Stone stormed back into the conference room, where Hector, Rosemary, and Gwen were gathered. Clenching and unclenching his hands at his sides, he tried not to think about the pain Aubree must be in, both physically and emotionally. It wasn't an everyday occurrence that a human encountered a vampire and lived to tell the tale.
The subject of Aubree's boyfriend's well-being jabbed him in the heart as well. He'd overheard them talking about her boyfriend, and he could feel the worry roll off of her in waves from the hallway. He told himself not to get jealous over her concern for Dan, but he couldn't help it.
He had gone in there, planning to tell her the truth, but the moment he felt her eyes on him, he balked.
She wasn't ready.
But then, neither was he.
"Well, that was certainly brief," Hector said from the chair he'd occupied only five minutes ago.
Gwen rolled her eyes at her father as she leaned against the conference table. "Papa, we bought you time. We told her not to speak so you could explain things to her without arguing with her. Why are you making this harder than it has to be?"
"Because she is a human," he growled. "Everything will be harder than it has to be."
Hector smirked at his mate and she swatted him with the back of her hand despite the stoic expression on her face.
Stone gritted his teeth at his cousin. "Not in a sexual way, Hector."
"But you have to admit," Hector said pointedly, an amused grin on his face, "Sex with a human will be more of a delicate matter."
Both of the females exchanged looks before rolling their eyes in unison.
"Seriously Papa, you need to talk to her," Gwen said. "Especially now that we know the vampires are after her. She won't be safe anywhere. She'll figure it out and it's better to tell her now than to have her run into one of them and figure it out the hard way."
"Gwen's right," Rose said. "From what she's told me, the female can handle the truth. And if she is your mate, all the more reason to tell her the truth. Her life has been thrown upside down now. Nothing will ever be the same."
Stone pinched the bridge of his nose as he inhaled and exhaled slowly.
"You all forget that we are forbidden to have relations with humans," Stone grunted.
Groans erupted around him.
"The Council doesn't have to know," Hector said.
"They may make an exception because she is your mate," Rosemary said.
"I'd wait until they found out before approaching them yourself," Hector added.
"Then what? Give her up after building a life with her?" Stone growled, running his fingers through his hair. His stomach knotted, debating about the repercussions of keeping her a secret from the Council or informing them about her.
"Papa," Gwen said in a tone meant to be calming and reassuring as she stepped toward him, "As much as I love hearing you talk about building a life with Aubree, I think you're being too pessimistic."
She rested a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off and scowled at her. "I'm not pessimistic. I'm realistic."
Gwen rolled her eyes at him again and turned to resume her stance at the edge of the table. "The sooner you two mate, the better."
Pressing his palm to his face, he recalled the bruises he'd seen all over her arms. How many more were under her clothes? "I can't even think about that right now."
YOU ARE READING
Heart of Stone (Parts I & II)
Werewolf[COMPLETE] Some bonds can't be broken, even in death. -- He couldn't endure another heartbreak. "Accepting her would be a mistake," he said. "She's a human. I can't afford to have her blood on my hands." Gwen looked away, and he knew she saw the ima...
