Page 27 of Guarded By the Golem

“These people must be rare,” Goliath said.

Mason nodded. “I’d think so. Though Maya was not Lockwood’s first victim. He’s been giving his mother transfusions for years.”

“So, I’m rare,” I said. “And my reward for being rare was getting kidnapped and basically tortured.”

They all looked at me with deep sadness in their eyes. I didn’t want them to pity me, and I knew this was not what was happening. I was grateful I wasn’t alone. I’d just met Kara and Goliath, but somehow, I didn’t perceive them as strangers. They were Mason’s family, and Mason was... special to me. There was something between us I couldn’t describe or explain. All I knew was that it was powerful, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

To survive this, I needed Mason. He was my rock. Quite literally, though this wasn’t a great time for golem jokes.

I finished reading the file, then closed it. I placed my hands on the cover and took a couple of deep, calming breaths.

“Oh, wow. Um... I don’t know what to say. This doesn’t change anything. It doesn’t change me... who I am...”

“Of course not,” Mason said. “Maya, you are perfect. You’re the most incredible person I’ve ever met, and you’re so strong. It doesn’t matter who your ancestors were.”

“A vampire and a dhampir in my family tree,” I said. Maybe if I repeated it often enough, I’d eventually wrap my head around it. “I wish my great-great-great-grandmother had never met Korin Lowcastle. He ruined her life. And mine.”

Kara reached out and squeezed my arm. “Relationships between humans and monsters aren’t a walk in the park, that’s for sure. But that’s no excuse to leave the woman who’s pregnant with your baby. That was selfish and horrible.”

“I don’t know anything about vampires,” I said.

“They’re elusive,” Mason said. “Because of their dietary preferences, they often live outside the law. They move from one place to another, never settle down.”

“I don’t know any vampires,” Goliath said.

I nodded. “Just as well. I want to detach myself from this whole thing. I am human, and I’ll always be human.”

Kara started setting the table, and that snapped me out of my thoughts. I offered to help, but she refused. Her husband helped her, though, and before long, we had a rich breakfast before us. Mason dug in with gusto, complimenting Kara’s cooking every five minutes, and the laughter and small talk helped me relax and enjoy the food.

I had to call my parents, I thought. I wondered where my phone was. Lockwood must have destroyed it. I didn’t know my parents’ number by heart, so I’d have to find another way to reach them. I needed a laptop with a Wi-Fi connection. I wanted them to know that I was okay, but I couldn’t tell them what hadhappened to me. One, that would complicate things, and two, I didn’t think I had the strength to relive it. I would have to come up with something.

This was stressing me out, so I forced myself to not think about it and just focus on what was in front of me. First, I needed to take care of myself. I needed to rest, come up with a solid strategy, and then execute it.

“Something’s still bugging me, though,” I said.

Mason, Goliath, and Kara looked at me.

“Okay, he kidnapped me. But why did he hire you?” I fixed Mason with my gaze. “It wasn’t like I could escape that godforsaken basement. He was keeping me cuffed to a bolt in the floor. What did he hire you for?”

Mason thought for a moment. “I only talked to his mother for a few minutes, and she told me there had been other victims. She said she didn’t want you to end up like them. But I don’t know what she meant.”

Kara squeezed my arm again. “Maya, it’s good you escaped. I’m so glad Mason brought you here. You’re safe.”

I gave her a grateful smile. “You’re right. I’m just... tired.” I looked at my plate and realized I couldn’t take another bite. “This has been so tasty. I’m full.”

“Do you need to lie down?” Kara asked.

“I think so.” I looked at Mason. “Can you take me upstairs?”

He jumped to his feet, as if I’d given him an order.

“I’ll carry you,” he said.

I laughed as I got up, albeit not as energetically as he had. “I can walk, Mason. You’ve carried me a lot, don’t you think?”

“I will carry you anywhere, and for the rest of my life.”

His words triggered a pleasant tingling inside my stomach.

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