Covet Read Free Page A

as she stared at Savannah. “No, it can’t be true. Tristan, how could you? I told them you would never—”
    “Son, do you know what she is? What her father is?” Dad’s voice boomed throughout the clearing. “They’re—”
    “I know,” I said. “But obviously I’m fine. There’s no need to do this. Let her grandmother go.”
    Savannah looked up at her trapped grandmother again. Mrs. Evans’s papery face twisted horribly, as if she were silently screaming in pain. Eyes shining with unshed tears, Savannah reached for her grandmother’s feet, but even her toes were out of Savannah’s reach.
    This was insane. What did the Clann think it was doing, dragging an old lady out of her own home and off to the woods in her nightgown? Mrs. Evans would have every right to hex us all the minute they freed her.
    “Let her down,” I yelled, losing control over my temper.
    The wind died, but the smell of ozone sharpened the air with the promise of more rain.
    In the resulting silence, Dad said, “It’s not that simple.”
    What?
    Rocking back on my heels, I searched his face for some clue as to what he could possibly be thinking. I could tell from his overly formal tone that he was still in Clann leader mode, probably too aware of the audience of descendants surrounding us. But he wasn’t thinking right. This wasn’t about Clann and vamp politics. No matter what, no matter how powerful the Clann was, we didn’t do this .
    “It is simple,” I said. “This woman had nothing to do with my disappearance.”
    “We know where you were,” Dad said. “We know the vampires—that…girl’s father—kidnapped you. Now tell us the truth, son. Are you okay? Did they hurt you? What questions did they ask you? Are they trying to figure out our weaknesses?”
    Savannah took a step forward. “They’re not trying to start another war, Mr. Coleman. They just brought him in to test me, to see if I’m a danger to anyone. And my dad wasn’t the one who took him. No one in my family had anything to do with Tristan’s involvement.”
    “They didn’t kidnap me. I went voluntarily to help Savannah,” I said, desperate enough to lie at this point.
    “Tristan, don’t,” Savannah hissed.
    I didn’t look at her, my gaze locked on the only person here who had the power to decide. My father.
    Dad’s face darkened. “So Dylan was right. You are dating her.”
    I didn’t hesitate to answer him. “Yes. I love her.”
    The descendants gasped. Savannah froze. I fought the urge to smile as a weight I hadn’t been aware of fell away from my shoulders. This was it, the moment I’d been waiting for, when the Clann would finally be forced to give us our freedom.
    Beside our father, Emily slowly shook her head, one corner of her mouth deepening in that look that always said, Oh, little brother, you’ve gone and done it now .
    Widening my stance, I crossed my arms and met her stare head-on. Emily might be older than me and think she knew it all, but she had no clue what it felt like to be in love, to need someone like I needed Savannah. In her own way, my sister was even more of a player than I used to be, ready to drop a boy from her dating schedule for the slightest reason. She’d never dated anyone longer than a couple of months, never broken any rules, Clann or otherwise, just to be with someone. And she’d certainly never be willing to leave the Clann if that was what it took to be with the person she loved.
    But I was. And it was time the Clann knew it.
    “It’s time to let go of the past,” I said, raising my voice so everyone could hear and not just my parents. “We’ve been at peace with the vamps for decades now. How long does that peace have to last before we can get over our old prejudices and fears? I love Savannah, and she loves me. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make you see we’re meant to be together. Including leaving the Clann if necessary.”
    “Tristan!” Mom gasped as Dad jerked forward in his seat,