Page 46 of Fangs for the Memories (Budapest Bites #1)

“ H ere.” Lucy places a steaming mug of tea in front of me.

It has the slogan Absolutely not vodka written on the side.

The scent of it makes me queasy. I’ve got used to Kórnel’s delicious coffee.

“Thanks,” I say automatically.

“I didn’t think you were coming back,” Lucy says, curling up in her squashy armchair opposite me. “Or rather we didn’t.”

After my meltdown, I’ve been installed on her big couch with a box of tissues. Her hallway is also full of cases, something she gave me a sharp look about and I had to shake my head and mumble, “I’ll tell you later.”

“I probably…” I look at the tea, unable to meet her eyes. “I probably wasn’t. I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.”

“You’ve got it real good,” Lucy says with warmth in her voice. “Whoever he is.”

“He’s a Hungarian werewolf mafia boss.” This time I hold her gaze.

Lucy holds mine. The room is silent save for the occasional sound of a passing car.

“You don’t do things by halves, do you?” she says finally.

“You mean like being jilted a week before my wedding, going on a not-honeymoon, and coming back mated to a werewolf?”

Lucy barks out a laugh.

“Something like that,” she says, taking a sip of her tea. “I didn’t even think you were that into monsters,” she adds.

“I wasn’t.”

Lucy looks down at her mug. “I think this calls for something stronger than tea,” she says.

Before I can respond, she’s out of her chair and rattling in her small galley kitchen at the back of her ground floor Victorian terraced flat. I hear the sound of clinking glass, and bile rises within me.

Lucy returns with a bottle of wine and two glasses, plonking them down on the table as she twists off the top.

Just the smell of the alcohol tips me over the edge, and I’m racing out of the room, through her cluttered kitchen to the bathroom at the rear, ready to throw my guts up.

Lucy’s not far behind, holding my hair and rubbing my shoulders gently as I retch into the bowl.

“I’m sorry,” I gasp when I think I’m done. “It’s been a day, and I will tell you about it, but I think this is all the adrenaline coming out.”

“Yeah, right. I think you’ve brought more back from Hungary than just excess luggage,” she says, digging into her bathroom cabinet and handing me a box.

I wipe my mouth with a wad of toilet paper and take what she’s offering.

It’s a pregnancy test.

“Why do you have one of these?” I ask her.

Lucy makes an unimpressed face. “Stop deflecting and get on with it. I presume you were doing the horizontal mamba with Mr. Wolfy McWolf-face mafia boss? I can read between the lines in the group chat you know,” she grumbles. “In which case, you need one of these.”

She doesn’t need an answer from me as my cheeks flame.

“Thought so.”

I take the test from her, and she leaves the bathroom for me to do the deed. I look at it for a long time before I finally pee on the stick and then go back to her living room to wait.

“His name is Ferenc Kóbor and he’s the alpha of his pack,” I say, sitting down on the couch again and putting the test in front of me. “He bought the hotel I was staying in.”

“At least he’s a wealthy monster.” Lucy snorts.

“I didn’t go out there to fall in love or even have some fun.” I stare at the bay window across from me, the curtains closed against the early dark winter night.

“I know why you went. I didn’t want you to go,” Lucy says quietly.

“Because you thought I’d get into trouble?” I say angrily.

“Because I was worried you wouldn’t find the peace you were seeking. It seems, however, I was wrong.”

I furrow my brow as I search her face for answers. “How so?”

“You didn’t want to come back. That tells me everything,” she replies.

I wrap my arms around myself. “Ferenc sent me here. He said it was for my protection. There’s something going on between the werewolves and the vampires,” I rush out. “Something about a vault.”

Lucy sits up straighter. “What does your werewolf know about the vault?”

“His pack help protect it,” I reply. “Along with other monsters in Budapest.”

Lucy picks at her nails. “So, he won’t open it.”

“Not a chance. I thought he had everything under control, but...” I look around me “…here I am. Sent packing like a parcel he can just throw out whenever things get hard.”

“I doubt it was that,” Lucy says.

“I don’t need you on his side,” I grumble.

“I’m just saying the monsters in England, they don’t have to show themselves as much as those in Europe. Ours have the Yeavering,” she says, spreading her hands.

“I had no idea you were that into monsters.”

“I’m not, but you should pay attention.”

“Lucy, I didn’t even know the man I was supposed to be marrying was cheating on me with his secretary. How am I supposed to pay attention to an entire alternate world?” I spit out the words, tears springing to my eyes.

Lucy is out of her chair and on the couch beside me.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She puts her arm around me as I drop my head into my hands. “I didn’t mean it like that, I really didn’t. I know how much he put on your plate, the bastard.”

She gives me the best of hugs because Lucy has always been the best hugger and my best friend ever since I came to London and we ended up working in the same department store. Her financing her law degree and me gaining experience in fashion and retail.

“You’re right, I should have paid more attention instead of letting myself get distracted,” I say into her shoulder.

“What, by running your successful business while you planned the wedding of the century to all of his stupid exacting requirements? I hardly think so.” Lucy scoffs. “I did steal all the cheese from the rehearsal dinner though, I hope you don’t mind.”

I release a soggy laugh. “I hope you still have some. I might not have paid for it, but I do love cheese.”

“Is that a new thing?”

“Why?” I lift my head from her (now slightly soggy) shoulder.

“Because if you’re having cravings, I probably know why.”

Lucy picks up the pregnancy test, and the outcome is as clear as day. One word. One single word which is going to change my entire world far more than discovering there are monsters in it.

PREGNANT.