Her Secret (14 page)

“I was with Danial for so long,” I said
finally. “He was turning me, though he didn’t mean to. I’ve been
acting oddly because my body wants to keep turning, and I’m
fighting it.”

“Will you get better?” Elle said, tears
forming in her eyes.

“Yes,” I said, reaching back to clasp her
hand. “I’m going to be fine, Elle. It’s just taking me a while to
go back to how I was when you first came to live with me.”

She held my hand tight. “You promise you’ll
be okay?”

“Yes,” I said, putting all the hope I had
into that one word. “I’ll be fine.”

She sat back, satisfied. I did the same,
quickly falling asleep. When I awoke, we were at Danial’s home.

Elle promptly got out and ran up the stairs.
“Dad!”

Danial was there, waiting for her with open
arms. He steeled himself at the last moment, catching her as she
leapt into his arms.

The sight of him filled me with sudden
hunger.

“Did you have a good time?” Danial asked
Elle, smoothing some hair out of her eyes. “We should trim your
bangs later.”

“Mom and I are going next week to get them
cut, and her hair, too.”

Danial’s rich dark eyes fastened on me, his
stare caressing. “How are you, Sar?”

I needed him. I wanted him. I had to get him
closer...

“She’s fine,” Theo said gruffly, stepping
between us. “Go ahead in. We’ll be in shortly.”

“Danial,” I called softly, knowing he’d hear
the invitation. “Come to me.”

Danial began walking towards me, but Theo
shoved him hard, knocking him back a step. “Don’t go to her,” he
growled. “She’s had too much alcohol.”

Danial looked for a moment as if he’d go
through Theo, then relaxed. He turned to Elle, who was staring at
us, her blue eyes wide and scared. “Go inside. We’ll be in
shortly.”

As Elle ran inside the house, Danial began
walking toward me again.

Theo pulled his gun, and pointed it at
Danial’s heart. “Stop.”

“If I make a move to bite her, go ahead and
shoot,” Danial said disgustedly, then took my hand, helping me out.
“What is it?”

I clasped him around the neck, pressing my
body to his, the coolness of him both soothing and exciting. I
rubbed my lips gently down his throat, kissing gently.

Danial sighed, then gently pried me off him.
“What happened to the drugs, Theo?”

“She’s on them,” Theo replied gruffly. “The
alcohol must be overriding their effects.”

My hands were too cold, and I couldn’t get
them to work. I leaned into Danial. “Please,” I whispered. “I need
you.”

“And I need you,” Danial said, kissing me
chastely. “The real you, sweetheart.” He stepped back, letting Theo
come between us. “Take her for a brief walk, then come in. But
don’t let her get too cold.”

“She’s my wife,” Theo growled. “I don’t need
you to tell me how to take care of her.”

Danial didn’t reply or look back. The front
door shut behind him with a soft click.

“C’mon,” Theo said, putting his arm around
me. “Let’s get you sobered up.”

Fifteen minutes in the brisk November air had
me back to myself, albeit highly embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Theo. I
should’ve watched how many drinks I was having.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, forcing a
smile. “You’re under a lot of stress.”

“I’m okay now. Let’s get back to the
others.”

We walked up the porch steps. As we reached
for the door, Elle opened it. Danial was there, behind her.

“Told you I’d heard them coming back,” Elle
said proudly.

“So you did,” Danial said approvingly. “Your
hearing is near my own now.” His eyes met mine. “Please come in,
both of you.”

“Are you going to act weird again?” Elle
asked me point blank.

“I’ll try not to,” I replied, blushing.

“Dad said you’re on drugs,” Elle continued.
“But when you drink too much they don’t work.”

“Elle!” Theo roared. “Enough.”

“It’s true!” she said, shooting him a look.
“You told me to always tell the truth.”

“What Theo meant, Elle,” Danial interrupted,
making her look at him, “Is not to lie. It is something else
entirely to tell secrets that do no good to be told.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, looking at him
mournfully.

“It is not to me you should apologize,”
Danial said, turning her to face us.

“I’m sorry,” she said, running to give me a
hug.

I hugged her back. “We forgive you. Just keep
this to yourself, Elle. It isn’t polite conversation.”

