Zach insisted on driving the rest of the way, and Vince gladly let him. He directed him to the investment office his mom cleaned for at night, wishing he was back home in bed instead of here with a dangerous stranger.
“There. Park in that lot. There’s a bench we can eat at.”
“How far is your house from here?”
“About ten minutes.”
“We’ll eat there. Is that your mom?”
Vince wearily looked where he pointed. If he had more energy he’d be mad at himself for letting Zach tag along tonight. He didn’t want to put his mom in danger, and would never forgive himself if something happened to her, but there was nothing he could do about any of it now. He still wondered if this night had somehow been orchestrated by Anthony, but if so, why? What was Vince to a powerful vampire?
As his mind wandered, he looked over in a tired haze to see Zach opening his door.
“Stay in the car. I want to talk to her alone.”
“No.” He opened his own door, but Zach grabbed his arm and held on tight.
“Relax, Vince. I just want to talk to her.”
He was getting really tired of being bossed around, and a low growl started deep in his throat. It was a purely animal sound, and it gave him satisfaction that he at least had that shifter trait.
Zach narrowed his eyes, his face looking more and more catlike as he growled and they stared each other down. Vince eventually felt a heavy, oppressive need to break eye contact and submit to Zach again, and it chilled him to his bones. He didn’t like this feeling of submissiveness. Not one bit.
He discreetly looked around himself, wondering if he could make a run for it, and if he could get to his mom in time to warn her of the danger. His shakes were bad, though, besides how tired he was. There’d be no way he’d get far with the damn alpha chasing him.
“Don’t make this difficult, Vince. We’re just talking tonight.”
He dared to look up at Zach again, then jerked back in shock. His eyes glowed and pulsed in a way he’d never seen before, and soon a feeling of weightlessness washed through him. In the space of a heartbeat he felt more calm and relaxed than he had in ages. Even Zach’s voice seemed soothing as he leaned over him and pulled Vince’s door closed again. “Stay in the car while I talk to your mom. When we come back, you’ll be yourself again.”
Vince nodded and relaxed into his seat as he watched his new friend walk away.
**
The door slammed shut and jolted Vince awake.
“What the hell just happened?” His mom was in the driver’s seat, Zach was in the back, and he had no idea how he would’ve fallen asleep so hard that he didn’t even realize they were done talking. In fact, he didn’t remember anything past them arguing about him not wanting to stay in the car.
Zach said, “Relax. You were in a trance. You’re fine now.”
He’d mind controlled him and Vince wanted to catapult over the seat and punch him. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“I’m your new alpha. Now chill out.”
His mom put her hand on his arm and quietly said, “It’s ok honey.”
“It’s not ok! Don’t ever fucking do that to me again!”
Zach growled low and mean. “Watch your mouth with me.”
Vince clenched his jaw as he glared at him.
Zach kept his eyes on him as he said, “Drive us home Charlotte. Then we’re going to eat and we’ll talk about the plan for tomorrow.”
Vince bit off, “The plan for what?”
“The plan for you to see the doctor and find out why you can’t shift.”
Confusion knocked Vince’s rage down a notch to intense irritation. “What do you mean? I’m a hybrid. We don’t shift. We’re only part shifter.”
“Who’s we? And where did you get the idea there’s such a thing as a hybrid?”
Vince immediately looked to his mom, but she’d already shriveled up in the driver’s seat under his intense scrutiny. So she had been keeping things from him. He settled back down and glared out the side window.
Zach carefully said, “The doctor will take a look at you and try to figure out what’s wrong. With your shakes, too.”
He couldn’t look at either of them anymore, and he knew better than to push Zach, but his whole life was starting to feel like a big fucking lie. He ached to punch something. Instead, with barely controlled venom, he said, “I’d really like it if you’d both stop talking now.”
Thankfully, they did. His mom started the car back up, and the familiar rattles and clunks of the Maxima only made him even more irritated on the drive home.