Gathering his self-control, he jammed the car in gear and stomped on the gas, quickly putting some miles between them before he did the unthinkable, like materializing in her bedroom and making her dreams come true.
At home, he slammed into the house, his nerves on edge, his urge for Sheree riding him hard. Rationally, he knew he was in no condition to be with her. He paced for an hour, then slouched into a chair. Staring into the fireplace, he took slow, deep breaths in an effort to rein in his lust.
He was still seething inwardly when his mother and Logan appeared.
“You’re home early.” Logan removed his jacket and tossed it over the back of the sofa. Moving to a side table, he poured himself a glass of wine.
Derek grunted his reply.
Mara tossed her wrap on top of her husband’s jacket. Lifting her head, she took a deep breath. And frowned. She glanced at Logan, who nodded, indicating he smelled it, too.
Derek shifted in his seat, his gaze still on the fireplace, his hands clenching and unclenching.
Tension sizzled in the air.
Glancing from mother to son, Logan drained his glass. “I’m going up to bed.”
“I’ll be up soon,” Mara said.
Nodding, Logan left the room.
Mara regarded her son for several moments before asking, “What’s worrying you?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me,” she said sharply.
Derek scowled at her. One of the first things she had taught him was how to block others from reading his thoughts. It was a talent he rarely used at home, but he was grateful for it tonight.
He should have known it wouldn’t save him.
“You’ve eaten mortal food,” she said thoughtfully. “I can smell it on you.”
He didn’t deny it.
“And the moon is full.” She sat on the arm of his chair. “Are you craving raw meat again?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I can make you tell me, you know.”
It wasn’t a threat. Simply a statement of fact.
He blew out a breath, then nodded. “I don’t know what’s happening to me.”
“It’s happened before.”
“I know, but I wasn’t fully a vampire then. Why now? I shouldn’t be craving food.” He snorted. “Maybe I’m reverting.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Then what’s causing it?”
“I wish I knew.” She placed her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”
“I hope you’re right.” He didn’t want to be mortal, yet even as the thought crossed his mind, he wondered if that was true. If he was mortal, the biggest obstacle to being with Sheree would be gone.
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Yeah. Stop treating me like I’m your little boy.”
Bending down, she kissed the top of his head. “Sorry, love, but you’ll always be my little boy.”
With a shake of his head, Derek set her on her feet, then stood. “I’m going to bed.”
Mara stared after him, more worried than she had let on. It wasn’t normal for vampires to crave mortal food. She had dismissed it as some sort of hormone thing when he was a teenager, some crazy aberration because he was half human. But she couldn’t ignore it now.
Troubled, she followed him up the stairs.
Logan was waiting for her in their room. After closing the door, he took her in his arms. “What do you think’s wrong with him?”
“I wish I knew!”
“Could he be reverting?”
Shrugging, she laid her cheek against his chest. “If anything happens to him . . .” She let out a long, shuddering sigh. She loved Derek more than her own life. The thought of him in pain, the thought of losing him . . . Tears stung her eyes. She had killed the man who’d kidnapped her son when he was a baby, killed Thomas Ramsden without a qualm, as she would kill anyone who hurt what was hers. But this . . . there was no one to fight.
Lifting her head, she sniffed away her tears, then shook her head. “I don’t believe he’s reverting. Except for me, I know of no other vampire who has ever reverted.” She shook her head again. “He wasn’t made a vampire. He was born a vampire.” She grinned ruefully. “It’s in his blood. He can’t change what he was born to be.”
“Then what is it?”
“His father was mortal. Maybe as Derek grows older, he’ll be able to consume mortal food.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not going to worry about it until I know there’s a problem. What are you grinning at?”
“Nothing.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I know you, darlin’. You’re gonna worry over this like a dog with a bone until you figure it out.”
“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do!”
“Darlin’,” he said, wrapping her in his arms, “I know you better than you know yourself.”
Closing her eyes, Mara surrendered to his kiss. Though she would never admit it out loud, Logan was right. In all her long existence, no man had understood her, or loved her, as he did.
She sighed when he lifted her in his arms and carried her to bed.
“I know just the thing to take your mind off your worries,” he said, a wicked glint in his eyes.
“Yes.” She grinned when he stretched out beside her. “And a wonderful thing it is.”
Chapter Thirteen
Derek rose with the setting of the sun. Still troubled by his need for more than blood and not wanting to talk to his mother about it, or see the worry in her eyes, he dissolved into mist and materialized outside, in his car.
Once he was out of the hills, he hit the freeway. Putting everything out of his mind, he stomped on the gas and lost himself in the thrill of barreling down the road at 140 miles an hour. Not surprisingly, he soon had a cop on his tail.
Slowing, he pulled off the road, put the car in park, and waited.
“I guess you know why I pulled you over,” the cop said.
Derek nodded. “I’ve got a pretty good idea.”
The cop flipped open his ticket book. “You’re under arrest. I’ll need to see your license and proof of insurance.”
Looking up, Derek trapped the officer’s gaze with his own. “You don’t want to arrest me, officer, or give me a ticket. A warning will do.”
“A warning, yes, of course.”
“Thank you, officer.”