I blinked, repeatedly. This was probably the last place I'd imagine seeing Grant and clearly the feeling was mutual.
"You two know each other?" Grant and Jonathan spoke at the same time, their words echoing off the walls and I couldn't tell who was more surprised, them or me.
"How do you know each other?" I asked, looking between the two.
"Business partners," Grant replied. He pointed at me then my father, "and you?"
"She's my daughter," Jonathan said as a matter of fact.
Grant's hand fell to his side. "Your what?"
"That's why I'm here," I said as Grant lifted his hand again, but this time to run it through his tousled hair.
"I had no idea."
"Why would you? I never told you about her," my father said calmly, "but how you two know each other, is what I'd like to know."
Grant suddenly smiled. "We just met earlier tonight actually. It appears that Emily used to roam around with my brothers."
My father raised his eyebrows, looking as if he wanted to ask something else, but stopped and I suddenly I realised I hadn't told him what had happened to my mom, his wife. He must know, I thought to myself; that she isn't alive or she'd have been here with me. He nodded as if having come to the same conclusion, and I figured we'd eventually get to have a proper conversation about everything that had happened. It would be nice to get closure in that way, to finally be able to put my mind to rest about what had transpired that night and all events leading up to it.
Throughout all of this, Nox had stayed quiet and perfectly still by my side, but because of the bond I could feel him simmer. He was good at keeping his emotions in check on the outside and I could tell he was already trying to piece everything together, though how, I had no idea. Instead of trying to wrack my brain to come up with an explanation I decided to let them tell me instead. It would be much easier.
"How did you come to work together?" I asked.
"It's a long story," Jonathan said, but apparently didn't elaborate further. I wondered if I'd get to hear it at some point.
"We should get going," Nox said, breaking his own silence, but my freaky internal clock said there was still well over five hours until sunrise. Why did he want to leave already? When we had only just gotten there after traveling all this way.
"Will you be back? Tomorrow night perhaps?" A hint of desperation lay beneath my father's words and his eyes never strayed from mine.
"Of course," I said without hesitation or before Nox could say something different. It was why we were here after all, so keeping me away was the last thing he could or should try to do.
"We have so much to talk about." My father knitted his hands together, fidgeting. A memory from my childhood surfaced; a picture of him standing in our living room acting just like this. He would knit his hands together whenever he was nervous about something. Whenever he'd done something that he knew my mother wouldn't have approved off. Unable to stand still, he'd be like this until he'd told her whatever it was he'd been keeping from her.
Grant had moved to come and stand next to Jonathan. He was smiling, seemingly happy about this little reunion, clearly unaware of the actual situation.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you again, Emily," he said, and at this Nox took my hand. His intentions couldn't have been clearer than if he'd grabbed my face and kissed me right there.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I said to my father, who smiled and nodded, but didn't try and hug me again. Despite having only seen him for maybe half an hour or less, it was hard to turn around and walk away from him. I knew I'd be seeing him tomorrow night, but it didn't make it any easier.
Stepping back outside felt surreal – like entering an entirely different world. We walked for several minutes before Nox finally spoke.
"I didn't want you to get too overwhelmed and with him showing up I thought it best to leave." I felt him look at me, "we have plenty of time."
"Of course," I muttered, walking in a sort of trance, just letting my feet do the work. My emotions felt like they were all over the place; how could I be dead and still feel so much?
"Are you okay?"
"As okay as I'll ever be after meeting my father for the first time in eleven years." My voice sounded oddly neutral.
"We'll go back to the blood hotel. I'll get us a room for the day. You need your thirst to be as sedated as possible if you'll be spending time with your father. I felt what happened to you when he hugged you. We cannot risk anything."
I simply nodded, letting him lead the way back. His hand held tightly onto mine, his thumb tracing circles on my skin, but it didn't make me as calm as it had before.
Being back in the presence of so many people made me more alert and I tried to absorb as much of my surroundings as possible. This place, this city, was so unlike anything else. Could humans and vampires actually live here without things turning into a bloodbath? Was this the best future I could hope for as a new vampire?
"How come Shax hasn't ruined this place like he did with L.A.?" I asked Nox as we walked by a man dressed in a long robe selling necklaces and rings. A vampire and his human, another man, was standing close, peering at the selection of rings. They looked happy. Nox, it seemed, had been watching them as well with an expression I couldn't decipher.
"Powerful as he might be, Shax was far from the only ruling king as I have told you before. It is clear that the king of Seattle has a different view on things."
"But why not just kill Shax and restore peace all around?" That would certainly make things easier for both us and humans.
"Because," Nox began, steering me down the smaller street towards the blood hotel, "you might have noticed that he isn't so easy to kill. Sure, with combined forces of several vampires we could have taken him down, but now, with your powers in him, he'll be much more difficult to take on."
"No thanks to me," I said, but Nox stopped me in my tracks.
"No. You cannot blame yourself for any of this. If anything, you should blame me." He stared at me, his red eyes full of regret, "I was the one who brought you to him. I handed you to him."
