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The wife plonked down baijiu, and I grabbed it instantly, pouring the clear liquid into the cups and pounding mine down. It wasn’t long before the dishes arrived. This wasn’t a place customers ordered from a menu; we ate what they cooked. But honestly, that made it even better. The homemade food was scarfed down between us—okay, everyone but Annabeth. She ate very little, her body only sinking more into her chair.

“Bebinn!” Sprig whined, not getting food delivered fast enough to him.

“Here.” My arms reached out, collecting the bag from AB. Putting it on my lap, I shoved a Chinese crepe into the hungry monster’s mouth.

Through my lashes, I saw Cooper and AB grin, the same knowing smile on their lips.

“Fuck you both.” Shit, I had become Ryker. I remembered in South America, years and years ago, watching Zoey and Ryker trade him off like a couple with a baby. I howled with laughter at how domesticated the barbaric Viking had become.

Now look at me.

From my years living with them, I knew what feeding time was like with this tiny tyrant. It was like prepping for war because he nipped at our fingers if we didn’t feed him fast enough.

My memories strolled back to the times Zoey or Lexie would hand him over to me with a bottle of honey, like it was my turn to feed the baby before his nap.

I thought I had run from that life. Left it all behind. Funny how fast it can step back in.

I peered down at Sprig as his lids began to lower, his chewing slowing. The food coma was taking him down.

“Here, let me clean him.” AB noticed the same thing I did, but all I saw was exhaustion in her own expression.

“I got it.” I dampened my napkin, wiping his mouth and hands as he completely nodded off. Tucking him deeper into the bag, I ignored the eyes on me, witnessing my vulnerability as I cared for the lab rat.

“Is it okay if I go to bed? I seem to be very tired.” Annabeth looked only moments from passing out like Sprig.

“Yeah, of course.” I started to rise.

“No. You guys stay.” She motioned us to sit. “Enjoy the rest of the meal.”

“I’ll go with you.” Cooper leaped up, his hands grasping her to keep her steady. “Just point us where we’re supposed to go.” He looked at me.

Catching the owner’s eye, I nodded at Cooper and Annabeth. Fang motioned his wife over. “She’ll show you.”

“I’ll get her settled and come back,” Cooper told me, reaching over to take the carrier with Sprig back.

The owner’s wife waved them to follow, disappearing upstairs.

Leaving me alone with Katrina.

I downed another cup of baijiu, tempted to go up with them just to escape the awkwardness.

“Sit.” Fang ordered two men to take the seats of our absent friends, the place so busy they put customers where they could.

A tall, lean man with brown eyes, black hair, and a beard nodded, pulling out the chair Cooper had vacated. A shorter man with blond hair stood beside him, looking around cautiously.

“Drink?” Fang demanded.

“Just baijiu,” Beard guy said. His facial structure looked Russian, but his accent was Hungarian with what sounded like a touch of Czech.

Fang nodded, disappearing into the busy restaurant.

“Kaptain?” the blond guy called his friend, his Czech accent very thick.

“Yes, go check on the others and water the horses. See if you can find us some kind of accommodation.” He ordered his companion, who was now looking more like a subordinate.

“Yes, Kaptain.” Blond man dipped his head, marching out on the order.

I lifted an eyebrow, and the man called “Kaptain” shifted around in his seat, his brown eyes meeting mine. He was human, but had the confidence of a fae, like was used to being in charge.