“What? A demi-god? You mean like the son of Zeus?”
“Yes, exactly like that. She’s the granddaughter of Ares.”
“The God of War.”
“Yes, and she was an FBI agent, at least until her baby was born.”
“Does she live in your clan?”
“Yes, she does now. Until the baby came, she just lived there on the weekends like I do.”
“Aliens,” she said to herself. “Demons. And witches, and dragon shifters. And demi-gods. What else exists that I don’t know about?”
Should he tell her all of it? He couldn’t see why not. She was in this deep now. “There are also wizards, which are the male versions of witches. There are Fae, there are vampires, and wolf-shifters as well.”
“Anything else?”
“Not that I know of,” he said. “But I didn’t know about aliens either.”
“Hmm.” Now she took a moment to gaze out at the yard.
He waited, but she said nothing else. He would confess to her. It was time. He put his plate to the side and leaned forward, taking her hands in his. “Ava, I have to say this. I love you, and I—”
She pulled one of her hands out of his and held it up. “Eli, I love you, too. But I need time to think.”
His heart soared as he heard his mate say the words, ‘I love you.’ Then, it crashed. He couldn’t breathe. But he didn’t blame her. She deserved a human mate who wouldn’t put her in danger. She deserved to have a life that didn’t include gods and monsters. Hell, he’d just told her demons existed.
It would be information-overload for anyone. He was still reeling from finding out about the aliens.
“I understand.”
She stood up. “I’m going to go pack. Nora and Niall have been more than generous, but I know they’re ready to get us out of here so they can get back to their baby.”
“I agree.” He picked up his plate and followed her inside.
18
Ava
Ava wasn’t angry. She didn’t feel lied to or betrayed, as Nora, Niall, and Eli all seemed to think she’d feel.
She did feel shaken, though. There was so much in the world that she hadn’t known about. Until this week, she’d felt secure in her place in the world and what her view on reality was.
She’d been wrong about all of that.
Not because she’d been ignorant or hadn’t done her research, no. All of it was just unknowable to her. And who knew what else existed out there? Eli was very open about the fact that he hadn’t known about aliens, demons, or demi-gods until recently.
The demi-gods were the hardest for her to accept. She’d read about Greek and Roman mythology in literature, just like everyone else in high school and college. But to find out Zeus and Hera were real? Along with Apollo and Athena and all the others?
It was mind-boggling.
She loved Eli completely. That wasn’t in question. Not only was he her boss, which was complicated, but he had a whole other life. She just needed time to think about what she wanted for herself and what she had to offer him.
They had only just begun to date, but if they became serious later on, then she’d have to accept that her life would always include a dragon shifter. And because she’d asked Nora that question while Nora was being so patient with her that night, she knew that if she stayed with Eli, then she could have a child that was a shifter.
From what Nora had said, it was a pretty big deal. The thought of her child being different didn’t bother her, but there would be considerations, Nora said. Such as making sure she didn’t let the rest of her family know the truth. And being vigilant while her child was small to make sure he or she was never too rough with other kids.
Nora told her a story about their extended clan in Texas, about the two little boys named Declan and Rowan who were so wild when they were toddlers that they couldn’t attend preschool. It was obvious that Nora adored both boys and spoke fondly of them.
As she spoke of her clan, it was obvious that they were a tight-knit bunch. That would be nice to have. Ava loved her family, but they weren’t close, not like Eli and his family and friends seemed to be. What would it be like to raise a child in a clan with all that unwavering love and devotion?
Those thoughts swirled in her head even as they flew back to Oregon and resumed their lives working in the lab. Eli treated her with the same respect he always had. He wasn’t standoffish, but he didn’t kiss her or hold her hand, although he did put his hand on the small of her back quite often and brush her hair over her shoulder when no one was nearby.
But he didn’t ask her on a date. He didn’t bring up dating at all, and she only saw him during work hours. He also didn’t go out to lunch with her anymore, and she began to miss him terribly.
She didn’t ask him about it, though. Before she did that, she had to decide what she wanted.
She already loved Eli. That was not in question.
Could she date a man who wasn’t human? Could she see herself as part of a clan? Could she raise a child that was part of another world? One she’d never be a part of, not in the same way Eli was.
She didn’t have answers to those questions.
She decided to give it some time and see what Eli said.
But each day passed, and Eli said nothing.
If she couldn’t get a grip, then she’d have to leave her job behind, no matter how much she loved him.
19
Eli
Eli didn’t know
