Mother,” he said as gently as he could.
“Maybe not,” she mused thoughtfully. “She seems to be rather headstrong.”
David snorted. His mother didn’t know the half of it. Ryssa had the temperament of a feral kitten and the mouth of a career sailor. She was fierce and proud and... Wait. Where was he going with this?
“Fortunately,” his mother smiled, pinning him with the same obdurate gaze he’d inherited, “I have a bit of experience with stubborn, headstrong people.”
He chuckled a little at that. She had always told him that he’d inherited his mulishness from her.
Elizabeth patted the bed beside her. “David, come sit with me for a moment.”
He moved closer and eased his weight down, taking his mother’s hand in his. He was shocked by how cold it felt. He sandwiched it between his own, willing the heat into her.
Her expression was serious. “I want you to make me a promise, David.”
“Anything, Mother.”
“I want you to look after Ryssa after I’m gone. She needs someone, David.”
No, she didn’t, he countered silently. She already had someone. He hated the bitter taste that thought left in his mouth. It was on the tip of his tongue to say so, but for whatever reason, he didn’t.
David shook his head. “You don’t know what you are asking for, Mother.”
“Please, David. It will be my last request of you.”
“Christ,” he muttered, fighting to keep the moisture contained in his eyes, where it belonged. “Don’t say things like that to me.”
“It’s the truth, David,” she said softly. “It is almost time. You can feel it, too.”
He lifted his chin defiantly. “I feel nothing of the sort.”
Elizabeth smiled, seeing her son’s stubborn streak blatantly showing itself. “Maybe she would be good for you, too,” she said quietly.
He snorted again, inwardly reeling at the implications. “Her? Really? That’s what you envision as a daughter-in-law?”
Her smile faded, and her expression turned sad. “What happened to you, David? What made you so jaded that you cannot look past the surface and see what lies beneath?”
David felt her words like a slap. “Mother, I didn’t mean it like that.”
She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “Never mind me, David. It’s just the ramblings of an old woman who doesn’t want her only son to wind up bitter and alone. I’m tired now. We can talk more in the morning.”
After a few more deep breaths, Elizabeth was asleep. Still reeling somewhat, David tucked the covers around her and kissed her forehead.
“I love you,” he whispered against her cool skin. But how could he ever keep such a promise?
Chapter 5 – The Times, They Are A-Changing
“H ey baby.”
Jax’s familiar and affectionate greeting was most welcome when Ryssa collapsed on the couch. What was it about David Corrigan that sapped the last of her strength? Whenever she was around him, her heart pounded and blood fired in her veins. The man was insufferable! And then afterward, she felt cold, empty, drained.
The last thing she needed was for him to go all white-knight on her because of some misplaced sense of chivalry. She didn’t want to endure another night of Karthik’s focused attention because David Corrigan decided she needed saving. She was quite possibly the only immortal who could match the demon lord in power, which meant he didn’t have to hold back in exacting “payment” for fear of breaking her. Her pain, given willingly, was the purest, most potent form of demon “food” there was, and Karthik would exploit any and all opportunities for more.
“Hey, Jax,” she murmured in response, closing her eyes before her head even hit the back of the sofa.
“Tough night?”
“Yeah.”
“Want some sugar?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
He placed a box of chocolate glazed donuts in her lap. She opened one eye and looked at him suspiciously. “Chocolate glazed? Okay, what’s going on?”
Jax looked away, avoiding her
“Maybe not,” she mused thoughtfully. “She seems to be rather headstrong.”
David snorted. His mother didn’t know the half of it. Ryssa had the temperament of a feral kitten and the mouth of a career sailor. She was fierce and proud and... Wait. Where was he going with this?
“Fortunately,” his mother smiled, pinning him with the same obdurate gaze he’d inherited, “I have a bit of experience with stubborn, headstrong people.”
He chuckled a little at that. She had always told him that he’d inherited his mulishness from her.
Elizabeth patted the bed beside her. “David, come sit with me for a moment.”
He moved closer and eased his weight down, taking his mother’s hand in his. He was shocked by how cold it felt. He sandwiched it between his own, willing the heat into her.
Her expression was serious. “I want you to make me a promise, David.”
“Anything, Mother.”
“I want you to look after Ryssa after I’m gone. She needs someone, David.”
No, she didn’t, he countered silently. She already had someone. He hated the bitter taste that thought left in his mouth. It was on the tip of his tongue to say so, but for whatever reason, he didn’t.
David shook his head. “You don’t know what you are asking for, Mother.”
“Please, David. It will be my last request of you.”
“Christ,” he muttered, fighting to keep the moisture contained in his eyes, where it belonged. “Don’t say things like that to me.”
“It’s the truth, David,” she said softly. “It is almost time. You can feel it, too.”
He lifted his chin defiantly. “I feel nothing of the sort.”
Elizabeth smiled, seeing her son’s stubborn streak blatantly showing itself. “Maybe she would be good for you, too,” she said quietly.
He snorted again, inwardly reeling at the implications. “Her? Really? That’s what you envision as a daughter-in-law?”
Her smile faded, and her expression turned sad. “What happened to you, David? What made you so jaded that you cannot look past the surface and see what lies beneath?”
David felt her words like a slap. “Mother, I didn’t mean it like that.”
She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “Never mind me, David. It’s just the ramblings of an old woman who doesn’t want her only son to wind up bitter and alone. I’m tired now. We can talk more in the morning.”
After a few more deep breaths, Elizabeth was asleep. Still reeling somewhat, David tucked the covers around her and kissed her forehead.
“I love you,” he whispered against her cool skin. But how could he ever keep such a promise?
Chapter 5 – The Times, They Are A-Changing
“H ey baby.”
Jax’s familiar and affectionate greeting was most welcome when Ryssa collapsed on the couch. What was it about David Corrigan that sapped the last of her strength? Whenever she was around him, her heart pounded and blood fired in her veins. The man was insufferable! And then afterward, she felt cold, empty, drained.
The last thing she needed was for him to go all white-knight on her because of some misplaced sense of chivalry. She didn’t want to endure another night of Karthik’s focused attention because David Corrigan decided she needed saving. She was quite possibly the only immortal who could match the demon lord in power, which meant he didn’t have to hold back in exacting “payment” for fear of breaking her. Her pain, given willingly, was the purest, most potent form of demon “food” there was, and Karthik would exploit any and all opportunities for more.
“Hey, Jax,” she murmured in response, closing her eyes before her head even hit the back of the sofa.
“Tough night?”
“Yeah.”
“Want some sugar?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
He placed a box of chocolate glazed donuts in her lap. She opened one eye and looked at him suspiciously. “Chocolate glazed? Okay, what’s going on?”
Jax looked away, avoiding her
Similar Books
