Made By Design (Blood Bound Series Book 2) (9 page)

Ignoring the rising tension, Kendrick cut in. “You didn’t tell her about Vanessa, so get over it. Now back to this.” He picked up the book from between two planks of charred wood. “The ingredients were the same, Pure Blood and silver nitrate with one unidentifiable substance. Though,” he said sounding more hopeful, “the way they were combined is new.”

“Yeah,” I said, trying to focus on this rather than Ty. Right now he was staring into space, totally closed off. “But we have no idea who was infected with what, or when, or even what the extent of the infection is. This gives us nothing to go on.”

“Almost nothing…” Kendrick opened the back cover and pointed to the bottom right hand corner. There in small inked handwriting different to the experimental notes was
property of E.B. 1604.

“The book belonged to someone before your uncle,” Ty said, the hurt from his expression dissolving.

I gulped, knowing that what I was about to say matched Kendrick’s own suspicions. “Caius was continuing someone else’s experiments.”

An exhaust rumbled as Ty’s WRX rolled up the driveway. My heart rate spiked. It was the following day after back-to-back flights home. Now Ty was here for my mom’s mandatory dinner. Chomping into a fifth piece of chocolate from my bedside table, I tugged on a fresh tank top and jeans and shot downstairs, flinging open the front door.

Ty froze then smiled, finger retracting from the doorbell. “I didn’t even hear you.” Even in my casual clothes his eyes drank me in.

I smiled back and couldn’t help checking him out too. Ty looked the perfect gentleman, in black cotton pants and a pinstriped black shirt with the top two buttons undone. The setting sun and purple-glazed horizon in the background added to the view, making his tan skin bronze. My pulse thrummed and I glanced at his lips, so badly wanting to kiss him. Now wasn’t the time. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his muscular neck and breathed him in. My mouth watered. “You smell amazing.”

Though it had been just over an hour since Ty dropped us home from the airport, he said, “It’s good to see you, too.”

“Oh good, you’re here.” Mom’s sudden presence and sharp voice sent a spasm through my bones.

Trying to keep the irritation from my face, I released Ty and took his hand before turning back to my mom.

Ty bowed, casting a fisted hand over his chest. “Good evening, Ms. Lamont. Thank you for the invitation tonight.”

Mom stood so still she almost resembled an angelic statue, her long dress stunning but face frozen with guarded curiousness. Her icy stare traveled up and down Ty. This was the first time she’d seen him since finding out the truth. Now it was like the veil of his true identity had been lifted and she was trying to figure him out, picking up on the subtle differences that had been there all along. “Well, it’s arctic out here. Please, come inside.” She spun and glided back through the house, leaving us to follow after.

Inside the dining room Dorian and Kendrick were already seated. Dorian seemed his regular, carefree self, while the tension coming off Kendrick poisoned the air.

Dorian smiled. “Hey Malau.”

Kendrick made eye contact, not bothering to cloak his true feelings. “Ty.”

At least he didn’t call him flea bag.

Mom stood at the head of the hardwood table that matched the hutch and tall wine rack along the back wall. “Take your seats. Dorian, will you assist me with dinner?”

Mom disappeared from the room with Dorian bounding after her. Moments later Dorian reappeared with four full plates, expertly balancing two on each arm. The smell of colorful food hit me, making my stomach grumble as steam rose from the delicate china. I knew what Mom had prepared, her favorite dish; orange-stuffed turkey served with orange-glazed garden vegetables. Instant relief washed over me. For some reason, even though it would be crazy, I had kinda expected her to serve blood soup, or a leg straight off a deer. Though I’m sure Ty wouldn’t have minded the second option.

Mom glided through the doorway then and my relief vanished. She carried her own full plate and a decanter brimming with chilled blood. So that was her plan. Turn Ty off me by blatantly displaying our differences.

“Mom, come on,” I said. Evening meals in our home were served with blood, but we never drank it around anyone other than vampire. “You’re just doing this to—”

“To show Ty exactly whom he’s involved with,” she interrupted. She set her plate at the head of the table and filled her wine glass.

Ty cleared his throat, his hand squeezing my knee under the table. “It’s fine, Ms. Lamont. I don’t have a problem with any of you drinking blood. It’s part of being a vampire.”

Mom’s gaze narrowed for the briefest moment at Ty. Then she raised the crystal glass to take in the blood’s aroma. “How understanding of you.” She lowered the glass to her mouth to take a sip, and then licked her red-tinted lips clean. “Ah, AB. My favorite.” She looked pointedly to Ty. “Pre-packaged, of course. Although nothing beats fresh from the source. What type are you?”

