Page 75 of Elemental Healer

“No.” I shook my head and checked my rearview mirror. “I need to do something, or I’ll go insane. Sitting in a passenger seat is not going to cut it.”

“I see. Are you happy?”

My mentor looked concerned when I glanced over at him. We hadn’t had a moment to talk about everything.

A smile lit my face remembering my alone time with Jeff. His words brought me peace that he really loved me, and he thought I was beautiful, even if I struggled with it at times.

“I’ve not been this happy in my life.” He nodded but didn’t prod for me to continue. “I mean, I’ve had a good life. Between you and Mom, I’ve wanted for nothing, and I’ve been loved. I don’t know what it is with Jeff, but I feel whole. There is a part of our relationship that I will never have again with anyone.”

“I’m so happy for you, pretty girl. Your mom would be proud.”

“I know. I just want you to be too.” My jaw quivered. “I’ve considered taking a paternity test many times, but I’ve always been too scared because I couldn’t handle it if you weren’t my father. I mean, you are, but I couldn’t learn that I wasn’t really yours in that way.”

Nathaniel cleared his throat, and I looked over to see the usually stoic man wiping at the tears streaming down his cheeks.

“I am happy to hear you say that, Tessa. It has been an honor to raise you. I’ve been debating whether to tell you this, and I’ve lied about no other secrets, but I didn’t want to hurt you.”

His words put me on edge. “Spit it out, Nathaniel.”

He bounced a leg as he stared out the windshield. “I did a paternity test without your permission.”

I gasped and stared at him before remembering the road. “What? Why?”

“Because I needed to know if you were mine. When I asked your mother, she didn’t know and didn’t care to. She wasn’t attached to any one man, you know that, and didn’t want a paternity test to do that to her.”

Yeah, that was my mom for ya. My stomach cramped. I could find out who my father was. If it was Nathaniel or not. Could I chance it?

“I know you are debating on whether you want to know or not, but I can assure you, I wouldn’t have brought it up had you not expressed how much you want me to be your father. Which I am.”

My mouth fell open, and emotions so strong they stirred Jeff in his sleep came over me. I wasn’t alone. I had a real biological family. Yes, Jeff was my family, but I’d mourned the loss of my only blood relative for years. Now, I didn’t need to do that anymore. I’d always miss Mom, but I truly did have a dad.

“I’m so happy.”

“I am glad. I always knew you loved me, but I wanted to respect your wishes to not know.”

“I’m glad you didn’t this time.”

“Me too. What is this?”

We’d come around a corner and had to stop. In front of us was an accident. It was hard to tell how it happened, but both drivers seemed to be okay as they yelled at each other.

“Jeff?” I reached back to shake him awake, but before I could even touch him, the doors of the vehicle were wrenched open. I screamed as a strong arm pulled me from my seat. My voice got caught in my throat as I stared into the face of a Demon who smiled with such evil intent in his eyes.

“Easy, Bo. Don’t hurt her too badly. We still need her.”

I looked to my right to see a Light male walking to us, accompanied by a woman who made my eyes pop from my head.

“You…you’re supposed to be dead!”

Silvia Nash with her mousy looks came walking over beside the other man, who I’d guess would be Kurt Kinkaide, the other supposedly dead Councilman.

“Where’s Rico?” I looked everywhere but couldn’t find the other missing Councilman.

Nash scoffed. “Dead, where his kind—women abusers—belong. If it weren’t for the fact we need your Consort, I’d kill him now. Those boys are idiots for making a woman bond with a man she doesn’t love.”

“But the Mindolin—"

She turned patient eyes on me as a pair of Vampires dragged Jeff over to us. His shirt was ripped, and blood dripped onto the frozen road from injuries I could only partially see.

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