Chapter Forty-Five

“I want to help save him.”

Adrian offers a small, sad smile, seeming proud of my resolve to help Jasper. He reaches to cup my cheek with his hand, holding me gingerly. “Do you know how happy it makes me to hear that?” He asks his voice a whisper that’s nearly lost to the crackle of the flames in the fireplace beside him. “Our whole lives, we lived with the knowledge that I may have to put him out of his misery someday. It was my cross to bear as his leader. But now,” His moist eyes shimmer in the light that pours in from outside the windows, betraying his guilt to me. “I have help. I don’t have to deal with this alone.”

I swallow, parting my lips slightly as I’m absorbed into his dark gaze, unable to look away. “Of course, you have me now,” I say, my tone lowered to match his own. “We’re in this together now. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll help save Jasper.”

Adrian leans in to press a gentle kiss against my lips, his touch filled with immense gratitude that he could never speak out loud. “Thank you,” He mumbles, pulling back so he can see my face. I can see the exact moment that he shakes off the heavy mood, closing and opening his eyes to reveal his usual, cunning self. “Now, let’s figure out what to do for dinner. We should feed your guest when she arrives.”

Amazed by his ability to shove his feelings away, I stare at him for a moment while I catch up to him. It makes me feel even sadder, assuming that he learned how to switch his feelings off for the sake of others around him. He is a leader, after all. It only makes sense. I wonder how long it took him to master the skill, and how young he was when he had to learn it. The thought of a young Adrian standing in his father’s shadow as they walk up to the scene of Jasper’s father sobbing into his dead wife’s hair makes my stomach roll painfully. He would have pretended that nothing was wrong to comfort Jasper as his father took care of the tragic scene, keeping his friend distracted from what happened.

As if knowing where my thoughts have gone, Adrian pulls me against his chest from where he stands behind the couch, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. “Try not to dwell on it,” He mumbles, his lips pressed to my hair. “It was a long time ago. Come help me with dinner? We should set the table.”

I feel a single tear escape from my eye, rolling down my cheek with a cool kiss. I shake my head and swipe it away, standing up to help Adrian in the kitchen. He’s right; it was a long time ago and there’s nothing that I can do now to change the past. It’s painful to think about the trauma Jasper and Adrian endured at such a young age, but all that I can do is be here for them now and help them how I can.

Adrian starts prepping for dinner while I set out some plates and silverware at the island. I remind him that Serene doesn’t eat meat, to which he grumbles something about ‘these damn vegans’ beneath his breath.

“Do we even have anything vegan in this house?” He asks, opening the fridge with a frown so deep I can see it in his shoulders.

“We should still have that eggplant from the other day, we could make it into parmesan without the cheese,” I suggest, coming to stand behind him and peek under his shoulder. “Or we could make some pasta.”

Adrian sighs and steps away from the fridge, gesturing his resignation from the duty of making food for Serene. “I’ll make dinner for us, but you’ll have to make hers. I don’t know what vegans eat other than lettuce, so I don’t want to accidentally give her something she won’t eat.”

I chuckle and take his place in the light of the refrigerator, feeling the cold air against my feet as I rifle through the produce drawers. “That’s fine with me. My roommate at my old college was vegan, so I know a little bit about it.” Since I don’t know what to batter the eggplant with that doesn’t include eggs, I decide against the eggplant parmesan and pull the last avocado from the produce drawer, along with some kale.

I roll up the sleeves of my sweatshirt and get to work washing my hands and rinsing the kale, making sure to pat it dry well enough that it isn’t soggy. It may not be as good as a restaurant, but we should have enough ingredients to pull together a vegan-friendly burrito bowl. As I prepare all of the ingredients, I listen to Adrian pan-sear our steaks, hoping that the smell of meat won’t put Serene off too badly. It certainly makes my stomach growl though.

It isn’t too long before there is a knock on the front door, the first time anyone other than Adrian has come for a visit. I suddenly feel a little self-conscious about the cleanliness of the townhouse, but convince myself that it’s clean enough for a guest. I’m still learning to live without a maid constantly mopping up my tracks, so I’m hoping I haven’t made too much of a mess in the past few days I’ve been here. I pull the door open to greet Serene, not wanting to leave her out in the cold for too much longer in my hesitation.

“Hi, so you’re not dead after all,” Serene is holding a massive, leatherbound book beneath her arm as she steps inside, snowflakes layering her long eyelashes as she steps inside, knocking the slush from her boots before setting them by the door. “I was worried that wolf was keeping you locked up against your will, but you seem alright after all.”

“Hi, Serene,” Adrian greets unenthusiastically from the kitchen, able to hear her every word.

I smile and roll my eyes at their banter, gesturing her inside away from the cold. “Glad to see you too. Here, you can put your coat on the rack. We made dinner so I hope you’re hungry.”

Serene sheds her puffer coat and hangs it on the coat rack, narrowing her eyes suspiciously as she sniffs the air. “I didn’t think you could cook,” She says, following me into the kitchen.

“I’m not feeding you meat, I promise,” I say, smiling sheepishly at the scent of steak lingering in the air. “I made your food so don’t worry.”

A wide grin breaks across her face as she slaps my arm playfully, setting her book down on the island. “I’m just kidding, Lydie. I trust you,” Her gaze flickers to Adrian as he sets the last dishes into the sink to wash later, then back to me as if to suggest that she trusts me more than Adrian, at least.

I laugh along with her as I take a seat in the middle, patting the stool beside me. “So, how was school? Did I miss anything interesting?”

Serene rolls her eyes dramatically. “Maybe if they ever taught anything useful, but no, you didn’t. Jasper was asking what happened to you two though. Come to think of it,” She says, squinting her eyes and leaning closer to my face. “You do seem a little different.”

I can’t help my gaze darting to Adrian as he sets the food in front of us, trying to keep my expression even. “Oh? Well, I did just learn that I’m a witch and my bodyguard and best friend are Werewolves,” I say, redirecting her attention from Adrian and I’s relationship. “Maybe that’s why.”

Serene cringes and readjusts in her seat, backing off. “Yeah, you’re right. You’re sure you’re alright with all of that? It’s a lot to take in,” Adrian sets the burrito bowl in front of her, to which she grins and says, “Wow, this actually looks amazing. I can tell you made it, Lydie.”

“Thanks. I had a vegan friend once, so I know a little bit about it.” I smile and try to hide my blush, looking down at my steak. The meat is glistening with juice and butter, steaming a beautiful aroma up to my nostrils. If anything, I’d say Ardiran outdid my cooking by a long shot; he even garnished the steak like a TV chef and sprinkled chives over the mashed potatoes. I hope Serene doesn’t notice me salivating over the dead bovine.

“Let’s discuss everything after we eat,” Adrian chimes, picking up his fork as he winks at me. He can definitely sense my lustrous hunger for the food on my plate, so he puts me out of my misery. “Dig in.” Serene doesn’t mention the meat on our plates as we eat, each enjoying our meals to the fullest.