Vince appears beside me, an amused smirk playing on his lips. "You can hear him, can't you?"
I snap my gaze to him, startled. He only shrugs. "Wolves have excellent hearing."
As we walk, he continues, "As demon wolves, we're stronger and faster than the average wolf or demon." His voice softens slightly. "Look, I know this is a lot for you, but me and Jack—we're here for you. No matter what."
His sincerity makes my chest tighten.
He pauses, his gaze steady on mine. "If you can't go back to university, I'll pay for you to finish online. Me, Jack, and the others... we never had the opportunities you do. You're special, Shay, and I'll make sure nothing stops you from achieving your dreams."
Warmth spreads through me at his kindness. "Thank you, Bug."
He chuckles at the childhood nickname, the moment lightening—until Xavier strides past without so much as a glance.
"Hurry up."
Vince and I exchange an eye roll before rushing to catch up.
When we reach the others, Jack is already complaining. "Took you two long enough."
Vince sighs. "Shut up, Jack. Me and Shay were talking."
Jack crosses his arms, scoffing. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. We still need to get her some clothes—oh, and I need a few things. Or was she too busy with Xavier's tongue down her throat?"
Vincent's entire demeanor shifts as he glares at him, but before he can snap back, Jessie beats him to it.
"Grow up, Romeo," she deadpans. "You're over 900 years old but act like you're nine."
Charlie snarls at her, fangs flashing, and I blink between them. "Is this normal?"
My mom just nods.
"Oh, great," I mutter. "My older brother is a brat, his husband's a wild animal, and..." I glance at Vincent, smirking. "Looks like I won the jackpot."
Vincent laughs, shaking his head.
Jack scoffs at me. "Whatever. Let's go."
As we step outside, my breath catches at the sight of the massive hellhound near the entrance. Its glowing eyes lock onto me before it strides over to my dad, rubbing against him like a loyal shadow.
Then, a deep voice echoes in my head.
Welcome home, Isabella.
I exhale sharply. "This isn't home," I mutter.
Dad glances at me. "Is he talking to you?"
"Maybe."
He only smiles, ignoring my words as he says, "Some things never change."
I stay quiet.
Jack huffs. "So, who is Shay going with? Charlie only has two seats."
Vincent smiles. "She can come with me."
I nod. "I'd like to go with Bug."
Mom chuckles, while Henry raises an eyebrow. "What did she just call you?"
Vincent smirks. "It's the nickname she gave me when she was four."
Henry shrugs. "Oh. Okay."
Dad claps his hands together. "Come on, let's go."
Inside the car, Henry glances back at me. "You okay in the back seat?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
When we arrive at the shopping center, Vincent suddenly grabs my hand and pulls me toward the Apple store.
"What are we doing?" I ask, bewildered.
"Shopping. You need this stuff for your online classes," he says simply.
Once he's paid, we leave. As we walk, Vincent pulls out his phone. "I'm calling Mark. He needs to know about your situation."
I nod, then glance at him. "Why don't you get along with Nicholas?"
Vincent exhales, his face darkening. "Nicholas is Charlie's father. He abused Jenny. She had an affair with Ryan, and when Nicholas found out, Ryan refused to raise Charlie, Mark, and Thomas. Jenny chose Charlie. We've been running for centuries because of it. I grew up with Mark and Thomas, and... it just ended badly."
I absorb his words. "Well, they've been in my life for fifteen years. They've kept me safe. My loyalty is to them."
Vincent studies me for a moment before nodding in understanding.
When we return to the others, they're laughing and joking. Xavier's gaze finds mine.
"Hey, where did you two go?"
Vincent shrugs. "Bought Shay a new laptop and some other stuff. She might have to change subjects—we don't know yet."
The others nod, and we keep moving from shop to shop.
After a while, Xavier walks beside me. "Look, about what happened—"
I cut him off. "Nothing happened. It was just a momentary thing. No need to worry your pretty little head."
He nods, but his expression is tense.
"Unless it did," I say quietly.
Something flickers in his eyes before he hardens. "No. Of course not. Why would it? You're just my best friend's daughter."
I force a smile. "Right then. Let's go."
As we walk, I swear I see his shadow move differently—stretching toward me.
"Shay."
I snap out of it, turning to find Vince watching me.
"Let's grab some food," he says.
"Sure."
Inside the sandwich shop, I stare at the menu, lost in thought.
Vince's voice cuts through the silence. "Shay... Xavier isn't who you think he is."
My stomach twists. "What?"
He exhales heavily. "I can't tell you who he is, but please—be careful. I lost you once. I can't have you die on me."
I stop scanning the menu, my heart pounding. "Sorry... what do you mean die?"
Before he can answer, Dad's voice interrupts. "What are you both getting?"
We jump.
I quickly glance at the menu, forcing normalcy into my voice. "Still deciding."
Dad nods, then turns to Vince. "And you?"
"Oh, uh... the turkey club," Vince says, though he seems distracted.
Dad nods, but his expression shifts—dark, serious. "Vince. A word. Outside."
They step out, but their voices drift back to me.
"You need to keep your mouth shut, Vincent," Dad says, voice low and firm. "What if she runs?"
Vince's answer is sharp. "As she should! Her life is in danger around him, and you know that."
Dad exhales sharply. "I won't let anything happen to her, Vince."
Vince lets out a bitter laugh. "You already failed at that, remember?"
The words hang in the air like a blade.
When Vince comes back inside, his face is carefully blank. But I can tell—he's in a bad mood.
I hesitate before asking, "Everything okay?"
He forces a small smile. "Yeah. Everything's fine."
But it's not.
And I need to figure out why.