Page 73 of Love & Heart Braking

I sat back. Just how much had Vera’s curse been shaking my magic? Because if I sprouted damn wings, I had no idea what I’d do. Being a heart elemental was more than enough for me.

I checked the time. 1:50 p.m. Ten minutes before my next client.

Enough time.

I dialed Devereaux’s number.

“Hello?”

Oh. “Mrs. Vincori? It’s Cerys.”

“Cerys! Hi, how are you?”

“Is Devereaux there?” I didn’t want to give anything away.

“He’s just taking out the trash. Are you feeling better? Devvy said you were sick.”

“Thank you. Much better. He said he called you to come watch me.”

“Yes,” she said. “You know, dear, I had no idea you were so close to my son.”

My cheeks flamed. “We’re getting there, I hope.”

“Well, I’m very happy for him. You’re a lovely woman, and my son needs some joy.”

Her words created a strange tightness in my chest. “Thank you. I actually called to ask him on a date. I don’t suppose you can help me out? I’m not sure if what I have in mind is enough.” After botching our first date so completely, I’d decided to do the asking this time. We couldn’t do anything public, and we still hadn’t conducted our “tests” of the curse’s limits yet, but I wanted our first date to be separate from all that. A special night of its own.

“My son isn’t complicated. He loves baseball and helping the Durita community to thrive. He likes to ensure everyone he cares for is okay. And like any predator, he enjoys food, a challenge, and a chase.”

Bingo. I’d nailed my date idea. “That helps a lot.”

She paused. “Have you dated a predator before, dear?”

“Not seriously.” Just had first dates with one hundred or more.

“You know my late husband was a rhage. The descendants of Mars’s line are the most protective type you’ll ever have the fortune to meet. I don’t mean that in the possessive sense. They will protect you on every level, not just the physical. For these men and women, their significant other becomes their entire world—their peace. It’s why I’ve worried about my son meeting someone all these years. Berserkers, like the gen ones of their line, find immense calm in the presence of their chosen love.”

My chest tightened. “They do?”

“If you look closely enough, you might see it one day with my son.”

Pretty sure I already had. The way he deeply inhaled when he entered my apartment and then lost that tension in his shoulders.

“But they aren’t in the typical predator mold either,” she continued. “Berserkers sometimes don’t react in the way expected of modern society. Nearly everything—hunger, hurt, frustration, vulnerability, and disappointment will display for them as intense fury. They often struggle to react in the way they know everyone else expects, and this is a large drain on them.”

I said softly, “Don’t worry, Mrs. Vincori. I understand that Devereaux is unlike other men, and that his anger isn’t directed at me. I don’t expect him to react in any way other than that which comes naturally to him.” Because I know how draining that is.

Her breath hitched. “That makes me very happy.”

I’m sure it did. Most mothers’ love for their children was equal to true love. “Any news from Rion?”

She lowered her voice. “We’re going on a date.”

Eee! “That’s amazing. I wish you well for it.”

“He won’t tell me where we’re going. What do I wear?”

Yeah, guys weren’t great at that part. “Whatever you’re comfortable in.”

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