Ty didn’t even flinch. “Well, if you must know, I’m—”

“Don’t answer that.” I glared at my mom. Her question had momentarily shocked me into silence. Now I couldn’t believe how out of line she was. “Mom, seriously? Cheap tricks?”

“Yeah, Mom,” Dorian spoke up. “Even I know you’re fighting a losing battle.”

She waved us off. “I am simply trying to get to know the
boy
you refuse to abstain from, Amelia.” Her tone was condescending and dismissive. “If he
is
going to be part of your life, and subsequently ours, then he needs to know how we live.”

“Can’t argue logic.” Kendrick nodded at my mom.

Ty’s heated hand slid from my thigh to take my hand. I peered up to see him looking past me at my mom. “Ms. Lamont, I want you to know that I am devoted to your daughter in every way. I accept all the things that mark her as a vampire. When it comes to Amelia, there has never been any question in my mind about who she is or how I feel about her.”

Butterfly wings batted through my heart at Ty’s heartfelt words, while Kendrick’s mood became stormy. He already knew how I felt about Ty, but hearing how deep Ty’s feelings ran for me was hurting him. After Mom’s actions, even though he’d known it was unlikely, he’d hoped Ty’s feelings for me would turn. The opposite occurring only showed him how much Ty truly cared.

Mom pursed her lips. “So I see.” She motioned to the decanter. “Would you do the honors then, Ty?”

Ty stood and grasped the decanter without pause and proceeded to fill our glasses. To show Mom how true Ty’s words were, I picked up my glass and sipped.

Dorian pulled a bottle of red from the wine rack behind him and held it out to Ty. “Red wine?”

Ty shook his head. “No, thank you. The blood is fine.”

Scarlet spurted from my mouth, spraying across my plate and food. Around the table Kendrick’s eyes narrowed at Ty, Dorian stood frozen with the bottle of red in his hand, and Mom stared with wide eyes.

“Ty, you don’t…” I began.

Ty filled his own glass and sat back down. “Amelia may not have yet mentioned it,” he said, glancing at my mom. “But I’m a hybrid. Mostly lycan, but there’s still a bit of vamp in me. I don’t require blood like a full vampire. That’s been bred out. Still, I do enjoy the taste of a good chilled AB.”

Mom sat frozen for a few long moments while Ty’s words webbed into my mind. His confession had shocked me too, and worry at Mom’s reaction had my hands shaking. Of course I’d known he was a hybrid, part lycan and part vampire. The one time we’d spoken about it was when I’d recalled the horrific tale of the vampire heir who fell for a werewolf. Ty’s grandmother was that werewolf. That union had caused the wolves to rebel, abandoning their roles as guardians and slaves when the heir had been burned alive with the pregnant werewolf to be executed next. The battle saw Ty’s grandmother escaping intact.

I thought back to my dreamscape with Ty. He’d said he didn’t need blood to survive. He’d never said he still drank, or even enjoyed the taste of human blood.

“Have you tasted my daughter’s blood?” Mom asked suddenly.

Before I got the chance to answer, Kendrick’s strained but sure voice rang out. “No! Of course he hasn’t.” The thought alone made him feel like barfing.

Ty spoke up. “No, I have not, Ms. Lamont. And I understand your concern. I want to assure you that I would never bite Amelia. Being a hybrid, my bite isn’t fatal unless I’ve transformed, or have my canines extended.” He opened his mouth, lifting his upper lip. Small and sharp vampire teeth grew from his flat human ones. Then his irises rippled gold and a separate, larger set of canines slid free, not from existing teeth, but straight from his gums. Both sets retracted and Ty released his lifted lip. “As you can see, I control both sets. Still, I would never take the chance of hurting Amelia.”

With the infinite silence that followed, our immaculate dinners were going cold. Finally Mom drew back her shoulders and took a deep breath. “I—this is a lot to digest. I do appreciate your honesty, Ty. Though I am sure you can understand that I am still concerned.” She clasped her hands together on the table. “So I want to be as clear as possible. Hybrid or not, The Council will not accept your relationship. But apart from my position, that is a world I’d prefer my children not become involved with. So as long as that remains the case, and there is no suspicion on their part, I won’t send Amelia away.”

“Wow,” I couldn’t help saying. “Mom, thank you.”

