleks.
His eyes went wide.
“Ix-nay on the A-palm-nay!” Rebecca hissed.
“Or how about the bioluminescent rectal lubrication she invented?” Abby smiled slyly at Rebecca who began choking on her french fry.
Aleks scooped up Aidhan with one hand and pounded her on the back with the other.
“The what?” Bethany asked, leaning forward.
“Please, please let me tell, please!” Abby begged.
“Fine, it is kinda funny,” Rebecca said, after taking a sip of soda.
Abby turned in her chair until she faced most of the diner. Rhys smiled at how animated she seemed.
“Okay, so we all met pipsqueak when we were freshman. All of the other humans instinctively stayed away from Cassandra, Meg, Camille and myself. The four of us stuck together because we had figured out we were the only female shifters on campus.One day this runt comes walking over, sits down and just starts talking. Whatever instinct ‘normal’ humans have that raises the little hairs on the backs of their necks around us, she doesn’t have. Bold as brass, she just plops on down, compliments Camille on her sweater, snags Meg’s phone to look at her songs, asks to borrow Cassie’s class notes and lays her head in my lap. We couldn’t get rid of her.” Abby smiled at Rebecca.
“Y’all were always alone, so I figured you needed more friends.” Rebecca shrugged.