“I’m sure Dad didn’t do it on purpose,” Elle
added. “He doesn’t like to see you like this—”

“Elle,” I said grimly. “Go to your room. I’ll
be in to see you in a minute.”

“I’ll take you there, and we’ll wait for Mom
together,” Danial amended, his eyes meeting mine. He offered her
his hand. “Come.”

Theo grabbed my arm as I went to follow. “You
sure you’re okay now?”

“I’ll be fine. If you want, stand outside the
door.”

“I will.”

Theo followed me through the great room,
giving friendly greetings to everyone. Brian was standing with a
woman that must be Demi, but she wouldn’t look at me when I smiled
at her, though he nodded to me. Saddened, I went on to Elle’s room,
where she and Danial waited. Theo took up a position outside the
door as I went inside.

“Elle,” I said, sitting down on her bed
beside her, “You’re right. Danial didn’t change me on purpose. But
that’s not the issue. The reason we don’t talk about it is that it
hurts him to think about what I’m going through. Talking about it
doesn’t change what’s happened to me, or make me get better any
faster.”

“So I shouldn’t mention it?” she said.

“Right,” I said, hugging her. “You have a
right to ask us about it, and we shouldn’t have tried to keep it
from you. But when you have questions, ask Danial or I in private,
okay?”

“Then I have a question,” Elle said angrily.
“Why doesn’t Theoron get to go with us to Grandma’s? If Theo can
call your mother Mom, and I can call you Mom, why isn’t Theoron
able to call your mother Grandma? She’s his grandma.”

“He can, Elle,” Danial answered. “Sar’s
mother is his grandmother.”

“You told me not to mention him at all to
Grandma and Grandpa. I want to know why he wasn’t there with us,
and why we can’t tell them about him.”

“Several reasons,” Danial replied seriously.
“First and foremost, Theoron is in danger constantly. He never
leaves the grounds of our home, Elle. Even then, I am afraid for
him all the time.” Danial paused. “Secondly, Sarelle’s mother
doesn’t know that we had a child together,” he added softly, his
eyes flicking to mine, then back to hers. “To complicate that,
Theoron is half vampire. You can hide that you’re werecougar, but
he cannot hide his nature well, not yet. When Sar is confident that
Theoron will be old enough to hide it, as you are, she’ll take him
with you on your holiday visits.” He looked at me wistfully. “And
then perhaps I will go as well.”

Danial’s longing was both obvious—and more
painful to hear— tentative. He was unsure I would want him to come
with us. Guilt flooded me.

I caressed his hand lightly. “You’re welcome
to accompany us, when that time comes.”

Danial squeezed my hand, relieved and happy.
“I’m glad of that, Sweetheart.”

“But if Sar accepts you and Theoron,” Elle
continued, “why wouldn’t her parents? They’re human like she
is.”

Danial gave me an affectionate look. “Sarelle
is unique. She accepts me as no other woman ever has. She is not
the usual human, Elle. Take that for the small warning I mean it
as. I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“Will Mom really get better?”

“Yes,” assured Danial. “She will be fine, in
time.”

“Good,” Elle said. “I’m starving. That turkey
smells great.” She got up, and raced out of the room.

Danial and I looked at each other, pleased.
“I meant what I said,” I added softly.

“I know you did,” he said, kissing me
tenderly on the cheek. “Let’s go before Theo comes to see what’s
keeping you.”

Theo met us outside the room, relieved. A few
moments later, we were standing in the buffet line in the kitchen
loading up our plates. The meal was fabulous, from the savory
turkey to the triple fudge cake.

“Cia, this cake is perfect,” I complimented.
“Theoron loves it so much he’s trying to eat my piece, too.”

“Its roots are in your teaching, Sar,” she
replied graciously.

“You surpassed me. All I did for this was
help you buy the groceries, and make the pies.”

“Though I can’t add my personal compliments,
I thank you again for all your work cooking, Cia,” Danial said
pleasantly. “Now that the meal is ending, I must ask you what each
of you intends to do for Christmas. The need to retain a workable
guard is more important this year than it ever has been.”

“Demi and I have family we’re going home to,”
Brian said quickly. “We’ll be gone on Christmas Eve and the
following day, but I’ll be available for duty any of the other
days.”

Warren and Hans said they would be around.
Though they didn’t volunteer anything more, I had the feeling
neither of them had any family.

