Page 153

Elyndra helped him from the table and took him back to his home as Cavelli returned to his spot. “We found him wandering the forests on his own around one hundred years ago, and took him in before the king could discover him. He never was quite right, and I fear his last days may finally be upon him.”

Maybe that was surprising or sad for the vampyrs here, but it still seemed like he’d had a good, long life, especially if he’d spent most of it in a community like this. Of course, having to live in hiding wasn’t ideal, but the vampyrs and their families seemed happy here.

“Alright, what else can you tell us about the king and his army?” Camden asked, shuffling the kid onto his other knee.

We talked long into the night. The vampyrs and their servaglios told us as much as they could about the kingdom’s current workings, but since they’d lived in hiding for so long, a lot of it could be out of date. Then they drew us some maps, went over the local flora and fauna, and when there wasn’t much else to teach us, we began to discuss the difference in culture between the shifters and vampyrs who had migrated to Earth versus the ones who’d remained.

When Kian described how he’d grown up, and how most vampyrs didn’t care to socialize much with others outside of their sex clubs, Cavelli grabbed Elyndra’s hand, bringing it to his lips. “That doesn’t sound too dissimilar from the parties you’ll find at the king’s court. Back when our kind were welcomed members, we lived like that as well, pursuing pleasure at the cost of stronger ties with our loved ones. Once the king began hunting us down and we were forced to live together like this, we found we actually preferred it to the debauchery.”

I cradled the sleeping toddler—I still didn’t know who his parents were—against me while I looked around the small village, at all the vampyrs and fae females still awake, laughing and talking. Shifters had lived like this, back in the day, but we too had changed. Had it been due to the loss of our wolves? Our omegas? Or just the demands of modern life on Earth?

Moon, I missed Marlowe. Having her in our home had felt like this, like we were more than just shifters who were barely a pack.

She had made us feel like we were a family.

As though my thoughts could summon her, she spoke clear and quickly in our minds.

I have a chance to escape. I’m taking it. Where are you?

64

MARLOWE

As dinner wore on, Sarai found her pointed barbs towards me weren’t landing like she’d hoped, mostly because I didn’t give a crap what happened in this world or what the fae thought of me, and out of bitchy resignation joined the conversation I was having with her daughters and Canna. We laughed at the males’ expense, swapping funny stories of them all while Alaroth grew less and less enthused.

“…and the idiot thought to surprise me with a garden!” Sarai laughed, the wine sloshing out of her glass as she moved her hands wildly. “Conveniently forgetting how terribly allergic I am to pollen!”

I kept my mouth shut, remembering how my mom used to drag us to the Boerner Botanical Gardens outside Milwaukee at least once a month when we were kids. Ezra clocked the connection as well, clearing his throat nervously. “I mean, most females like flowers, don’t they?”

It was a valiant effort to defend poor Nivardi, but Sarai just scoffed. “Please, I am not a peasant.”

“I like flowers,” Canna replied, batting her eyelashes at Ezra. He shifted in his chair, and the perfume Canna released into the air was… potent, and I took a quick sniff.

Cinnamon and clove, nice. Ezra’d always loved Christmas. Not that I cared about him anymore.

“Canna, would you like to hear about the time my brother and his friends decided to start a rock band and performed for our school’s talent show? Spoiler alert—it didnotgo well.”

She giggled and nodded enthusiastically, while Ezra grumbledunder his breath. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

Alaroth let out a big, annoyed sigh, sitting back in his chair with a scowl on his face. I was sure this dinner wasn’t going the way he’d wanted or expected it to, but I couldn’t have cared less.

Hey babe, what do you think of the fae king?

Cam’s voice spoke in my mind, as clearly as if he were sitting right next to me. I took in a deep breath, half expecting to smell cedar and cardamom in the air around me. Alaroth clocked the way my eyes glazed over at our internal communication, and I pretended to look at a painting facing away from him while I replied.

He’s a giant douche and I fantasize about shifting and ripping out his throat constantly. Why?

I felt the packs’ amusement from the bond.

No reason. Stay safe.

Love you.

“So, Nivardi, will the troops be ready tomorrow morning?”

I snapped back to the present conversation. “Ready for what?” I asked. They couldn’t seriously already be thinking about attacking Earth, could they?

Nivardi nodded. “Yes, of course.”