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“You have a lot of shiny things in your face. Maybe he likes them.”

“Raa-ah,” The crow croaks, hopping along the dresser.

“Okay, I see you’ve both been taking lessons from Fitzie. I’m going to shower,” he huffs, swiping a towel from the chair.

“Wait!” I hurry after him.

An hour later, my legs still weak from a full-body orgasm Ezra gave me in the shower — because as it turns out, I have no self control around him — I crawl into the passenger seat of the truck and slump against the window. Ezra shuts the driver’s side door and chuckles at my state.

“I don’t know if you’ll be up for any role-play tonight, sweets.”

“I’ll recover.” I reach for him and his fingers entangle with mine.

“Let’s have a movie night.” He squeezes. “All of us, plus Fitzie. Larch is teaching me how to make pizza — he wants to convince Syril to get a stone oven installed. If we get the dough started early, it’ll be ready in time for everyone to DIY their own toppings.”

I smile back at him. He’s trying hard to bring Felix into the fold. “A movie night sounds perfect.”

The rumble of the vehicle lulls me half to sleep, but when Ezra parks, I perk up instantly.

“You want me to wait out here?” he asks.

“You can come in.” I stretch. “It won’t take long, I’m sure.”

Ezra gets out of the truck behind me. “It’s funny to think this is where we met. I thought you were so pretty in your human form.” He chuckles. “I had no idea.”

I’d been scared, confronted by his broad shoulders and intense gaze. I remember the thrill of fear distinctly. The whiff of his warm musk had set my pulse racing with alarm.

Or had it been something else all along?

The bell tinkles when I push the door open. Inside, the front desk is empty — Aster is absent.

“I guess I’ll sign in.”

The big guest book sits on the reception desk, as usual. I flip it open and leaf through the pages, looking for an empty spot. Names fly past — most I don’t recognize, but some I do. Owyn Maddox must know every monster in the city.

“Oh, Lysander. You’re here.” Maddox’s footsteps sound from the hall. He’s frowning, raking his loose hair back with one hand. His eyes flicker to Ezra. “You brought the human.”

Ezra lifts a hand awkwardly. “I just drove.”

“What did you want to see me for? Is it about the lease… ?”

I break off.

Behind Maddox, hooded figures take shape. Instinctively, I step in front of Ezra, my wings flaring. Blood roars in my ears.

Has Maddox betrayed me?

Black robes fill my vision. But there are no cult symbols — they’re not azeroths.

A growl slips from my throat. “Stay back!”

“Guys, please, not the theatrics.” Maddox looks around as the figures surround us.

Dark, smoke-like matter billows as the biggest figure steps forward, more than a head taller than Ezra, with massive arched black wings trailing behind him. A shadowfey, but not one I’ve ever seen.

“What’s going on?” I hiss, feeling my fangs emerge to kiss my tongue. I try to shield Ezra with my body, but it’s useless. They’re all around us now.

“I’m sorry,” Maddox says loudly as a supernatural wind sweeps through the office, rattling the pages of the sign-in book. “I had no choice.”