"But you also kept me alive, sort of. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you," I replied. Reaching up, I traced a hand down the side of his face, and a smile tugged at my lips as a I felt him lean into my touch.
"I forgive you, Nox. I forgive you for everything," I whispered before pulling his head down and kissing him, oblivious to the people walking around us. At first, he didn't respond, but that didn't stop me and after a few seconds his lips moved against mine, kissing me back with just as much need.
We made it back to the hotel and I stood tugged against his side as Nox got us a new room. My throat had started to tingle from being in the presence of so many willing humans. No matter how emotionally drained I felt, I could always rely on the bloodthirst to be as persistent and ever present as usual. I needed to have a lot of blood tonight and possibly even tomorrow night before I met with my father.
"We have plenty of time now," Nox muttered to me after paying and getting the key from the woman behind the desk and I felt the clear and raw lust emanate from him through our bond.
How we got up to our room was a hazy memory, but we must have managed because suddenly I was pushed against the door inside our room with Nox's mouth leaving kisses down my throat and nipping at my skin. I wanted him so much I couldn't think straight. The lust was overpowering all other senses.
"What about food?" I finally managed to moan out before he claimed my mouth once again.
"We've got time before they send someone up," was all he said before lifting me up against the door and I automatically wrapped my legs around his waist. The energy in me surged through my body as if having been unleashed and it was like my skin was humming with electricity.
We'd somehow ended up on the big bed when there was a subtle knock on the door.
"Come in," Nox muttered against the nape of my neck and I smiled sedately as the door opened, revealing a sweet-smelling young woman looking to be around my age. Her blood called to me and I felt the hunger coming to life within me.
***
The heavy dark curtains shrouded all light from the outside, but I knew it was dawn. My body felt heavy with fresh new blood and my mind was gradually turning foggy. The inevitable sleep was coming, but Nox didn't look remotely tired. We were tangled together on top of the sheets, limbs intertwining. The feeding girl had left us and I was glad that I for once didn't have to get up and leave any time soon.
"You should go to sleep," Nox murmured in my ear.
"How long until I can stay up during the day?" I asked, feeling myself slip in and out of consciousness.
"It'll take some time; a few years maybe, before you'd be able to stay up a whole day." His hand moved up and down my naked skin and I tried to fight the drowsiness so that I could spend more time exploring his body.
"Not fair," I muttered and I felt him smile as he kissed me.
"I know. Go to sleep, my sweet Emily." He tugged the covers free from underneath me and I nuzzled up close against him as he cocooned us in the soft sheets. He placed a tender kiss on my head and I felt the sun break against the horizon as I fell asleep.
Nox wasn't in bed when I awoke shortly after sundown. In fact, he wasn't even in the room. I sat up and instinct had me check the bond, but it was silent. I had no idea what that meant, but I quickly dressed and checked my reflection in the bathroom mirror – my hair was a mess. There was a brush lying on the wide, white counter and I pulled it through the tangles until it was smooth. As I put down the brush my eyes went to the shower stall to my right. I spotted soap and in a flash, I was out of my clothes and standing under the warm sprays of water, lathering my hair and body in as much soap as possible. I'd never felt so clean.
I stood under the water for several minutes, washing off days and weeks of grime and dirt.
Padding myself dry with the softest towel I felt the bond stir and moments later the room door opened, followed by the bathroom door and Nox appeared.
"You were gone," I said as he came inside, eyes raking over my now much cleaner body.
"I know. I had to go do something."
"Where'd you go?" I asked, letting the towel drop to the floor in a bundle.
"You are very distracting right now," Nox said and stepped closer.
"Where'd you go?" I asked again and he finally looked me in the eyes.
"I went to get you something."
"During the day?"
"It was cloudy and almost sundown," he said and shrugged, taking something from his jacket pocket. I moved up to him and looked down as he turned his hand upwards and revealed a piece of jewellery lying in his palm. It was a plain, braided gold ring that I stared at without knowing what to say.
"I was hoping you'd wear it. As sort of a sign." He took my right hand and looked at me expectantly.
"A sign of what?" I managed to say.
"That you're mine."
"Yours," I breathed, tearing myself away from his gaze to look at the ring once more. He put it against my fourth finger, but waited for me to say the words that allowed him to place it on my finger. My voice had left me again, but that didn't matter. All I had to do was look at him and nod my head. But I didn't. And I wasn't sure why.
"Emily?" Nox frowned, looking suddenly worried. "Do you not want it?"
"I... why are you doing this now?" I asked, remembering his hint of possessiveness last night. "Are you doing this because of Grant? Is this jealousy?"
His eyes flared the moment the name left my lips. "No. He has nothing to do with this, so please leave him out of it." He put his finger against my chin and lifted my head up so that I had to look at him. His eyes shone bright, but through the bond I felt his unease.
"I got this to show you my affection. To show you how much I care about you. No," he corrected himself, "to show you that I love you."