City of Blood

17

Callum doesn't get out of his car when he returns to the driveway. His car crunches in the gravel so I know he's here, but all he does is send me a text. Maybe he just doesn't want Maurice to see him angry, as having an angry vampire on werewolf property could be viewed as a threat.

I quietly slide into the car, my eyes fixed on my knees.

"Buckle your seatbelt," Callum says, not backing up the car.

I listen to him and do so. At least he's not mad enough to slam on the breaks and launch me out through the front window. I mean, that's not a Callum thing to do, but it wouldn't kill me so it would kind of be a fair way to get back at me for being rude to him.

"I shouldn't have run," I say softly. "I'm sorry."

Callum glances over at me before looking into the rearview mirror and backing up. "I'm not mad at you, Lennox. I can't imagine everything going through your head right now."

"It's pretty empty right now. I went numb about fifteen minutes ago so I didn't give anything away to Maurice. I just... telling him feels wrong. I'm scared they'll go after my family if they know and kill them." I sigh and lay my head back against the seat. "I need to go to my house."

"Lennox, I-"

I cut him off. "I'm not going to say anything and I'm not staying there. I just need to grab something."

Callum still doesn't look convinced, but he drives toward my house instead of taking the road to his. He's quiet the rest of the way and he doesn't even play music. He's upset, definitely, but it's for me as opposed to with me.

I'd probably be angry as well if the same thing happened to him. Well, not probably; Callum is my mate. I'd be livid if someone did something like this to him, made him question his whole identity and reality... Gods, why couldn't I just have been left among my real family?

I didn't do anything wrong, but I still am at the center of whatever is happening between the Portlandia pack and my family. I still keep thinking of them as my family, even though one is a kidnapper and indirectly caused the murder of another vampire family, another is a human trafficker, and Joseph... well, Joseph's fine, actually.

The fact that Raina is the one I'm the most okay with is surprising since we've talked more over the last month than we did throughout my entire life is something I wouldn't have anticipated a month ago.

"Wait here," I say to Callum as I slide out of the car and walk into the house.

Callum probably wants to follow me to make sure I'll be okay, but I'm sure he'll barge in if I'm not out in ten minutes. He's that persistent, and I appreciate it but I hope he doesn't come in too soon and make things awkward for me to explain.

The house is quiet when I enter, but Dad's car was in the driveway so I'm sure he's here. I quickly make my way to the kitchen and open the medicine cabinet and grab my bottle of vitamins. The bottle has always been refilled by Dad and he says since they're for werewolves that he has to get them from a specific supplier. The bottle is always unlabeled.

I open the bottle and pour all except for one down the drain, turning on the sink and garbage disposal. I'm constantly looking around me to make sure Dad isn't watching. I pocket the one I didn't get rid of. Once I'm sure they're all washed down, I run to his office and knock on the door.

"Come in!" he calls, so I enter. "Lennox, I thought you were with Callum."

I shake my head, trying to look stressed. It isn't that hard because I'm genuinely pretty overwhelmed. "He's in the driveway and I forgot to take my vitamin so I was trying to take it and I was also trying to get water and I slipped and they fell down the drain," I say quickly.