To Love a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,42

staring up at the dark, starry sky and wishing they would fade away into the sun, and that it, too, would crawl back over the sky and I could travel back to last night. If I could have just said how I felt.

If I only knew how I felt.

Fifteen

A Touchy Breed

Amid all of my jumbled thoughts and awful bad timing, Raske has decided to go ahead with his plan to bring peace with a mortal and mystic union.

“The four of you will go to the camp and mingle with your people, Fallon. You still have friends there, yes?” Lord Raske asks as he addresses Luca, Kaino, Declan and myself.

I nod, thinking of all the people my mother helped at the camp over the years. She was a doctor. The local clinic was only allowed to see the dying. The sick had to fend for themselves and often sought out my mother’s help.

My stomach turns just thinking about how many of them have died without a physician.

“Good, walk around with Kaino and Luca, make yourselves seen. Explain. Explain our community. Explain where you’ve been and how free and wonderful it all is—how happy you are.”

How happy I am. My thoughts drift to Asher and his confession as well as my twisting and disorganized feelings. I nod anyway, agreeing to my supposed happiness. From the corner of my eye, I see Gabriel followed by Asher walk into the tent. They stand back, talking quietly among themselves as we finish up our meeting.

“Declan, you’re to stay unseen. You’re an outstanding warrior but your presence in the human community just won’t work in our favor.”

“Of course,” the hybrid says as he drums his fingers absently against the wooden table.

Raske turns toward his son, Kaino. He and Shane listen closely for what their lord has to say, but his words never leave his mouth.

“I’d like to go as well,” Asher says as he strides up to the end of the table, a pleasant look filling his features. My shoulders tense from the sound of his voice, as if he might tell me he loves me all over again and then disappear the moment he says it. “The community knows Fallon was taken by a hybrid. Let her explain herself, explain the mystics in the naturally good light we always seem to be in.” He smirks but no one else shares his humor, aside from Gabriel who clasps his friend’s shoulder, the two of them passing a sarcastic look between themselves.

Kaino and Luca look to their father immediately who simply stares at the hybrid as if he’s suggested we all start doing some quiet book clubs at night instead of celebrations.

“Unfortunately, that doesn’t sound like a good idea, Asher. The humans are a touchy breed, their emotions run higher than ours.”

My head turns slowly toward the mystic seated at the head of the table, my narrowed eyes focusing only on him.

“A touchy breed?” I repeat carefully, in an attempt to find a less disparaging meaning.

I wonder if he’d still think we were pathetically emotional if he knew how much his son cared for the werewolf seated next to him. If he knew his daughter hasn’t stopped talking about a redheaded hybrid since he blindly walked into this community. If he knew that I can’t even begin to explain my emotions let alone feel them.

“The human society has just been raised that way, Fallon. I’m not belittling your race.” His warm eyes smile down at me and I force myself not reply.

“As I was saying, the plan has been made. I appreciate your interest but now is not a good time to introduce a hybrid into a human society.”

My fists clench at my sides, beneath the table my hands are little wads of fury.

“Asher’s going. The humans will wrap their tiny minds around my friendship with the hybrid. They’ll understand that genetics don’t decide if someone is good or bad. They’ll see the good in Asher, just like I do.”

The room couldn’t be quieter if we were all dead. Luca’s dark brows are raised so high I wonder if she wishes we were.

I shouldn’t have said all that.

My heart pounds as I look to Asher at the opposite end of the table. The corner of his lips pull up into a hesitant but arrogant smile.

“Then it’s settled.” Asher raises his palms up as if everything is crystal clear now. “The humans will love me as much as your princess does,” he says with a wink, not allowing