“I’ll be around, too,” Terian added.

As far as I knew, he hadn’t yet contacted
Titus. Maybe Christmas wasn’t the ideal time to visit demons, even
if they were your father.

“Janice, Ivan, Cia, I, and Aran Jr. will be
spending the holidays here,” Aran said. “I think I speak for the
rest when I ask why you need us all here when Theo will be with
Sarelle at all times, and Terian will be with you and Theoron. The
holidays are always slow for Solutions, Inc.”

“Not this year,” Danial said darkly.
“Everyone, I will be gone for the two weeks directly before and
after Christmas, including New Year’s Eve. Terian will accompany
me, but the rest of you will remain here to keep my son and
daughter safe.”

A few gasps sounded from around me. I barely
registered them, in shock. Danial had never missed Christmas since
I had come into his life. He would be missing Theoron’s first
Christmas.

Elle was the first to recover. “Dad, you
can’t not be here for Christmas!”

“What’s happened?” I asked loudly. “”Is this
some big case?”

“This is tying up loose ends in preparation
for a party, one I’m not going to alone,” Danial replied coolly.
“There is a Gathering on New Year’s Eve. We have been invited; you,
Theoron and I.”

“What kind of Gathering?” I asked,
worried.

“A Vampire Gathering,” he said anxiously.
“Likely the largest in history.”

“What vampires will be there?” I asked
fearfully.

He let out a breath. “All of them.”

Chapter
Seven

Danial, Theo, and I
faced each other alone in the great room. Danial was weary, yet
Theo wore a pleased expression on his face. When Danial glanced at
Theo a second later, the pleased look was quickly replaced by a
scowl.

Everyone had cleared out almost immediately
after Danial’s announcement, Cia leading a reluctant Elle away,
Theoron in her arms, the festive plans to group-trim the tree
abandoned. We’d been fighting for the last ten minutes.

“I’m not going,” I said vehemently, for the
third time. “No way.”

“Sar, you must go,” Danial pleaded. “You are
Theoron’s mother. These Gatherings are only ever held to recognize
great events, maybe once every century. The last was a hundred and
five years ago, when Michael became the Ruler of Asia. You will not
have to do this every year.”

I looked at him stonily. “No.”

“I get letters weekly now asking for us to
attend parties in our honor. Presents have begun arriving, all
manner of toys. Soon they will be daily. Their authors all ask the
same thing: to see Theoron, either by visiting us here, or by us
coming to visit them. Soon there will not be one V.I.V. who has not
contacted me.”

“V.I.V.?”

“Very Important Vampire,” Theo supplied. “I
know, the acronym sucks.”

I suppressed a smirk.

“I have refused them all, but pretty soon
they are just going to start showing up,” Danial warned angrily.
“You’ll not think it humorous then, either of you.”

“I don’t think it’s amusing now,” Theo
growled.

“Let them come,” I said, folding my arms
across my chest. “Let them come here to the United States if
they’re so hell bent on seeing me and Theoron.”

“You will not feel safe here when there are
twenty vampires in Alan’s Creek, and their guards outnumber ours,”
Danial said darkly. “My home’s location is likely not a secret to
other Rulers, and they are not above telling secrets in order to
gain the first glimpse of our son. Now listen to my proposal.”

“I’m listening.”

“This is a request in name only,” Danial
continued impatiently, his eyes tinged red. “We must attend the
Gathering, or there will be dire consequences. All of the Rulers—or
Lords, as some of them prefer—have signed the letter I received
inviting us. Samuel of Europe, Michael of the Far East, Zane of
Africa, Perseus of South America, and Ebediah, who oversees Canada,
and the Northern territories have all guaranteed your safety, and
that of Theoron’s—”

“Have they guaranteed yours?” Theo asked
pointedly.

Danial didn’t answer, but from the look he
gave Theo, they had not.

“What if they attack you?” I asked, scared.
“They could kill you, Danial.”

Danial lost his composure. “Sar, Theo, you
know if I refuse, there will be trouble! I have no reason that I
can use as an excuse not to go! Sar must be there. Even if they
were not asking to see her, I would demand that she go. I will not
leave her alone when they know how far I would be from her, unable
to protect her. It would be too easy for something to go wrong if
the three of us were separated.”