The Hidden (The Hidden Trilogy) (38 page)

Yet another reminder that I didn’t belong in his world.

He squeezed my hand. “You’ll do fine,” he said, pushing the front door open.

I hoped so. I
really, really
hoped so.

The house looked the same. Same antique furnishings, same pieces of art on the walls, same marble floors, same chandeliers. Familiarity should be comforting, but in this case, it wasn’t. It reminded me of a time I wanted to forget.

Emily gripped my hand harder, her eyes growing wide at the sea of young, beautiful faces. I’d reminded her in the car that she wouldn’t see anyone who appeared to be over twenty-five, including my parents. Judging by her expression, seeing it firsthand was quite different from simply hearing about it.

Her heart hammered away, her breathing coming in rapid gasps. A couple passing us gave her an odd look, no doubt wondering why this pre-mature Healer appeared to be having a panic attack among her own people.

I should’ve told her what she was before tonight. I should’ve–

Fuck.

Scowling, I balled my hands into fists. How the hell did I even
begin
that conversation?
Hey, so you know how I’m not human? Well, guess what...

Tonight. I’d tell her tonight, no more excuses.

I grabbed two champagne flutes from the silver tray of a passing waiter and handed one to Emily. “Drink this. It’ll help you relax.”

She downed it in two gulps, then grabbed mine and drank that too.

Okaaay…

I took the empty glasses from her and set them on the tray of another waiter, just as Mel came rushing up.

“You guys look great!” she gushed, hugging Emily. Em’s eyes widened as she awkwardly returned the embrace. “And
you
,” Mel said, letting go of Emily to face me. “You look handsome, as always.” She hugged me tightly, whispering into my ear, “I’m so glad you came home.” 

I patted her back, just as awkwardly as Em had, and pulled away. She smoothed my lapels, her eyes watering before quickly wiping them. 

“Come on.” Mel’s smile returned as she grabbed Emily’s hand. “My mother wants to meet you.”

Em looked up at me with horror as Mel started to pull her away. I took her hand in mine and followed them through the crowd. A frown settled on my face as I thought of what a bad,
bad
idea this was.

I swear to God, if that woman so much as breathes a
word
of Emily’s true nature…

Well, I’d fucking kill her.

Mel pulled me along, through the throng of gorgeous immortals. She wasn’t exactly
easy
as she maneuvered me–or maybe it was just my human clumsiness–but I bumped into many people, rubbing up against priceless couture in the process. It earned me quite a few dirty looks and mutterings, which were quickly silenced by Thomas’s looming presence directly behind me, and the death-glares I’m sure he gave them on my behalf.

But every time it happened, I mumbled my apologies anyway.

Off to the side, a group of men milled about, the tall blond in the middle catching my eye. I recognized him immediately. He was about Thomas’s height, with eyes the color of sapphire and his long, wheat-colored hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He had the same features–same square jaw, same high cheekbones, and the same straight nose as the man holding my hand. 

Thomas’s father looked more like his slightly older brother.

His eyes met mine, his lips lifting into a minute smile. He inclined his head and raised his champagne flute.

I smiled, feeling my skin heat. It was clear where Thomas got his good looks from, though I felt kind of icky for finding his father foxy...

Mel pulled me into a clearer area, where several sets of people stood and talked. There was a trio of beautiful women in front of us, with an intimidating blond in the center, who was clearly the leader of this little group.

She looked about my age, maybe a little younger. She wore a simple black strapless dress that dusted the floor and clung to her curves. Her hair was up in an elegant chignon, and the diamond earrings dangling from her earlobes were as big as Buicks.

I had no doubt they were real.

Her pale blue eyes fixed on me as soon as I came into view. They were the same eyes I saw every time I looked into Thomas’s face.

The two women flanking her excused themselves as Mel let go of my hand. Thomas didn’t. “Emily, this is my mother, Katerina,” he said.

I didn’t know whether to nod, bow, curtsy, or shake her hand, so I remained still, smiling as I said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Her eyes raked over me, narrowing as she scrutinized me. “I’m sure.” Her cold voice had a slight British accent.

Thomas cleared his throat. In return, she forced a small smile at me.

Yep, this was about what I expected. I knew she wouldn’t take kindly to her son dating a human. Damn it,
why
did I agree to this? What the fuck was I thinking?

I felt myself buckling under the weight of her stare, but I refused to look away first and give her the satisfaction. If she wanted some kind of pissing contest, I’d give her one.

Her cold, neutral face eventually broke into a smirk. “Come. I wish to talk with you privately.” She turned on her heel and started walking through the crowd, people parting easily for her.

Of course people would make way for the ice queen and not little ol’ me. I scowled and followed her, only Thomas choosing to come with us. I glanced back at Mel, who remained in her spot and gave me a nervous smile.

That can’t be a good sign.

