Changes (Belle Morte Book 4)

Chapter Seven

Jason

He slept badly that night, and not just because Gideon was on his mind. When morning came, so would McGellan. It wasn't as if the entire future of vampirekind would be decided today, but there was a hell of a lot riding on this meeting, and that was enough to make anyone nervous.

McGellan had seemed pretty neutral on the subject of vampire rights, but that wouldn't necessarily play in their favour, and Karl Kendrick was open about his dislike for vampires. He wouldn't have any interest in what was fair for them.

Jason was halfway through dressing when the door opened and Renie and Roux walked in, both looking subdued.

Any other time Jason might have teased them about walking in, or declared mock-outrage that they hadn't knocked first, but this wasn't a day for jokes.

His girls were scared – he could see in their eyes.

If vampires were forced out of the Houses and onto the streets, Renie and Roux were the most at risk. It would be decades before they built up the same resistance to the sun as the older vampires. Jason didn't want them to live in fear like that. They didn't deserve it.

Wordlessly, he hugged them, squashing them both against his chest.

"Good thing we don't need to breathe anymore," said Renie, her voice muffled.

She tried to smile when Jason released them, but it didn't meet her eyes.

"I'm delighted to see you both, as ever, but what are you doing here? Why aren't you with Edmond and Ludovic?" Jason asked.

"We didn't want you to go to the meeting by yourself," Roux said.

Jason's heart melted into a squishy little puddle. His girls could have gone with their boyfriends but they hadn't because they thought he needed them more, because he didn't have anyone else to go with.

"Do we have to go now?" he said.

"Probably sooner rather than later. Ysanne wants us there before McGellan arrives."

"I'd better get dressed then."

Roux managed a smile, eyeing his bare chest. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe we could use some eye-candy at this meeting."

Jason promptly put both hands over his nipples. "Greedy wench! You have your own eye-candy."

Despite how serious today was, a dreamy look came into Roux's eyes. "Yeah, that's true. And he is delicious."

Jason couldn't argue with that.

The girls waited while he threw on a shirt, and quickly styled his hair, nerves twisting and churning in his stomach. He almost felt like he was preparing for battle.

"Are you okay?" Renie asked.

"Me?" He gave a short laugh. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

She lowered her eyes, and Jason fought the urge to hug her again.

For a few moments, it had seemed that they could joke today, after all, but that was over now. The nerves were back, making Jason feel vaguely ill. So much depended on today, and there were so many ways it could all go wrong.

He took his friends' hands, holding them as tightly as he could, telling them, without words, that he would always be here for them. No matter what.

Edmond, Ludovic, and Gideon were waiting for them at the top of the stairs, and Jason experienced a bolt of déjà vu so strong it almost physically rocked him.