Page 67 of Eternal Light

The pool is beautifully lit up at night with fairy lights in the trees, and a warm summer breeze cools Luca’s cheeks while being outside finally warms his cold toes.

Carnell is still by the pool, and this time, he’s in his swim trunks.

Luca can’t help but blanch at the picture of his father-in-law’s scrawny ding-a-ling in the tiniest white swim trunks he’s ever seen.

He’s oiled himself up (at night?) and now his wrinkled, bony torso looks like a sun-dried tomato steeped in olive oil. He’s wearing a slimy smile on his face, which makes the whole thing more disturbing.

“Austin and Luca. Please, join me for a midnight snack.”

There are glasses of lemonade and a tray of sandwiches.

Luca’s tummy growls, but Luca ain’t no fool. What if it’s drugged or poisoned?

No, thank you.

“We’d like to leave.” Nix isn’t asking. He’s pushed Luca behind him, and Luca notices that he’s turned his scent off again to hide their babies.

Picking up his crystal glass of lemonade, Carnell pulls the lemon off the edge and sucks it into his mouth.

He doesn’t flinch at the sour fruit and instead pops the whole thing into his mouth, chewing the fruit, peel and all.

Once he’s done, he smiles with a shake of his head. “Absolutely not. My plans require your cooperation and…attendance. I hope you won’t hold your previous pack alpha’s death against me.”

Whaaaaat?

Does Carnell still think Jay is dead?

He squeezes Nix’s hand to show he heard that, too, and he remembers the grief he’d felt in that parking lot.

How untethered he’d felt.

It’s not a stretch to let his sad mocha scent flow out over the lanai. Carnell raises his nose and takes a deep breath of Luca’s grief.

“I think we can all agree that Gideon is the true leader of your pack. He’ll soon have you both under better control. Of course, the other alphas will have to go. No sense in letting usurpers within the pack stab you in the back. Betas are much more…amenable. Don’t you think?”

He sits, finally, and manspreads, his wrinkly man-de-lier oozing out the leg holes.

Luca flinches again at how gross he is. It’s enough to make him want to hurl, even without the BBS.

Sayingamenablelike that makes it sound demeaning and dirty.

Who does he think he’s talking about?

Luca can vouch for himself and Leo when he says there have never been less amenable betas. Leo would argue a point with Jay until the alpha finally saw the light, and Luca has been known to be contrary for fun. Fuck you very much.

Nix takes a single step forward, claws out and fangs down, before growling, “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now, for killing my mate and for your demeaning words.”

There’s no doubt that Nix is threatening his father-in-law.

Carnell is on his feet and up in Nix’s face in the next breath.

He’s fast for an old guy, but Nix doesn’t flinch.

That’s okay; Luca flinches enough for the both of them.

Carnell’s rancid olive scent carries a tinge of scorched oil, while droplets of spittle dot his narrow lips. He bares surprisingly sharp fangs in a threatening scowl.

“You will show me respect, omega. My son has obviously failed to teach you the proper amount of deference to show your superiors and your alpha.”