Page 103 of Wicked Allure
“I just wish Mom and Dad was here to go with us,” he said.
Their smiles died off at the mention of Maynard and Maggie. Tomesha inhaled. Neither of their parents had any reason being dead and gone. Life was unfair, but she was sure the two of them were reconnected in the afterlife.
“Your parents will always be with you. Right in your hearts.” Delonda released the two of them and stepped back, her big brown eyes bright and loving. “Now right those faces and let’s go. We can’t keep these people waiting long.”
Delonda turned and ambled over to the waiting car. One of the drivers opened the door for her and helped her inside. Tomesha faced her brother.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
He stared at their childhood home and sighed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I’m actually looking forward to this. It’ll be good for us.”
Tomesha sensed a presence on the other side of her. She glanced over and found Dru standing next to her.
He looked over at Dru and nodded to her. “Thank you. For everything.”
“There’s no need to thank me. You’re my mate’s family, therefore, you’re my family.” Dru motioned to the house. “There will be cleaners who’ll come and make sure the house is in good shape once we’re gone.”
“Well, my grandmother will have my hide if I don’t give my thanks,” Tarek said. He pressed a kiss to Tomesha’s forehead. He jerked his chin toward the car where their grandmother was. “I’d better go get in with Gran before she talks their ears off.”
Tomesha chuckled and took in their grandmother just chatting away with the vampire guard who stood outside of the vehicle. Tarek jogged over to the car and slipped in beside her. Tomesha spun back to Dru who took her hand in hers. She entwined their fingers and squeezed.
“Thank you,” Tomesha murmured.
Dru shook her head and brought Tomesha’s hand up to her lips. She kissed the back of it and gave a rare fangy smile.
“You don’t need to thank me for anything,” Dru said. “I wish I had answers about your father’s disappearance.”
“We have accepted that he is lost to us. I just pray that if he died, his death was swift. I wouldn’t want to imagine that he is one of those beasts.” Tomesha shuddered. She truly did miss her father and prayed every day that he was in Heaven with her mother. This was not the time to become sad. She glanced back at their home one last time. “But seriously, thank you.”
“Again, no need for gratitude.”
“You heard my brother. Our grandmother will have our hides if we don’t thank you, and believe me, you don’t want to get her upset,” Tomesha teased. Their grandmother had always been a firm believer in ensuring her grandchildren grew up respectful and with manners. She stepped closer to Dru and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I love everything about you and how you’re willing to step in to help my family.”
“And I love you,” Dru said softly.
Tomesha froze. She hadn’t thought she’d ever hear those words. She knew that they were mated, and it was fate and Dru was following her vampiric instincts when it came to discovering the one person she was supposed to be with forever, but nowhere had Tomesha assumed Dru loved her.
“You love me?” Tomesha whispered. She reached up and placed her hands either side of Dru’s face. She studied her vampire and saw the truth in her eyes. How could she not know that Dru loved her? Everything this woman did was love.
“If you have to question my love for you, then I need to work much harder where you can sense it,” Dru replied.
Tomesha brought her head down and covered her lips with hers. The kiss was soft, sweet, and short. Dru rested her forehead against Tomesha’s.
“I love you, too,” Tomesha said. She grinned and couldn’t help but tease her intense vampire general. “Work harder? You’ve done so much already. What more could you do to show me you love me?”
“Miere, this is only just the beginning. I have forever to prove how much I love you.”
The streets of Crystal Cove were covered in mounting snow. The town appeared to be a winter wonderland. The bite of the air was crisp, and even Dru felt the chill. Tomesha’s gloved hand rested in hers as they strolled down the sidewalk of the market district. The streetlights glowed bright, piercing the gloomy evening sky.
Most of the shops were closed except for a few cafés where warm light spilled from their frosted windows along with the scents of bread and seasoned meats. As a vampire, Dru had always been curious about the food humans consumed. It always did smell wonderful. She glanced around, and a calmness overcame her. There was much still going on in the world around them, but right now, at this moment, she was focused on the woman walking beside her.
Tomesha glanced up at her and smiled shyly.
“You’ve been awful quiet as of late,” Tomesha said. She studied Dru for a moment. “Almost as if you were planning something.”
“I’m a general on the brink of war, I’m always planning.” Dru smirked. She squeezed Tomesha’s hand.
They arrived at the corner. She guided Tomesha down a sidewalk where the snow was untouched. The streetlights were bright, casting away any shadows. Dru had no problem seeing in the dark, but she knew her human mate might. At the end of the lane was a small shop, its front newly restored, the door painted a deep navy with silver trim, making it stand out against the pale snowdrifts. Above the shop’s window hung a blank wooden sign, waiting for a name. They slowed to a stop.
