statement sobered him up, completely. The monster sinking back into the depths in which it slept.
Assisting the siblings was his mission. Nothing more.
“Where should we begin?” she asked, sucking in a sniffle and letting out an uneasy breath.
“The ring, as you said, seems to be of some importance. We will pay Emily a visit, but not until morning. If you truly do not wish to alarm your brothers, we should wait until they depart for the cave at Bloodsucker Bay.”
“And what do we do now? There’s no way I’m falling back to sleep tonight.” She didn’t want any more dreams, of the prophetic or steamy kind!
He disappeared in a blur, returning a moment later with a stack of books.
“Perhaps, if we are lucky, we will locate information regarding Emily’s ring.”
“I don’t feel that lucky at the moment, William, but hand me a book.”
She spent the remaining hours of night flipping through page after page, but found nothing that looked anything like the ring Emily wore. William, even reading at speeds no human could imagine, did not have any better luck. Daylight crept upon them and Melinda tiptoed back into her bedroom. She wanted to at least pretend she had slept through the night, so as not to worry her brothers. When she heard them stirring in the hallway just minutes later, she exited her room, dressed and ready to go.
“Rough night, Sis?” questioned Charlie, instantly concerned when he saw her.
“Why do you say that?”
“You don’t look... rested.”
“A little tossing and turning, nothing to worry about.”
Once the siblings had gathered in the kitchen, Michael shot a sideways glance at her.
“Oh my God, Michael. I’m fine. You guys go check out the damn cave already!”
“Melinda, I don’t even need my empathy. I can almost see the anxiety pouring off you. Although, the panic you’re emitting right now is shouting pretty loudly too.”
“Don’t use your empathic abilities on me, Michael.”
How were they supposed to function with a brother who was an empath? A death reader was one thing, but it was impossible to keep one’s true feelings to themselves. She wondered if he’d picked up on her feelings about William. God! I’ll never hear the end of it, if that happens.
As if his presence had been requested, William breezed into the kitchen standing just behind her. Melinda told herself to rein it in, but his arrival kicked off another series of heart flutters. She hoped Michael assumed it was whatever bothered her already, and nothing to do with the vampire.
William meandered to the other side of the kitchen near Charlie, his breathing strained.
Michael wasn’t ready to drop the subject. “Melinda, what’s going on?”
“It’s nothing, really,” she insisted again. “I already talked to William about it and we have it all sorted out, don’t we?” Her eyes pleaded with him not to tell.
“It is nothing of consequence,” William confirmed with ease.
“If William says they have it under control, I say we get going,” Charlie chimed in.
“The jeep is packed and ready,” Michael informed him.
“Let’s get moving then.”
“You two be careful, okay?” Melinda hugged each of them.
As soon as her brother’s jeep had left the garage and pulled away, William held out his hand motioning for Melinda to lead the way.
Their intention was to bump into Emily as she stopped for her morning coffee. Melinda ignored the people she crossed paths with, not in the mood for the local’s uncomfortable stares.
It was a tense walk. William just inches to her side. Normally, his presence would be a comfort. Today it was maddening. Why did he have to have such an appealing strut?
She tugged at her lip, trying to keep her heart beating at normal rhythm, forcing her hands deep into the pockets of her sweater.
He glanced down at her five foot three frame, his gaze narrow. Penetrating. Perplexed.
She gulped, her cheeks getting hot. She kept her gaze forward at that
Assisting the siblings was his mission. Nothing more.
“Where should we begin?” she asked, sucking in a sniffle and letting out an uneasy breath.
“The ring, as you said, seems to be of some importance. We will pay Emily a visit, but not until morning. If you truly do not wish to alarm your brothers, we should wait until they depart for the cave at Bloodsucker Bay.”
“And what do we do now? There’s no way I’m falling back to sleep tonight.” She didn’t want any more dreams, of the prophetic or steamy kind!
He disappeared in a blur, returning a moment later with a stack of books.
“Perhaps, if we are lucky, we will locate information regarding Emily’s ring.”
“I don’t feel that lucky at the moment, William, but hand me a book.”
She spent the remaining hours of night flipping through page after page, but found nothing that looked anything like the ring Emily wore. William, even reading at speeds no human could imagine, did not have any better luck. Daylight crept upon them and Melinda tiptoed back into her bedroom. She wanted to at least pretend she had slept through the night, so as not to worry her brothers. When she heard them stirring in the hallway just minutes later, she exited her room, dressed and ready to go.
“Rough night, Sis?” questioned Charlie, instantly concerned when he saw her.
“Why do you say that?”
“You don’t look... rested.”
“A little tossing and turning, nothing to worry about.”
Once the siblings had gathered in the kitchen, Michael shot a sideways glance at her.
“Oh my God, Michael. I’m fine. You guys go check out the damn cave already!”
“Melinda, I don’t even need my empathy. I can almost see the anxiety pouring off you. Although, the panic you’re emitting right now is shouting pretty loudly too.”
“Don’t use your empathic abilities on me, Michael.”
How were they supposed to function with a brother who was an empath? A death reader was one thing, but it was impossible to keep one’s true feelings to themselves. She wondered if he’d picked up on her feelings about William. God! I’ll never hear the end of it, if that happens.
As if his presence had been requested, William breezed into the kitchen standing just behind her. Melinda told herself to rein it in, but his arrival kicked off another series of heart flutters. She hoped Michael assumed it was whatever bothered her already, and nothing to do with the vampire.
William meandered to the other side of the kitchen near Charlie, his breathing strained.
Michael wasn’t ready to drop the subject. “Melinda, what’s going on?”
“It’s nothing, really,” she insisted again. “I already talked to William about it and we have it all sorted out, don’t we?” Her eyes pleaded with him not to tell.
“It is nothing of consequence,” William confirmed with ease.
“If William says they have it under control, I say we get going,” Charlie chimed in.
“The jeep is packed and ready,” Michael informed him.
“Let’s get moving then.”
“You two be careful, okay?” Melinda hugged each of them.
As soon as her brother’s jeep had left the garage and pulled away, William held out his hand motioning for Melinda to lead the way.
Their intention was to bump into Emily as she stopped for her morning coffee. Melinda ignored the people she crossed paths with, not in the mood for the local’s uncomfortable stares.
It was a tense walk. William just inches to her side. Normally, his presence would be a comfort. Today it was maddening. Why did he have to have such an appealing strut?
She tugged at her lip, trying to keep her heart beating at normal rhythm, forcing her hands deep into the pockets of her sweater.
He glanced down at her five foot three frame, his gaze narrow. Penetrating. Perplexed.
She gulped, her cheeks getting hot. She kept her gaze forward at that
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