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“Yes?”

“If you want to be more involved, then you’re going to need to be more demanding.” She crossed her arms.

A touch caressed my back. I stiffened and sucked in a breath. Asher.

Talia continued droning on, but all I could focus on was how Asher’s hand trailed down my back to caress the skin right below my skirt.

“Mmhm,” I mumbled.

“Oh, and there was something else I brought up to the Sires. We can’t have anyone recognizing you as their prior Pet. There will be questions. At least not before Bastien comes out with the cure.” Something he was actively testing, literally on blood-mad vampires he had chained in his lab.

“We need to change both your brother’s looks and yours. I vote cutting your hair just because its recognizable.”

“My hair,” I whimpered, clutching the long strands that flowed to the base of my spine.

“Your hair is lovely, but it’s the fastest way to change your look.”

“I’m not cutting it.”

“Asher was right.” Talia winced.

“Asher talked to you about this?” I snapped. Asher’s hand on my thigh tensed.

“We’re only thinking of your safety, Pet.”

Talia gasped, focusing in the general direction of his voice.

“I don’t regret taking her side!” She lifted her nose and sniffed. Just as quickly, she pursed her lips, almost leerily.

“I like you,” I said to Talia.

Asher hissed. “Not like that, Jesus, Asher.”

“Don’t they drive you crazy with all that posturing?” she whispered. “And you know, this is stalking, Asher,” she said, raising her voice.

“You don’t even know the half of it.” My words cut off with a squeak. Asher wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged me back.

“And I don’t want to know, thank you very much.” She shivered. “I’ll show you the ropes and we can figure out where you want to fit here. Obviously, we can figure out your schedule around what your vampires agree with,” she prattled on and waggled her fingers at me as Asher dragged me backwards until he flattened me to the wall in the hall.

“Ash—”

“Shhh.” Asher was so close to my ear my hair fluttered. His hand dragged down, under my skirt. He delved into my undies and sank his fingers into my core.

I gasped as he removed them, and I heard the sound of his lick. He hummed.

“I need a taste.” It was so weird not being able to see him as my skirt was dragged up. He curled my leg over his shoulder. I gripped his hair for balance. Violet and Talia were the only ones with us, so I didn’t stress out about being exposed. They knew when to keep their distance.

epilogue

CATALINA

I slowedon the last steps of the banister and squeezed the grooved handrail. Wood creaked and I relaxed my hold. The back and forth arguing echoed down the hall.

“You can’t tell me you don’t want to hear it,” Asher’s voice elevated multiple octaves. “What if she leaves us?”

“Shut up,” Ren drawled.

“You didn’t see how she froze up when I told her,” Asher mumbled. “You, did you apologize? That’s what she demanded of Ren. Maybe that’s what she’s wanting. I don’t care what you fucking do, Jaxon, drop on your knees before her and beg her to forgive and accept you. If it’s because of you that she’s holding back. I swear to the undead I’m going to?—”