Page 108 of Vampire's Choice
When Mal met them in the yard, Elisa was at his side, both of them studying Merc. His wings were folded along his back, the arches visible over his broad shoulders, the crossed tips brushing his calves. The moonlight made the white gleam and gave the black glimmers of silver, which touched his hair as well.
The incubus emanations were there, the sexual and more unsettling ones that alerted fight-or-flight instincts. She hadn’t been able to have the talk with him yet, about toning that down.
When Mal angled himself so her mother was mostly behind him, she wished she’d thought to do that. Ruth put her hand on Merc’s arm, a nonverbal reassurance to them. Her mother rallied quickly.
“A real angel,” she murmured. “What a rare and fine thing that is.”
“Part angel.” Merc’s attention covered her from head to toe, lingering on the canvas sneakers visible under the knee length hem of her skirt. Leopard faces were hand-painted on the shoes. Her dress was blue, with a satin ribbon edged scoop neckline. The color brought out the same hue in Elisa’s eyes.
She and Mal were very hands-on with the never-ending sanctuary work, so she must have done a quick change before their arrival. Her thick hair was pulled up and clipped with a comb, curls falling to her shoulders.
Merc’s scrutiny, coupled with the incubus vibes, started to cause a problem for Mal, but before Ruth could think how to defuse it, Merc spoke.
“Ruth has your physical features, but her mother’s beauty comes from the inside and shines through. She also has her smile and voice.” He extended a hand to Mal. “Thank you for allowing me to visit your island.”
Ruth managed, barely, not to let her jaw hit the ground. Of course Merc knew the courtesies of the different races he encountered, but she’d yet to see him observe any of them.
Mal accepted the hand. The firm shake made it clear the two men were taking one another’s measure. Ruth glanced at her mother, and saw a suppressed smile.
No way to deny it. She was witnessing the unpredictable power dynamics of a father-suitor encounter. Which made Ruth feel even more ridiculously self-conscious. She was glad Adan wasn’t here to make fun of her.
“The invitation came from Ruth, but my children’s guests are our guests,” Mal said. “I need to finish the wellness evaluation of the rehabilitating cats. If you join me, you can see more of the sanctuary. We’ll sit down to a meal afterward. Ruth, stay and help your mother.”
Mal’s gaze never left Merc. Merc held it long enough to make a point before he shifted his attention to Ruth. “Is that what you wish?” he asked her.
“Yes, that’s fine.” After a light touch of his arm, she moved to her father, and gave him a welcoming hug. “Please don’t start a fight with him,” she murmured. “He’s still figuring us out.”
Mal shot her one of his patented inscrutable looks that promised nothing, but his arms around her were strong. “It’s good to have you home.”
“You’ve barely had time to get used to me not being here.”
Mal’s gaze flickered, a mixed reaction which tightened her heart in her chest. He touched her face, caressing a strand of hair that had loosened from her braid, thanks to the wild flight with Merc. Then he moved away, jerking his head at Merc and leading the way to the Jeep.
Ruth managed what she hoped was an encouraging look at Merc. She’d never been so uncertain of what was going on or what she was supposed to do. Feeling this foolish could make her irritable, but that wouldn’t help. Fortunately, it was balanced by another feeling, though one just as mystifying. She wanted him to meet her parents. She was glad to show him her home. Officially.
When they reached the Jeep, Merc spoke to her father, and Mal nodded. He got in and turned over the ignition. As he put it in gear and gassed it for the climb out of the valley, Merc waited a few seconds, then took to the air, following. Probably a good decision. If Merc stood in the back holding the bar so his wings weren’t mashed against a car seat, Mal wouldn’t appreciate having him so close behind him.
Merc flying was always something to see. “Hmm,” her mother said. “Would that feeling be coming all from the incubus part of him?”
“You mean the continuous sex vibes? Part of it is. The other part is just him.” Ruth gave her a nudge and a smile. “Just like Da. Part of it is the vampire, part of it is him.”
Elisa grinned, looping her arm with Ruth’s. “Don’t worry about them. Your father hasn’t murdered a guest yet.”
“He did let the leopards chase that one vampire’s servant up a tree.”
“Because he wasn’t listening to your father’s direction. It solved the problem, and the vampire agreed the lesson was needed.” Elisa’s eyes twinkled. “The two of them will figure it out. Nothing is required from us.”
Her mother’s knack for reading her mind was still effective. “Why do I feel like it is?”
“Because you’re not in control of the situation, and you dislike that feeling intensely. Most of the time.” Elisa winked. “It’s a bit of time until staff meal. I don’t have to start the pastry rollout for the meat pies right away. Let me stage it, then we’ll sit and you’ll tell me how it’s going.”
As they went up the stairs, Elisa’s questions prompted easy conversation about the Circus, allowing Ruth to stay away from the more intense elements for now. And yet, maybe because of the marking question, and all it meant, her mind landed on a topic her gut refused to let her leave alone. She needed to ask. There’d be no better time to broach it.
“Etsi…is Sgidoda disappointed…in how I am?”
It came out awkwardly, but she’d never thought about how she’d put the question out there.
Elisa had circled the kitchen island, an area big enough to allow her and the staff who rotated kitchen duty to work together. When the weather was rainy or there wasn’t time for a meal at the picnic tables under the sprawling canopy of the oak tree in the yard, sometimes the staff grabbed a quick standing bite around it as well.