Katerina led me down the hallway and into the library, pausing at the door. “I wish to speak with your Emily
alone
, Thomas.”

“Not gonna happen.” He wrapped his arm around me. “I go where she goes.”

They glared at each other before she exhaled sharply and gestured for us to come in. “Nice to see you’re not as stubborn as you once were,” she muttered, flashing him an acidic smile as we walked past her.

“Likewise,” Thomas mumbled as he sat on a Victorian chaise lounge.

I barely had time to appreciate the beauty of the room, with its built-in bookshelves, thousands of leather-bound books (the majority of which I’m sure were first editions), and a marble fireplace that was taller than me.

From the red velvet antique, Thomas held out his hand for me. I took it and sat next to him, our clasped hands resting on my knee.

Katerina sat opposite us in a leather wingback chair. She crossed her legs, her manicured fingernails tapping on the curved armrest’s shiny burgundy material. “So, Emily, what are your plans for my son?”

“My plans?” I frowned, glancing over at Thomas. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand…”

Her gaze was steady on me. “You love him, do you not?”

Thomas squeezed my hand in encouragement. “Yes, of course,” I said.

“Do you wish to marry him?”

My face burned at her directness. Thomas and I hadn’t been going out long enough to talk about marriage before I found out he was…
different
, and now that I knew, I saw no way that we could. I wasn’t stupid. I knew this would end eventually.

Before I could say anything, Thomas answered for me, in a stiff voice. “We haven’t discussed it yet.”

Katerina stood and paced. “As I’m sure you can see, Emily, Thomas has excellent genes. I scoured our race trying to find the strongest and brightest male to mate with, and I found him, in Thomas’s father.”

She stopped close enough to Thomas to reach out and stroke his cheek, but he turned away. Her hand lingered in the air for a second before she pulled it back, a sad smile on her face.

She turned her back on us, pacing again. “Our race needs men like Thomas more than ever. It is his duty–his
birthright
–to propagate his bloodline.”

He clenched my hand so hard that I winced. “If you’re wise, woman, you’ll stop this.
Now
.”

Oh man, if looks could kill…

I’d never seen him this angry, and I
never
wanted to be on the receiving end of that glare. His mother, however, didn’t seem fazed.

She flicked her gaze over to me, her eyes intent. “If you cannot bear him children, then I implore you to let him go, so he can find a proper mate who can.”

“That’s enough!” Thomas dropped my hand as he stood. “Em, go wait outside,” he said, never taking his eyes off mommy dearest.

The sudden onslaught of tension made my heart spike. Adrenaline coursed through me as I got up and left as quickly as I could. The door clicked behind me as it closed, and I made it several feet before the hot tears sprung down my cheeks.

“
What the fuck is wrong with you?
” I stalked over to Kate, getting in her face as I yelled.

She rolled her eyes, making a dismissive wave with her hand. “Don’t be so melodramatic,” she said, trying to walk around me. 

Rage flared in me, and something inside me snapped as my hand wrapped around her throat. Her eyes grew wide momentarily, then narrowed in little angry slits.

Through clenched teeth, I ground out, “I will not let you disrespect her like you do with me, got it?” I released her, pushing her away. 

She stumbled back, rubbing her neck as she glared at me. “
Disrespect
you? I gave you everything!” she screamed. “All the best opportunities, the best education–and how do you repay me? By abandoning your duties and disappearing for forty years!” She picked up the wingback chair and hurled it against the wall, the wood frame splintering apart as books fell from the shelves.

“I didn’t want that lifestyle anymore.” My teeth gritted, my fists clenching by my sides. I wanted to choke the life right out of her. “
Excuse me
for wanting to make my own goddamn decisions!”

Her fervor died down, and for the first time in my nearly three-hundred years, I saw her look weary. “Only
adults
get to make their own decisions, Thomas, and being an adult means you do things not because you want to, but because you must–because it is your
responsibility
.” She hung her head, rubbing her temples. “I don’t care if Emily’s the one you choose to mate with or not. Just pick someone and do it already.”

“And what good would that do, when any children I have will
never
take part in this life?”

Her dark eyes lifted and met mine. I held her stare for a second before leaving, the cold navy of her eyes the last image I had of my mother.

Chapter Sixty

“You must be Emily.”

The soft, feminine voice startled me. I whipped around to see a girl about my height, with long chestnut hair and big, green eyes. With her pale, flawless skin, she looked like a doll come to life.

I tried to peg her age and couldn’t. She appeared to be anywhere from fourteen to twenty, though I knew she could very well be centuries old.

I wiped my eyes, careful not to mess up my mascara even further, and mumbled, “Yeah, how’d you–”

“You’re the only one here I don’t know.” She smiled, but it seemed robotic–almost like it was her best imitation of a human. It was friggin’ creepy.