20. Lorna

Istood in the middle of Damon's open concept living space, unable to sort my thoughts. After a quick tour, the guys left me in Damon's apartment saying they had to meet with Nathan. I hadn't moved from my spot in the last ten minutes, though.

My mind couldn't step away from the fact that I needed them for everything. Food. Shelter. Clothes. Transportation. Every damn thing in my life. The thought of asking them for even the most basic needs pissed me off.

We still hadn't discussed whether or not I'd keep my real name or go with a new identity. If we chose the latter, I'd forever be dependent on them. I'd lose everything I'd built in my life. All my funds. My house. My car. Everything. I really missed my damn Land Rover!

Now that I wasn't surrounded by Damon and Kenrid's very tempting magic, my brain finally came back online. I couldn't walk away from my life. I loved my family. I didn't want them to think I was dead. As much as my nieces and nephews drove me nuts, I still wanted to see them grow up. Knowing how my parents would react to my ‘death' made my chest ache. I couldn't do that to them.

I needed to convince Nathan that keeping my identity wouldn't be a risk. First, I needed to find out if anyone believed the video of me denying Conrad and his roomful of vampires. If we could convince the supernatural community that I wasn't a dhampir, I could probably keep my name and everything that went with it. I was not ready to give up my independence.

Yes, that needed to happen first. Then maybe I could find out why the fae wanted me bad enough to put out a ton of money to find me.

With that half-ass plan, I made my way to my new bedroom. I was exhausted, but there was no way I'd be falling asleep any time soon. Instead, I set to work rearranging the furniture. Damon said I could do what I wanted with any part of his home. I wasn't ready to test him on it quite yet, but I would make my personal space comfortable.

I'd pushed the dresser halfway across the room when I heard footsteps in the living room. According to Kenrid, the guys were the only ones who could get into the tower. I could leave if I wanted, but I wouldn't get back in without one of them. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

I left the dresser in the middle of the floor and stepped out into the living room. Elliott's eyes met mine and my heart did a little flip in my chest. His rugged handsomeness was so very different from Kenrid's refined beauty. Not that I'd ever tell Kenrid he was beautiful. I was sure men didn't like to be called ‘pretty.'

"Is everything okay?" I asked, glancing behind Elliott. I half expected to see the others, but he appeared to be alone.

"Yeah."

He stuffed his hands in his back pockets, stretching the fabric of his shirt across his defined chest. Mir superimposed an image of his bare chest in my mind and heat crept up my neck. It was impossible not to find him attractive, but I hated how easily my body betrayed me. My dhampir laughed at my embarrassment, and Elliott's nostrils flared.

Of course they did. All the guys could tell when I was aroused.

"Did you need something?" I asked, cringing at the hostility in my voice.

"I'll be staying with you tonight," Elliott replied. If he noticed my grumpiness, he didn't acknowledge it. "I also really need to talk to you."

I took a step back without realizing it. I wasn't sure how I felt about his declaration about staying with me. He hadn't asked my permission. He also hadn't said a thing about my claim on Kenrid and Damon when I arrived. But now the look on his face made me think he knew, and he wasn't happy about it. Was that what they had to talk to Nathan about? Did they send Elliott here to keep me distracted while Kenrid and Damon were punished for claiming me?

"Please don't," Elliott whispered, taking a step toward me and closing the space I'd just made between us. "I can't stand seeing you scared. I know I screwed up during our first few encounters, and I'm sorry." He took another step closer, putting him almost in arm's reach. "I always thought my mate would be another shifter. I refused to listen to my wolf when he said he wanted you. But I was wrong. We need you in our life."

Two more steps put him well within my personal space. His shifter magic wrapped around me like a warm comforting blanket, making it really hard to think. Did he just say I was his mate? Kenrid and Damon insinuated the same, but I hadn't wanted to believe them. Having two men in my life was already overwhelming enough.

I didn't see you complaining about the sexy times we had at the hotel, Mir said.

That's not helpful,I snapped. Damon was worried that Elliott wouldn't share, remember?

My dhampir didn't reply.

I swallowed hard and looked up at Elliott. His eyes searched my face, but I didn't know what he was looking for.

"I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me," I admitted. "You know about my claim on Kenrid and Damon, don't you?"

He reached out and ran a finger along my jaw, then tucked my hair behind my ear. "Yeah, but I realized they can't deny their soulmate any more than I can. I'm guessing that you aren't ready for another mate, but I'm hoping you'll give me a chance to persuade you that I'm not a hotheaded asshole."

My face flushed again, and I leaned into his touch. I did not think he was a hotheaded asshole. Yes, he'd lost his cool at Kenrid's place and attacked Damon. But he'd also talked my dhampir down from her ledge. It meant a lot to me that he'd willingly shared his own story. It seemed like he understood my relationship with my dhampir.

"I can probably do that," I said, feeling my blush scald my ears.

Elliott's hand fell to his side, and a smile tugged at his lips. "Great! I want to take you shopping in the morning. Then we'll do lunch, and I'll help you redecorate Damon's space." He waved his hand toward the living room. "It's boring. We should add some bold colors and flashy curtains. Maybe even a ceramic elephant or two." His grin widened, and I laughed.

I couldn't tell if he was being serious or not, but seeing his smile replace the apprehension from just a few minutes before made me feel better. Until I thought about going shopping. We'd be spending his money, not mine. I'd be riding in his truck, not my Land Rover.

I sighed and stepped around Elliott. "Will I be able to access my bank account?" I asked, dropping onto Damon's leather sofa.

