Page 54 of House of Royals

“Yes, I know she’s completely bat-shit crazy,” Ian says as he puts his hands on my upper arms. “And she sleeps through half the day most days and Thanksgiving won’t be any different. Let’s you and I go right now and get the food. She won’t know any different.”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. “Why is your grandmother such a bitch to me?”

“Did you just call my ancient, wrinkly, half-crazy grandmother a bitch?” Ian laughs.

“Well, that’s what she is!”

Ian shakes his head with another laugh. “Yeah, she is.” He takes my hand and starts walking me to his van. “But honestly, I think she hates you because she knows what you’re going to be someday.”

“You told her?!” I gasp in horror.

“No, no!” he reassures me as he opens the passenger door for me. I slip in and Ian rests in the doorframe. “Lula has just always had this…vampdar.”

“A vampdar?” I ask in bored disbelief.

“A vampire radar,” Ian just says as a smile tugs on one side of his mouth. “She just knows when one is close by, other than that one time she slept through one breaking into her house. But she knows. Even if you aren’t a vampire yet.”

“Hm,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “Key word isyet.”

“Let it go,” he says as he leans in and presses a kiss to my lips. I try to glare at him as he backs up and walks around the van to the driver’s seat.

Over the past month and a half, Ian and I have become experts in going out into town together without appearing to be together. Because with him being an enemy of the House and me having claim over it and all, it won’t lead to any good, us being seen together by anyone.

So we go to stores together. We each take our own baskets, grab our own food. We pass by each other in the aisles, only slyly making eye contact. We checkout separately and one of us returns to the car and the other follows a few minutes later. That’s the dangerous part, when we drive together. Most days we don’t risk it.

We’ve gone to restaurants together, but separate. I manage to drag out Rath every so often—it’s pretty rare. Ian brings along Elle. We catch each other’s eyes. Smile knowingly and continue with our separate meals.

And most nights one of us sneaks to the other’s house.

It’s a weird, disjointed relationship. We both know our expiration date is approaching, but it doesn’t make it any less delicious before that day.

“ALIVIA, WAKE UP.”

My eyes squint open to find Ian lying right in front of me, his nose only an inch from mine. A smile is already splitting his face. The little wrinkles he gets around his mouth and eyes when he does so sends a wave of happiness through my soul.

“I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“What is it?” I ask, sleepily rubbing an eye.

“Don’t ask questions, just get dressed.”

So I do. It’s cold, even in the house, the last Sunday in November. I pull on a sweater and jeans. Barely able to contain his excitement, Ian takes my hand the second I’m done and drags me down the stairs and out the door. We pile into his van, and he heads down the driveway.

“Ian, where are we going?” I ask with a laugh. His excitement is contagious.

“I realized that in this town, I’m never going to be able to take you on a proper date,” he says as he takes one of my hands in his. He raises it to his lips and presses a kiss to the back of my hand. “So I thought we’d get out of town for the day. I wanted to go overnight, but I know you have to work tomorrow morning.”

“You’re making me think I should call Fred and tell him I’m sick,” I say as I raise an eyebrow at Ian.

“I’m thinking maybe you should,” he responds, a hungry look in his eyes.

We drive two hours north to Jackson. I flew into the city when I arrived, but immediately left it. It’s a city, much like any other. A mix of old and new buildings. Rolling greenery.

Ian pulls his van into a parking spot outside a restaurant and takes me inside. It smells like potatoes and eggs and bacon and every other amazing breakfast food.

“Table for two?” the hostess says. Ian nods and she takes us to a table toward the back, right next to a window.

After we order, Ian takes both of my hands in his, pressing my knuckles to his lips. He stares at me, studying me in the deepest sense of the word.

---