As she rejoined them in the library, another voice sounded from the front of the house. “What’s going on? Why is the sheriff’s car out front?”
Stanhill came in with Elenora in tow, his face a mask of consternation. “Your grandmother is here. In case you hadn’t heard.”
Sheriff Merrow stood.
Hugh got to his feet as well, sighing softly. “Good evening, Grandmamma. What brings you by?”
Without Hugh’s asking, Stanhill slipped a tumbler of amber liquid into his hand. Whiskey of some kind.
Elenora lifted her chin in a very grandmother-knows-best sort of way. “I saw the patrol car. I was concerned.”
Hugh’s eyes narrowed. “How did you see the patrol car? You live miles away from here.”
She pursed her lips in frustration. “Alice has a police scanner.”
Sheriff Merrow rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Civilians.”
Elenora put her hands on her hips. “She’s the head of the coven. She needs to keep abreast of what’s happening in the community.”
The coven? As in witches? Did no one else think that was odd? Delaney glanced around. Nope.
Sheriff Merrow snorted. “You mean you need to keep abreast of what’s happening in the community.”
“Sheriff.” Elenora’s smile belied the warning in her voice. “Let’s not start the second vampire—”
“Grandmother,” Hugh barked. “Enough.”
“—werewolf war right here in my grandson’s home.” She frowned at Hugh. “What is the matter with you? Yelling at your grandmother that way. You’re going to make Annabelle think horrible things about you.” She returned her attention to Sheriff Merrow. “Now why are you here again?”
Delaney only vaguely heard what was being said as ice sluiced down her spine. Vampire-werewolf war…what? “Repeat what you just said.”
“Which part, dear?” Elenora’s smile once again brightened her face.
Delaney stood. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. “Vampire-werewolf war?”
“It’s nothing,” Hugh said. His eyes were wide with apprehension. “Old inside family joke.”
“Absolutely.” Elenora waved a hand through the air. “I was just teasing.”
Delaney didn’t get the joke.
Stanhill tried to offer Elenora a drink, but she ignored him, oblivious to Delaney’s rising panic. “The vampires and the werefolk put away their differences years ago.”
“Didi.” Hugh glared at her. “Enough.”
Delaney stared at Hugh. “What the hell is she talking about?”
He started to speak, but Elenora cut him off. “I realize you’re not actually a vampire yet, but when that day comes”—she smiled conspiratorially—“you’ll have to learn our history. Of course, it’ll be your history then too.”
Hugh put his hand on Delaney’s arm. “Delaney, listen to me.”
She backed out of his grasp. “You have five seconds to explain.”
Sheriff Merrow furrowed his brow. “I take it you don’t know about Nocturne Falls.”
She looked at him. “Know what?”
He went silent, his gaze shifting to Hugh.
Elenora clucked her tongue. “What’s the meaning of all this? I was told the agency had informed you of exactly who we were.”
On the verge of a very serious meltdown, Delaney looked at the older woman. “I’m not from the agency.”
Hugh took her hand and whispered, “I can explain everything.”
The plaintive note in his voice kept Delaney from bolting. She owed him at least a few minutes to make this madness right. Or to convince her she was dreaming. That’s all this was. A weird, weird dream.
Elenora stopped smiling. “What?”
Hugh pointed at Stanhill. “Explain to her what’s going on, please. As you escort her to her car.”
Stanhill nodded and began herding Elenora out of the library. She went, protesting all the way.
Hugh turned to the sheriff. “Is there anything else you need from us?”
Us. The pronoun gave Delaney pause. Were they an us? It sure didn’t feel that way.
“No. I’ll contact you when I know more. I’ll see myself out.” The sheriff left, and she was alone with Hugh.
She pulled her hand out of his, and an involuntary shiver ran through her body. “This is just a thing you do, right? You and your family pretend to be vampires. Like Julian was the night we saw him in town? Tell me that’s what it is. Because nothing else makes sense.”
He took a breath. “It’s not a ruse. What my grandmother said is true. I am, that is, we are vampires.”
The room tilted slightly, and her ears rang with a tinny sound. She was on the verge of passing out. Or something. This was all really, really weird.
“I gotta go,” she managed, and then she bolted for her room.
“Delaney!”
She ignored him, got inside then shut the door and locked it. Vampires. She didn’t actually believe that, but then she didn’t exactly not believe it. Hell, she didn’t know what she thought except that Hugh and his grandmother were certifiable, and if she stayed here, bad things were going to happen.
No wonder Hugh needed a matchmaking service.
This had to be a joke, right? They’d started this town and then drunk too much of their own crazy kool-aid. That’s all it was. Hugh and his family were mildly insane. That didn’t explain the very real-looking fangs and strange silver glint Julian had sported.