Parker shakes his head, eyes still closed, and says, “I don’t know, but we need to keep this to ourselves.” He coughs again, and a little trickle of blood drips from the corner of his mouth. “Her blood is like vampire heroin. I’ve never tasted anything like it. If others knew, they’d kill her just to taste her.”
A dark look crosses Nick’s face. “I’ll end anyone that tries.”
I’m touched by Nick’s loyalty, though not wholly surprised by it. My curse affects everyone, to some extent. Nick doesn’t seem too horribly influenced, but I have noticed he’s friendlier toward me than to others, and he’s as protective of me as Terrance is.
He turns his glare on me as if it’s my fault people would want my blood. “Parker’s right. You can’t use your blood anymore. It’s too dangerous. This secret can’t leave the three of us.”
I bristle. “If it can help the people I care about, then I’m willing to take the risk. And I won’t keep it from Terrance or Ollie. Terrance would kill me if I kept a secret from him that puts me in danger, and Oliver might be able to help me figure out the mystery.”
Both men are glaring at me, when Nick’s backup finally arrives. Parker sighs, and Nick gives me a curt nod. “Fine, but no one else. We’ll talk more about this later.”
“Fine.”
A heavy silence falls between us as Nick and I back away to let the vampire help Parker. We walk back to Parker’s car—where Nick has shoved the handcuffed werewolf in the back seat. The wolf’s eyes lock on me, as if he’s trying to figure me out. You and me both, buddy.
I stare right back, refusing to let him intimidate me. Honestly, I’m more freaked out by the fact that I brought his buddy down with some kind of magic than I am upset over the attack.
After a few minutes, Parker is back on his feet. He looks like death warmed over, but he’s up and moving around. Damn. Now, that’s some healing power. I’m so happy to see him alive and sort of well that I throw my arms around him. Parker is shocked by the hug but quickly returns it and doesn’t let go right away. I let him hold me for a second, because he feels safe and I’m so tired of people trying to kill me.
The moment he runs his hand over my head and down my back, caressing my hair, I catch his thoughts. She feels so perfect. I could hold her like this forever. It’s both sweet and frightening at the same time, so I break the hug and step back. I can’t stand his loving gaze on me with so much hope in his eyes, so I turn my back on him and grab my arms to hug myself.
“Oh, Nora…” Parker brushes off my back with a sigh. “I hate to tell you this, but you’ve ruined your new coat.”
“Figures.” Glancing over my shoulder, I can just make out some tears in the fabric made from glass and werewolf claws. “Speaking of bad news…” I hesitate a second before passing him Henry’s message. “Henry saw you kiss me in your memories. He freaked.”
Parker winces. “I knew it must have been something like that.” He leans back against the side of the car and trains his attention on the FUA crew, which is now cleaning up the dead werewolf bodies and putting them in the back of a large van. “He’s severed the sire connection,” he says quietly. “I’m no longer part of his clan.”
I was happy about that a few minutes ago, but seeing the disappointment on Parker’s face, I feel bad for getting him kicked out of his home. I want to comfort him, so I place my hand on his arm. “I’m sorry.”
When he moves to cover my hand with his, I quickly pull back. I really don’t want to be inside his head at the moment. Parker flinches at the rejection but quickly shoves his emotions away and gives me a small smile. “Don’t worry about me, Nora. There are other clans I can pledge to if I wish, or I may just join the FUA. They’ve been trying to recruit me for decades, but I refused to leave my clan for them. My loyalty to Henry was always too great.”
I lean back against his car as well and watch Nick direct the FUA agents in the cleanup process. He’s rather efficient. “Why would you have to leave Henry to join?”
“FUA requirements.” Parker shrugs. “Anyone who becomes a member can’t have strong ties to outside clans, covens, or packs. You have to be impartial.”
I frown. Does that mean Oliver doesn’t have a coven? And Ren doesn’t have a…whatever incubi families are called? “Sounds lonely.”
Parker shrugs again. “Not necessarily. When you join, the FUA usually becomes your family. It’s made up of a lot of outcasts.”
The puzzle pieces start to fall into place. “Like a gay incubus, or a sorcerer who won’t use his magic?”
“Exactly. Or a human girl with psychic powers.” Parker grins. “Don’t tell me they haven’t tried to recruit you, too.”
I laugh. “They try all the time, but I’d feel horrible quitting on Terrance. Now that I know I’d have to abandon his clan, too, there’s no way it’ll ever happen. I couldn’t do that to him.”
Parker’s grin falls away. “And that is why I have never joined. I couldn’t leave Henry. But now…”
Guilt swamps me again. I have to swallow back a lump of emotion. “I’m sorry.”
Parker turns to face me, leaning against the car on his side instead of his back. His ice blue eyes get intense again as he pierces me with a meaningful gaze. “It’s okay, Nora. It was my choice. I knew there would be consequences for pursuing you.”
He risks tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. Our kiss is now in the forefront of his mind. He thinks it was worth it, though he hates that it ended up upsetting me. He’s not the only one who feels that way. I have to clear my throat in order to speak, and then my damn traitorous voice comes out shaky. “Pursuing me, huh? Is that what you’re doing?”
I laugh weakly, but Parker responds with complete seriousness. “Yes. And I will continue to do so until you tell me to stop.”
He pauses, as if he expects me to say stop right this second. I should. Part of me wants to. But I stay quiet, and Parker’s lips curve up into a tiny smile. “You do me a great honor, Nora.”
I gulp. My heart is suddenly pounding in my chest. “I can’t promise anything. I’m really messed up. I have a complicated past.”
“I understand, and I thank you for at least giving me the chance to try.”
Nick walks over to us, unknowingly breaking the tension. I’m grateful for the reprieve. “We’re ready to head out,” he says. “You guys want to follow us back?”
Parker hesitates and then sighs. “You should take her with you.”
I’m so shocked I rear my head back. Parker grimaces. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but…I’m exhausted.” He lets out another weary sigh. “If someone were to try again, I don’t think I could protect you in this condition.”
Parker swallows hard, as if admitting his weakness kills him. Which is ridiculous. He was outnumbered four to one, and he still came out alive.
In a rare moment of seriousness, Nick places a hand on Parker’s shoulder and says, “You saved her life tonight.”
Their gazes meet, and something passes between them. It sort of makes me wish I could hug them both. Nick gives Parker’s shoulder another squeeze. “Go home and get some rest, friend. I’ll look after her.”
It takes Parker a moment to accept defeat, but then he nods. Nick lets him go, and he sucks in a deep breath while raking his hands through his hair.
Nick catches the longing look Parker casts my way. His lips twitch, and I know he’s reached his serious quota for the day. He jerks his head my direction and smirks at Parker. “Well, go on. Kiss our girl goodnight. She owes you one for saving her.”
My eyes bulge, and my jaw drops. “NICK!” I punch him in the arm, and I swear it hurts me worse than him. It takes everything I have in me not to stomp my foot like a petulant child. But there is no stopping the blush that creeps into my cheeks.
Nick somehow manages an innocent shrug and heads toward his bike, whistling a cheerful tune. Jerk. I glare lasers into his back until Parker blocks my view. Suddenly he’s right there, so close I can smell his cologne and feel him invading my personal space. My heart rate kicks up so fast a ghost of a smile crosses Parker’s face. His gaze falls to my mouth, but he quickly lifts it again. “You going to be okay?”