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“It’s just them. My father has a servaglio of six, but I can’t imagine dividing up my attention further than it already is. I love them both so much.”

I told them about how Aisha and I had met in college, and after feeling safe enough to reveal what I truly was and to introduce her to my world, I said I would be monogamous for her sake if that was what she wanted. I loved Aisha too much to risk losing her for the sake of my culture.

But when we graduated, she got a job that required a lot of travel, and I started becoming sick without regular feedings. So, she’d decided it was worth it to share me for my own health, especially since she was gone half the time anyway and would still have me all to herself when she was home.

We had a few disappointing rounds on all the apps, and then we finally found my second in Jasmin, a bartender at our favorite brewery.

Aisha and Jasmin weren’t interested in each other sexually, but they soon became best friends, to the point where I felt like the third wheel more often than not. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though. Their happiness meant everything to me.

Ravena put her hand on her chest and sighed. “That’s very touching. They sound like lucky females to have such a caring male.”

A vampyr named Druviano snorted. “Are you saying I don’t care for you, Valoretta, and Aldorina?”

She rolled her eyes. “I think the servaglio and I would agree you care so much we need a fourth to share the burden.”

Another burst of raucous laughter made its way down the table, with Druviano receiving lots of hearty back pats.

It was quite refreshing to see vampyrs interacting so casually with their servaglios. Most of the males I’d grown up with, like my father, kept their women on a tight leash, treating them more like slaves or pets than equals. I wondered if vampyrs had always been like this, and we’d simply lost this aspect of our culture after moving to Earth. Or had these vampyrs changed due to their need to live in secrecy?

In either case, I knew which society I preferred.

Cavelli held out his hands to calm the group and turned back towards me.

“Going back to your travel companions. How did you find them and decide to embark on this journey together? And what can you tell us of the omega?”

The child whose toy I’d fixed remained on my lap, galloping the creature along the table and imitating its noises quietly. “Well, it started when the omega was actually engaged to a vampyr…”

Shocked gasps sounded around me, and I launched into thestory of how our two groups had become connected, ending with our current predicament.

“I see,” Cavelli responded quietly, swirling his wine in his glass. “And what you seek from us is…?”

“Information. We don’t know anything about this world, despite it being our homeland. Its politics, culture, history, geography—nothing. Trying to get the omega back will require knowledge of those subjects and more. We also need shelter, some place safe to hide while we plan her extraction.”

Jorvane sucked in a quick breath between his teeth. “I’m sorry, but I believe this is a fool’s errand. Any attempt against the king is going to end in a brutal, merciless death. He’s more powerful than you realize, and with the twin wolves…”

“But Marlowe doesn’t want to fight with him,” I interrupted.

Cavelli reached out and placed his hand on my arm, squeezing it gently. “The alpha brother does, though, and he is the strong one. The omega’s heart may be in the right place, but the king can find ways to subdue her and force her to do his bidding.”

Our group fell silent, and I tried to find the words to convince them to help us, to understand our cause. “If the king succeeds, though…”

“It is a risk for you and the pack to stay here, as there are other alphas who can follow their scents. What we can do is teach you our cloaking magic. Bring it back to your realm and protect your people. That is all we are willing to offer.”

Anger and disappointment boiled in my chest. I took out my phone and opened up a game my brothers liked, handing it to the child. “Why don’t you show this to your friends?”

His eyes lit up in wonder and he quickly hopped off, squealing in delight as his pudgy little fingers began pounding on the screen.

Then I stood up, leaning against the table with my hands as I addressed the group.

“Please. I’m not asking you to fight our battle, just to let us rest here for the night and answer our questions, maybe give or draw us a map if possible. Let us learn as much as we can about what we’re up against. Because we’re still going to try, no matter what.”

Elyndra tilted her head towards Cavelli. “One night couldn’t hurt, right?”

He looked down the table, at all the vampyrs and their families, and sighed. “One night.”

57

MARLOWE