“I am not done.” Her steely gaze turned on Ty. “Amelia knows my restrictions and she can relay. But this one I want you to hear from me. Under no circumstance are you to transform with my daughter present. No exceptions. And you are never to taste her blood, canines absent or not. If I find out even one of my conditions has been ignored, you will never see her again.”

Ty stood and fisted a hand over his chest. “I swear on my blood that I will never endanger your daughter. If there was ever a choice, I would risk my life to keep her safe.”

~

Later that evening I ventured down to the beach with Dorian and Kendrick. With my mom accepting our relationship for now, Ty thought it was time to bridge the gap between his pack and us. Even with his confidence, I was full of nerves. The wolves hated us, and his pack was born and raised to kill our kind.

I gulped as we trekked along the sandy path to the beach. Dorian jogged ahead, not concerned in the slightest. Kendrick remained close, feeling as uneasy as I was. Past the railed path, the glow of a roaring bonfire added light to the night, its crackling and spitting almost extinguished the shore-kissing waves. Dorian had already met the group, waving hellos before squatting beside Vanessa on a thick broken log.

Ty stood as we made our way across the cold sand. He wore casual pants and a Skillet shirt matching the tunes coming from the small boom box beside him. One hand was bent behind his back, and the grin on his face was infectious.

What was he up to?

Kendrick, who had been eying the group with a look that could crack a mirror, glanced at me. “Fire
and
wolves? This should be fun.”

“It’ll be fine,” I reassured. “They won’t try anything with Ty here.”

“We’ll see.”

I waved as we met the group.

“Hi, Amelia, Kendrick.” Vanessa smiled, the picture of perfection in knee-high boots over black jeans and a designer jacket. She sat separating Dorian from Troy and Marika, confident but on guard.

Marika sat hard up against the tall, dark, and built-to-fight Troy, with her hand in his lap. She looked me over, disgust plain in her golden sneer.

Troy’s loathing look shifted from my brother to us. “Great. Now there’s three.”

Vanessa clapped. “Wow, you can count. What an achievement.”

With Troy’s glare redirected, Kendrick reluctantly took a seat on another log across the fire.

Ty took my hand and pulled me down too, the fire’s flames heating my face. He then drew his arm from behind his back, presenting a single long-stemmed white rose. “For my beautiful girl.”

“Poser,” Kendrick mock-coughed.

Marika
huffed
, flinging her black hair over her shoulder while Troy lifted his chin in defiance. “You let that leech talk to you like that?”

Ty’s irises flared, the look on his face a direct command for Troy to butt out.

To avoid the possible alpha/beta showdown, I grasped the rose, breathing in its perfumed petals. The only flowers I’d ever been given had been from Caius. The memories made me feel nauseous, while Ty’s gesture warmed my heart. I’d never received any kind of flower from a guy before, let alone one as hot as Ty. “You shouldn’t have.”

Ty wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close, taking my bottom lip between his. “You taste like mint chocolate.”

Feeling everyone’s eyes on me, my face grew even hotter. At the same instant Kendrick’s stomach churned. Ty may as well have kissed him for what he experienced through our bond. I tried to pull up the walls in my mind even though the damage was already done. But being like this with Ty killed my concentration to the point of nonexistence.

“So what should we get up to over winter break?” Ty lifted a brow, the insinuation in his words and expression unmissable.

I frowned and shrugged. “I don’t know. What did you have in mind?”

Ty flashed me his perfect smoldering smile, one that if I’d been standing would have brought me to my knees. “Oh, I have a few thoughts,” he purred, running his hand down my arm and grazing the side of my breast suggestively.

My breath caught and my foot slid out, Vans catching flame and melting at the tip. I glanced around. Across the fire Marika had begun whispering in Troy’s ear, while Dorian and Vanessa spoke quietly. Kendrick was staring out at the waves, jaw clenched. The thought of intimacy and sex with Ty had my face burning brighter than the roaring fire. My body ached for his touch but my thoughts spun, mirroring Kendrick’s dismal mood. Though not for the same reason. I had promised my mom as part of her letting me see Ty that I wouldn’t be intimate with him, ever. And with Kendrick watching and feeling through our bond, I couldn’t even consider the act, let alone anything leading up to it. I for one couldn’t put Kendrick through the agony of feeling me with Ty. On top of that, I had never given myself to anyone. Bar that one dreamscape with Ty, I hadn’t even come close. It was an epic step.