A Fire in the Blood(63)
“I have Andrei.”
“A vampire.” Tristan snorted disdainfully. “What can he teach you?”
“He helped me as best he could,” she said, springing to Andrei’s defense.
“He cannot teach you what you need to know. If it is your wish, you may stay here, with us.”
“Us?” She glanced around, eyes widening when six panthers of varying size padded into view.
“These are pack,” he said. “Family.”
Before he finished speaking, they had all shifted to human form—a middle-aged man and woman and three girls and a boy who looked like they were her age or a little younger.
All six nodded to her, their smiles friendly but curious. The woman pulled a large bag from under a deadfall and passed out hooded robes to everyone, including Bailey. It reminded her of the kind of robe worn by Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars. She accepted it gratefully. She hadn’t been embarrassed by her nudity in front of Tristan, but felt suddenly shy in the presence of the others.
Holding the robe close around her, she looked at Tristan. “How did you find me?”
“We have been watching you for a long time, waiting for you to grow up.”
The thought should have frightened her. Instead, a little thrill of excitement shot through her. “Why?”
“Because you and I are destined to be life-mates.”
Bailey backed up a step, then folded her arms over her chest. “I’m only sixteen. I’m not ready to be anybody’s ‘life-mate.’”
“Of course you aren’t. We just wanted to introduce ourselves to you, let you know you’re not alone.” He nodded at the man and the woman. “These are my parents, Thomas and Colette. My sisters, Mercy, Faith, and Charity. And my brother, Justin. You will meet the rest of the pack if you decide to join us.”
“Pleased to meet you all,” Bailey said. Then, looking at Tristan, she asked, “So, what happens now?”
“You may stay with us, or I will escort you back home.”
“I think I want to go back to Tessa’s.”
“Very well. But first . . .” He motioned to the others and they came forward one by one to embrace her.
To Bailey’s amazement, they each sniffed her for several seconds before letting her go. When the last girl backed away, Bailey looked askance at Tristan. “What was that all about?”
“So they will recognize you in either form. Come,” he said, holding out his hand, “I will take you home.”
Bailey was surprised again when he led her to a late-model Chevy. He held her door open for her before rounding the car and sliding behind the wheel. Bailey glanced out the window as he drove toward town, her emotions running rampant. One minute she was excited about what had just happened. The next, apprehensive. But, either way, she felt drawn to Tristan.
In some ways, she felt as if she had known him all her life.
As if she had been biding her time, waiting for him to find her.
* * *
Tessa sat on the sofa beside Andrei, listening intently as Bailey related her encounter with Tristan and his family.
“So, have you made a decision?” Tessa asked when Bailey fell silent.
“No.” Bailey looked at Andrei. “What do you think I should do?”
“That’s up to you. I’m not your father, but if I was, I’d tell you to get to know Tristan and his family better before you decide.”
Bailey nodded, then glanced at Tessa. “What would you do?”
“I agree with Andrei. You’re welcome to invite Tristan here, if you like. As for that ‘life-mate’ thing . . .” Tessa shook her head. “I don’t know anything about were-panther lore,” she said, smiling. “But it does sound romantic. Do you have a way to get in touch with him? Maybe you could invite him for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow afternoon.”
“Really?” Bailey asked.
“What better way to get to know him than to invite him to have dinner with your family?”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tessa grinned at Bailey as they set the table for dinner. It had been a hectic morning. The first order of business had been a quick trip to the market in search of the perfect prime rib. With that accomplished, she and Bailey had spent a hurried few minutes dusting and vacuuming and cleaning the bathroom before going to their own rooms to shower and dress for the day.
Tristan had given Bailey his cell phone number and she had called him last night to invite him to dinner. Tessa wasn’t sure how she felt about having another shape-shifter in the house, but she kept her misgivings to herself.
Their guests were scheduled to arrive at four.
At three thirty, Tessa set out chips and dip and a vegetable platter. She checked to make sure there was plenty of ice, chilled the wine Andrei had dropped off the night before, checked the roast and the potatoes.