My brain was numbed dumb as I stared. Neither I, nor Ezra, had moved a centimeter during his — my biological dad’s — gross sex talk. I was seriously struck stupid. I didn’t know what to say to that, since if we argued that we weren’t together, he would go back to the original issue of why we were in the back of my Hummer when there were a crap load of donors inside the school. We weren’t going anywhere near that one.
“I really should take a picture of this,” King Venclaire mumbled under his breath, glancing back and forth between us. Then, he really went overboard, appearing thoughtful as he asked, “Are there any questions you two have about sex between Mys factions? There are many differences between Shifters and Vampires.”
My cheeks flamed. My mind wasn’t cooperating with my mouth, so I just shook my head. Same as Ezra. That was, in some measure, a response, and I prayed it was enough to shut him up. This man was still my biological dad, even if he didn’t know it. Sex was not something I ever would have discussed with my mom, much less a dad that didn’t know I existed.
“Well, then,” King Venclaire murmured, clapping his hands in finality. “I think I’m done speaking for myself and King Kincaid.” He paused, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. “That was what that little look was about. He’s no fool, but since I’m somewhat more open, he elected me to have this conversation with the two of you.” A push away from the door and he stood straight, placing his hands in his pockets. “If you two ever do need to talk, my door is always open.”
He turned, starting to walk away, but glanced over his shoulder, saying, “That silvering excuse was good, Lily. It might have worked — to some extent — if King Kincaid and I had never worn them before and known the effects they have.” His gaze swung to Ezra, eyebrows lowering. “Get to class.” Then his long legs were eating up the asphalt to wherever his car was.
Staring after him, I just blinked. I was pretty sure Ezra did too, since he hadn’t moved a muscle. I wasn’t even sure he breathed for a little while. So, that’s what we did. Stared. Stunned senseless and mute.
Not sure how long we sat like that, I barely noticed when Jack and Pearl got back in my Hummer, Pearl thrilled to be in the driver’s seat and Jack already fiddling with the radio. They didn’t even look back at us until we were out of the gates, jabbering away with each other about the party tonight. When Jack did glance back, saying something to us, his voice trailed off, and he blinked — much like us — and asked, “What’s wrong?” His brown eyes skimmed over where my fists were white knuckled on my top, and his eyebrows rose. “Lily, why’s your shirt ruined?”
“What?” Pearl asked, her head darting back to us, then forward to the road. “What’s going on?”
I tried to speak, but it came out a mumble so, after clearing my throat, I tried again, and managed to say with a hoarse throat, “King Kincaid and King Venclaire paid us a visit.” I licked my dry lips. “They came right after Ezra was done drinking. We were lying on the backseat so no one would see us.” My mouth flapped for a few seconds, but I eventually succeeded in continuing. “It didn’t look good to begin with, and my shirt’s buttons popped off sometime during the drinking, since it’s old, so when Ezra lifted off me, it looked like we’d been…” No need to finish that. They got the point.
Pearl yanked the Hummer to the curb, both her and Jack looking freaked, and she asked, “Are they separating you two?”
Ezra shook his head slowly. “No. King Kincaid left after we gave some bogus excuses for the drinking. He left King Venclaire to…” He trailed off, his voice just as rough and quiet as mine, all of us vigilant of any Vampires nearby.
“What? What did King Venclaire do?” Jack asked, eyes darting between our faces.
“Did he hurt you?” Pearl hissed.
We shook our heads. No, there hadn’t been any physical pain. Only mental anguish, but that wasn’t what she meant.
“Well, then what?” Jack asked, throwing his hands up and accidently knocking Pearl in the head. Reflexively, she reached over and thumped him back. Both pairs of eyes glued on us.
I cleared my throat. “They didn’t buy our story.” I paused, then choked out, “King Venclaire gave us a sex talk.”
Ezra added, whispering, “Told us to keep it private.”
“And circumspect,” I mumbled.
“He mentioned condoms.”
I nodded stupidly. “Said we needed to use condoms.”
“Asked us if we had any questions about Shifter/Vampire sex.”
“His door’s always open…”
Jack and Pearl gawked, jaws hanging wide.
“Oh my God,” Pearl murmured. Hiccupped. Swallowed hard. Another hiccup. A choked gurgle and then, she busted up, laughing.
Jack wasn’t too far behind her, his lips twitching fiercely, and he finally gave in, bellowing with a deep belly laugh. He pointed to us, laughing it up with Pearl. “And they couldn’t tell him they aren’t having sex,” a loud roar of laughter, but words still soft, “because he would have gone back to their original bogus answers.”