Page 47 of Claiming Her Vampire

Ryker storms to the door and flings it open. “Why are you here? Was I not clear about what would happen? How the fuck did you get past security?”

Tom doesn’t look so good. His clothes are dirty as if he had slept in them for days. His skin is pale, with dark circles under his eyes. Fear is streaming off of him. He smells like shit. I wrinkle my nose. I may need a nose plug, too. Why was I attracted to him? I always thought he was so handsome. Maybe I can see clearly now.

“You need better security. I came up with a bullshit story and slipped your man some money.” He gasps, “Your eyes.”

“Yes, weird eyes. Let’s move past that. What are you doing here?” I was ready to accept my new eye color, but I might have to get contacts just to shut everyone up.

“I had to see you,” he says, looking over his shoulder, frightened.

“Because?” I prompt.

“I had to warn you,” he says.

“Warn me? About what?”

“Your mother is coming for you. She says she has to save you.” His hands shake.

“She doesn’t want to save me. She wants to control me,” I say.

“That’s not what she’s doing.” He looks at the elevator. “You need to come with me.”

“Do you have a death wish?” I ask. I step in front of Ryker as he reaches for his knives. He curses under his breath when he realizes he left them upstairs. “I can handle my mother.”

“What we can’t handle is you, my mate's ex, on our doorstep. How did you find my home?” Ryker asks as he narrows his eyes. “When I kill you, I’ll bury you with the guard that I’m going to gut.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Tom says.

“It does to me. How?” Ryker bites.

“I found the address on Serenity’s mom's desk, alright? She knew where you were. I can protect you.”

I ignore the irony of his statement. “What? How the fuck would she know?” I ask. I can’t believe she even cares. She acted as if I wasn’t her daughter for most of my life. Why now?

“I have to go. If you won’t let me help you. I just had to warn you. She’s on her way,” he says, backing up to the elevator and pushing the button. “I do hope you are happy now. I’ve thought a lot about our relationship, and I’m sorry.” I see the sincerity on his face.

Ryker shuts the door and arms the alarm. We stand in confused silence.

“It’s too much. Being turned into a vampire, wanting to drink my friend's blood, getting worked up twice and denied. Not to mention the mirror, and let's not forget my weird white eyes everyone likes to bring up.” I wave my hand at my face. “Now my ex-boyfriend shows up to warn me about my mother and grows a conscience and apologizes,” I yell. “What universe did I land in? Maybe it is a coma,” I murmured.

“What coma?” Ryker frowns at me.

“Nevermind.” I need to find my phone. A second after I think about it, I find myself in Ryker’s bedroom next to my purse. I look around in amazement. That is so cool. I jump when Ryker shows up behind me. “I should call her.”

“Would she hurt you?”

“Never. She might hate me, but she has never hurt me, physically at least. She likes to play mind games.” I fumble with my phone. “Look, she called numerous times. Probably to tell me she sent Tom here to drag me home.”

“Explain to me why she wants you back with Tom.” Ryker takes the phone from me and puts it in his pocket.

“It’s complicated.” He looks at me patiently. “Fine. Do you remember your mother?”

“No. As far as I know, I didn’t have one,” he says, hurt flashing through his eyes. He brushes it off, turning his back to pick up his knives to put them on.

“I am an only child that she wished she didn’t have. That’s how she made me feel, anyway. When she was young, she was a dancer. She had the opportunity to go to a dancing school to continue her career. She got pregnant with me and has never forgiven me. She blames me for her choices. I didn’t ask for her to be my mother either. Her parents died before I was old enough to remember them clearly but they pushed her to keep me and marry my dad.”

“I don’t know what she was complaining about. She was horrible to me. She continued with her life. Usually, mothers read to you, brush your hair, talk about life, and love you. She didn’t do any of those things,” I say bitterly. I sit down on the bed. “I had a dream one night. In the dream, I came home from school, and she was cooking supper. She had on this silly apron. She was humming, and she turned to me with this wide smile and said she was glad I was home. She made my favorite meal. She said she loved me,” I smile wistfully. “When I woke up and realized it was just a dream, I cried.

“My mother has never told me she loved me. She never cooked a meal. She was the best at ordering takeout or making my dad order takeout. That’s if she was even home. She got a job that she traveled for. Most weekends and part of the week, she was working. It was important to her. More important than raising a daughter.”

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