Elliott started to sit on the cushion right next to me but stopped. "May I?"

I nodded, and he once again filled my personal space, almost like he couldn't help it. Maybe he couldn't? It was really sweet that he asked before crowding me, though.

"I haven't talked to Nathan about where we go from here," Elliott said. "Did Damon tell you about the video we found on Conrad's computer?"

"Kenrid told me," I replied, frowning. "He said we could use it to convince everyone that I wasn't dhampir."

I'd thought about that video at least a dozen times already. But going that route felt like I was betraying Mir. I'd be hiding who I was from everyone. Pretending to be something I wasn't. Yes, I understood the consequences of not hiding, but it still felt wrong.

Mir didn't argue, which only made me feel guilty.

"I sent the video to Jonah last night," Elliott said, rubbing his hands on his thighs then clasping them together. Was he trying to keep from touching me? "It'll take a couple days for the video to circulate, then we'll introduce you to the clan. It'd be best to keep your identity. Damon already declared you as his mate, and the video will show you, Lorna Cross, denying a vampire. It'd be counterproductive to pretend you're someone else."

I sighed as the ache in my chest—for my parents and siblings, for the life I'd built and all I'd accomplished—eased. I'd hoped that would be his answer.

"You won't be able to go back to your old job, though," Elliott said, crushing a tiny portion of that relief.

"I kind of expected as much," I said. "I just didn't want to give up everything. Is there something I can do in the clan to earn my keep?"

"You know you don't have to work, right?"

I did my best not to scowl at him. He didn't have to depend on someone else to buy his toilet paper, so he couldn't possibly understand.

"I need to work," I said, perhaps a little too harshly. "I don't want to rely on you guys for even my most basic needs."

"Okay, okay, I get it," he said with a small laugh. "We'll talk to Nathan." His warm palm covered my knee, and I looked over at him. He was grinning again. "So, shopping, lunch, and sight-seeing tomorrow?"

I smiled back. "Sure, but I'm putting a limit on how much of your money we spend."

"Whatever." He gently squeezed my leg, then hopped to his feet. "So, what are we rearranging first?"

His sudden enthusiasm was a little jarring but also contagious. Hadn't I just wanted to move all the furniture in the bedroom? Yes!

I stood and felt a little sense of normalcy break through the chaos my life had become. "Let's sort out the bedroom first."

A devilish gleam flickered in Elliott's eyes. "Normally, I'd jump all over that proposition, but I'm pretty sure you meant the furniture."

Mir gave me another memory of Elliott's chiseled chest, making a shiver run down my spine. I hadn't meant to imply sex, but neither Elliott nor Mir got the message.

Not going there tonight,I hissed at my dhampir.

She laughed at me, because of course she did.

"Sorry," I stammered. "I'd love your help."

I skirted past Elliott, but I swore I felt his eyes following me all the way back to the bedroom.

"Why is your dresser in the middle of the room?" Elliott asked from right behind me. "Did you start renovations without me?"

I shook my head and tried not to smile. "Yeah, and then you came in."

"Well, perfect," he said with a chuckle. "Tell me what you want to change. All of it, even the dirty parts. Especially the dirty parts."

I laughed. "I want the dresser on the shortest wall next to the door," I replied, pointing in that direction. "Then I want to move the bed over. I can't center it where it's currently at and it's driving me crazy." I pointed at the lone window across the room. "I'd like to put a desk in the corner next to the window. It's the only place with enough light in the room to properly see a computer screen."

I snapped my mouth closed, realizing how weird I must've sounded. While falling back into my natural need to sort my space felt good to me, it also chased away everyone in my life, or at least made things really awkward.

I let my chin fall to my chest, waiting for Elliott to respond. I refused to turn and face him. I couldn't bear to see the look on his face. He'd be like everyone else with their lips pressed closed, so they didn't say something rude like, ‘Wow, that's, um, interesting?'

Elliott didn't say anything, but I could feel him close the small space between us. He didn't touch me, but the heat from his body warmed my back.

"You're so damn sexy when you take charge like that," he whispered against my hair. "You know exactly what you want."

I shivered. How could he find my quirkiest traits sexy? Did it matter? Shouldn't I just be grateful for his acceptance?

I let my head fall back against his chest. "You're one of the few people who hasn't run away screaming," I mumbled.

"I hope to be screaming your name in orgasmic bliss," he said. "But I'll never run away from you."

He'd surprised me the night he talked my dhampir out of killing everyone. But tonight, it sure sounded like he was accepting me. All of me. Which was completely unexpected, and something I hadn't realized I really wanted. No, not wanted. Needed.

I had to get over myself. I wasn't insecure any more than I was a damsel in distress.

I turned to face him. I had to tilt my head back to see his deep blue eyes. He looked down at me with so much longing. Almost like he was afraid I'd reject him. And he still hadn't really touched me even though no more than an inch separated us. Was he really sticking to the whole ‘let me woo you' pledge?

"Thank you," I said, barely above a whisper.

"Don't thank me yet. I haven't worshipped your body like a goddess deserves." He winked at me. "But first, let's make this room exactly the way you want."

I smiled and forced down the lump in my throat. I was pretty sure I wouldn't have to worry about Elliott's affection. His jealousy? Maybe. But he hadn"t shown any green monsters earlier, so I had to assume they'd worked it out. I hoped they did. There was no way I could walk away from Kenrid or Damon.

I pushed all those thoughts aside and focused on the man currently in my space. "Thank you, Elliot."