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something.” I took a breath. “I’m not trying to act like one of those obsessive girlfriends, but things…things are different with us.”
    There was a pause, and then his lips stretched into a smile. “You’re right.”
    Hell froze over. Pigs were flying. “Come again?”
    “You’re right. I should’ve checked in at some point. I’m sorry.”
    The world was flat. I didn’t know what to say. According to Daemon, he was right about 99 percent of the time. Wow.
    “You’re speechless.” He chuckled. “I like that. And I also like you all feisty. Want to hit me again?”
    I laughed. “You’re a—”
    Opening the door behind me, Mom cleared her throat and said, “I don’t know what it is with you two and porches, but come in; it’s freezing out there.”
    Cheeks flaming an unholy red, I couldn’t do anything to stop Daemon. He let go, sauntered inside, and immediately started charming my mom until she was nothing but a gooey puddle in the middle of the foyer.
    He loved her new haircut. She got one? I guessed her hair did look different. Like she’d washed it or something. Daemon told her that her diamond earrings were beautiful. The rug below the steps was really nice. And that leftover scent of mystery dinner—’cause I still hadn’t figured out what she fed me—smelled divine. He admired nurses worldwide, and by that point, I couldn’t keep my eye rolls to a minimum.
    Daemon was ridiculous.
    I grabbed his arm and started pulling him to the steps. “Okay, well, this has been nice…”
    Mom folded her arms. “Katy, what did I tell you about the bedroom?”
    And here I thought my face couldn’t get any redder. “Mom…” I tugged on Daemon’s arm. He didn’t move.
    Her expression remained the same.
    I sighed. “Mom, it’s not like we’re going to have sex with you home.”
    “Well, honey, it’s good to know that you only have sex when I’m not home.”
    Daemon coughed as he fought a smile. “We can stay—”
    Shooting him a death glare, I managed to get him to come up a step. “Mo-om.” Whininess ensued.
    Finally, she relented. “Keep the door open.”
    I beamed. “Thanks!” Then I pivoted around, dragging Daemon to my bedroom before he turned my mom into a fangirl. Pushing him inside, I shook my head at him. “You’re terrible.”
    “And you’re naughty.” He backed up, grinning. “Thought she said leave the door open.”
    “It is.” I gestured behind me. “It’s cracked. That’s open.”
    “Technicalities,” he said, sitting down on the bed as he raised one arm, curling his fingers at me. A wicked gleam deepened the green hue of his eyes. “Come on…come closer.”
    I stood my ground. “I didn’t get you up here to indulge in wild monkey lust.”
    “Crap.” He dropped his hand to his lap.
    Forcing myself not to laugh, because it only encouraged him, I decided to cut to the chase. “We need to talk.” I crept closer to the bed, making sure my voice was low. “Will’s been talking to my mom.”
    His eyes narrowed. “Details.”
    I sat beside him, tucking my legs against my chest. As I told him what my mom had said, the muscle in his jaw started ticking like a heartbeat. The news didn’t sit well and there was no way for any of us to find out if the mutation had held or what he was up to, short of asking Will, and yeah right on that.
    “He can’t come back,” I said, rubbing my temples, where a throbbing seemed to be in tune with the muscle in Daemon’s jaw. “If the mutation didn’t hold, he knows you’ll kill him. And if it did…”
    “He has the upper hand,” Daemon admitted.
    I flopped onto my back. “God, this is a mess—a freaking mess of epic proportions.” It was like we were damned if we did from every corner. “If he comes back, I can’t let him near my mom. I have to tell her the truth.”
    Daemon was silent as he shifted on the bed until he was leaning against the headboard. “I don’t want you to tell her.”
    I frowned as I