Page 40 of New Nebraska Home

Because of who his parents were, they didn’t see my little brother as a person deserving of respect. Just like assholes who tried to lay their hands on innocent girls, didn’t see girls or women as people who deserve respect.

I doubted the members of the Temple felt any different about me. It was hard to tell if it was just because I was human or because I was a human with several men of different species living under my roof. When it came right down to it, it didn’t matter. Ignorant hatred was ignorant hatred no matter the cause, and wasting my time pondering the specifics wouldn’t do a damn bit of good.

There were more important things I could overthink.

My head was still spinning from confusion from my dreams about Callum and the way it felt when he’d bitten me, the way it felt when he touched me so tenderly where no man had touched me in some time.

Sitting in Brock’s lap earlier that morning didn’t help my confusion. When he pulled me into his lap during breakfast, like it was a becoming a habit, I knew I should have fought it, especially since Cal was right there. I had no idea if the intimacy Cal and I had shared meant anything or if it was just part of a vampire feeding, but I just couldn’t bring myself to move. Being in Brock’s arms was comforting in a way I hadn’t expected.

He didn’t make me feel small, or like he was protecting me. Instead, he made me feel stronger. I felt calm, clear, and focused when he put his head on my shoulder.

After that cop said those things, I definitely needed some calm, clear focus.

Watching Malik train outside without a shirt and seeing his muscles ripple over his back and abs was not the clarity I was hoping for. If anything, the pull I felt toward him made me that much more confused.

Another knock came at the door again, and with a reluctant sigh, I stood to answer it with a fake smile firmly in place.

“Can I help you?” I asked as I opened the door to a beautiful redhead with a slim body that no amount of YouTube Yoga videos would have ever given me and skin that seemed to radiate youth and wealth. I had no idea who this woman was, but I wanted to hate her instantly on principle. The way she eyed my ripped jeans with disdain wasn’t helping.

“Yeah, hi. My name is Amelia. Osric sent me.” She gave me a bright, confident smile as if I was supposed to know who she was and what an Osric was.

“Who sent you for what?”

“Uh,” she looked a little uncomfortable as she tucked her red hair behind a pointed ear. “Osric, he got a call saying there was a halfling here who needed—”

“Amelia?” Brock called from behind me. He was there in a second, his hand on my lower back, radiating warmth. I shouldn’t have liked him touching me like that when I wanted to kiss his best friend again. Or when I was thinking of Malik seconds ago.

What was wrong with me? Maybe the humidity was getting to me, or maybe I needed to read cleaner books on my Kindle.

No, it was the humidity.

“Amelia, I didn’t know Osric was sending you,” Brock said warmly. He reached out to embrace her, and I ignored the way my stomach knotted.

“Well, I am the strongest Fae on the continent currently, so it would make sense that he called me to assess the young one’s abilities.” She laughed, making a high-pitched noise that sounded more like wind chimes than an actual laugh. I supposed some people found that charming or even appealing. At that moment, I was not one of those people.

“Of course, Amelia. This is Liz. She owns the house and takes care of her little brother.”

“She isn’t the one we are assessing, is she?” The way she looked down her too-perfect nose at me rubbed me the wrong way. Brock shot me an odd look.

“No, it’s her brother. He’s in the back. Why don’t I take you to him?”

I moved out of the way and followed them to the kitchen, where Cal was sitting next to my chair, fishing the crossword out of the newspaper.

“You know vampires are the reason we still do print newspapers?” Cal said, not looking up.

“Because you’re all too old to learn new tech?” Amelia said, and the hostility in her words did not match her sugar-sweet tone.

“No, it’s because blue light does more damage to sensitive eyes,” he answered, glaring at the girl.

Brock looked between everyone, his brows furrowed and lips pursed as he pushed Amelia outside. I couldn’t help but notice how her red polished nails rested on Brock’s shoulders like she was claiming him as her own.

I had no idea what powers my little brother had. In fact, I didn’t even know what powers they had in general. But I kind of hoped that Leif would accidentally turn her hair into spaghetti.

“Who was that?” Cal asked.

“Fae chick, apparently Ostrich-somebody sent her to help Leif,” I said, taking my seat, grabbing my red pen, and pretending to focus back on the newspaper.

The way she eyed Malik up and down like a steak made me hope her help would be effective. And her stay short.

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