Chapter 107: Chapter 107

The couple left the car in the large parking garage beneath the building and took the lift to the penthouse, where David and Jennifer were awaiting them. When Jennifer opened the door, she was a picture of perfection, her hair styled immaculately and the bun decorated with little white pearls. David, on the other hand, was dressed in a more casual way, which relieved Elena, who had been worried about being underdressed.

“Elena darling,” Jennifer chirped without even a glance in her son’s direction and hugged the witch, fondly patting her back. “Finally, you’re here. We have so much to talk about.”

“Of course you do,” Ryder sighed in defeat and rolled his eyes at his dramatic mother. She ushered Elena into her home, and Ryder was forced to follow them with his father. The latter was observing his wife’s behavior with a good-natured smile.

His mother had ordered food from a restaurant again—Ryder smelled it from afar, so he wasn’t surprised when they reached the rooftop terrace where a whole dinner was prepared on the table. His nonchalance contrasted with Elena’s reaction—her jaw dropped upon discovering the feast.

“You prepared all this just for me? Jennifer, that wasn’t.”

“It was necessary, darling. Sit and have as much as you like. Ryder told me what happened to you and how much weight you lost because of it. You need to eat a healthy amount of food. Nobody should go hungry in this house, vampire or not,” she insisted and pulled out a chair for Elena.

The witch was flustered by the exuberance, sitting down and eyeing the different American dishes on the table. The food was quite distracting—it must have been ridiculously expensive, hence why Elena didn’t spare the amazing view beyond the terrace a single glance.

“Thank you,” Elena said and inclined her head at the vampires.

Ryder took a seat next to his soulmate, and his parents sat down across from them. They didn’t eat any of the food and hadn’t even prepared plates and cutlery for themselves. This time, they also didn’t drink any blood, which was good for Elena since seeing it normally decreased her appetite. Jennifer struck up a casual conversation while she ate.

“Ryder told me you reopened your flower shop,” she remarked with a glance in his direction. “He said it’s a beautiful place, so I got curious. Do you mind if I drop by?”

“You’re always welcome to visit,” Elena smiled, guiding her glass to her lips to take a sip of her drink.

“Perfect. David and I were considering adding plants to our home—they would be a lovely sight. You should give me advice.”

“Gladly. I’m sure we’ll find flowers that you’ll like. Blue ones would match well with your living room furniture. Bellflowers would be a good example.”

Ryder arched his brow, recognizing the name. “The ones you showed me? They’re pretty indeed.”

She beamed at him when she remembered the moment he referred to. She had been in the garden and practicing a new creation spell, making bluebells sprout from the earth under her hands. They had grown and revealed their vibrant blue hues within minutes. Ryder had joined her and listened to her gushing about her new flowers—it had been a relaxed and pleasant afternoon. He had sat down with her and hugged her from behind.

Elena didn’t notice Jennifer’s and David’s amused expressions, too caught up in her soulmate’s eyes—their color matched well with the shade of a bellflower. “My, you’re so cute,” Jennifer giggled and hid her smile behind her hand. “Elena darling, don’t forget about my offer from last time, yes? Your wedding dress will be a gift from us.”

The change of topic was sudden and ripped Elena’s startled gaze away from Ryder. “Wedding? There are no plans for a wedding,” she mumbled, unsurely, and glanced at her soulmate for a fraction of a second. He was holding in a chuckle.

“Yet,” Ryder added and winked at her, the gesture sending off happy sparks in her heart. They had never talked about marriage before—it would be a wonderful idea in Elena’s opinion.

“You haven’t proposed yet, Ryder?” David said. “Do it soon, your mother has been bothering me about this wedding dress for weeks. She’s been searching magazines and websites.”

Jennifer looked scandalized and hit his arm. “Honey. You weren’t supposed to tell them.”

Ryder and Elena laughed when David winked at them. They spent the evening on the terrace and enjoyed themselves—Elena found that she liked visiting Ryder’s parents since they gave her the feeling of being part of a family. It was something she had been missing since her own parents had died, and she was grateful to be a part of their little family now. Initially, she had believed her nature as a witch would make fitting in with vampires impossible, but she had been proven the opposite.

It was late when Ryder and Elena said goodbye to David and Jennifer. They walked the couple to the front door, but before they could leave, Jennifer stopped them.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” she said, and something about her tone made Elena uneasy. The vampire’s voice was hushed and cold, held a warning edge. She glanced at her son. “Be vigilant. The council contacted us yesterday about an issue they’re investigating. There have been sightings of turned humans in New York, and they don’t know who’s responsible—it’s against the law, so the council is taking it seriously. I assume they will contact Edgar soon, too.”

“Turned… humans?” Elena whispered, blanching. She had met one of those a long time ago—they were like rabid animals, living only for the sake of consuming blood. The sole way to save them from their misery was to kill them. Needless to say, Elena despised those who forced such a terrible fate on innocent humans who were incapable of defending themselves against vampires. But she also wasn’t keen on meeting one of these monsters…

“Ryder, keep an eye on Elena. Drive her to work and pick her up afterward, it’s safer that way until the council has found the vampire who’s responsible.”

A scowl settled on his face, turning his features cold and repellent as an eerie red shimmer dyed his gaze. “I won’t take any risks. Thank you for warning me. Is there anything else you know?”