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CHAPTER TWELVE

Shepard groaned and hugged me tighter as Vena bounced on her toes and told us about Shross.

“No, this is great news,” Vena said. “It’s something light and loving and not about how either of you are murderers. It’s about adapting and rolling with the punches, like you said, Shepard. We need to encourage your fans instead of coming across as a hard-ass this time. Be the gentle Shepard who likes to snuggle Everly.”

He leaned back enough to look at me. “Is she making any sense to you?”

“Of course I am,” Vena said before I could answer. “Yesterday, you gave the viewers angry Wolf Boss and walked off in a fit. Not a great public image. Meanwhile, Cross was calm and kissed you to prove a point. It’s shitty they cut out his explanation of the kiss, by the way.

“You need to be the calm one too. Embrace your relationship with Cross and focus on that instead of trying to convince the public that they’re in danger and Orphia is evil. People want drama, but they don’t want to believe they’re going to die. They’re like Everly. They’ll ignore that shit until it’s biting them in the neck.”

“Hey,” I said.

“Sorry, babe, but it’s true. Avoidance is your M.O. until you can’t avoid it anymore. That’s the general public, too. So give them something they don’t want to avoid. Show them your bromance in all its glory. Being loved by the public in any form will mean Orphia’s hate campaign will lose its foothold.”

“Unfortunately, she’s making sense,” I said.

Shepard sighed. “Do you have any other news to share?”

“Nope.” She continued to stand at the end of the bed, not taking the hint.

“Go away, Vena,” I said.

She grinned, blew me a kiss, and said, “I’ll send Cross in so you three can work on your cuddle puddle.”

“Our what?” Shepard asked, but she was already out the door.

“Cross is still home?” I asked.

“Yeah. He gave up his spot to work on a few things when I got here and make us breakfast.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when the door opened and Cross walked in carrying two plates.

“Breakfast is served, my darlings.”

Shepard grumbled something as I sat up. Whatever it was had Cross grinning and reminded me of the moments before the show started yesterday.

“What did you tell Shepard yesterday before the show started that made his eyes turn gold?”

“How sweet the scent of your desire was when you saw him in a suit and that you’d worn the blue lace panty set he’d picked out.”

Shepard’s hand skimmed over my lower back, and I felt him tug on my sleep shorts to check. He groaned and told Cross to come back later. I quickly reached for the omelette he’d made me.

Laughing, Cross handed it over. “And deny Everly nourishment? Never.”

“I heard Vena tell you the good news,” Cross said, handing Shepard his plate as he sat up. “We’re officially a couple.”

“That’s not good news. Why do humans accept lies so readily? You should have kept your lips to yourself.”

Cross looked at me. “And what do you think? Should I have kept my lips to myself?”

“I think you attempted to save an unsalvageable interview. When’s the next interview? Please tell me it won’t be the same lady again.”

“Hugh is still working on when, but it’ll be Denise again,” Shepard said around a bite of his food. “Hugh claims he’s been assured it won’t be another attack.”

I thought about it and shook my head. “You embarrassed her yesterday, and she was mad when you walked out. I’m betting she’s holding a grudge.”

“I agree,” Cross said.

“Vena thinks you guys should stop trying to convince the public of the vampire threat. And I agree. I think you need to convince them with your actions. Maybe not more kissing, though. But if you do, Vena will want to post about it on your fan page.”

“What do you have in mind?” Cross asked, sitting on the edge of the mattress next to Shepard. I caught Shepard’s side glance and knew Cross was purposely provoking him.

“You and Shepard shared a lot about the dangers of vampires yesterday. But you missed a very key trait. Hugh needs to make sure this next show is live so nothing can be edited out. Then, once you’re on the air, you need to compel Denise.”

“I like the way you think,” Cross said.

“I’ll let Hugh know,” Shepard said. He reached over to set his plate down and grabbed his phone from the nightstand to call the liaison.

Situating myself better, I dug into the omelette. “Thank you, Cross.”

“My pleasure.”

“Do I get one?” Vena asked, peeking back inside the bedroom.

“Anchor is already making you one,” Cross said.

Vena took a quick photo of Cross sitting by Shepard.

“That better not get posted,” I called.

“This is for the greater good,” she said, her voice growing distant as she ran to the kitchen.

“Don’t worry,” Cross said. “I blurred right before she took the picture. But she might be on to something. A few candid photos might work, but I won’t allow it in our bedroom.”

“Aw! It’s blurred,” she shouted. “You did that on purpose, Cross.”

He grinned and waited until Shepard finished with Hugh. From the one-sided conversation I could hear, it sounded like Hugh was on board with the idea.

“Hugh agreed,” Shepard said when he hung up. “Denise will not be warned ahead of time.”

“Hopefully, she’ll change her tune,” I said, then finished the last bite of omelette.

Cross took my plate and left. While Shepard made another call to someone, I got ready for the day, wanting to spend some time with Vena.

Last night had been fun, and I missed our time together, even though we still talked and texted every day. And I saw her most days, too. Still, it was different. I missed having her to myself twenty-four-seven.

Grabbing my phone from the nightstand, I kissed Shepard on the cheek as he continued talking to Doc on the phone. Then I slipped out of the bedroom, closing the door so he could have a little privacy.

“I’m not sure if I like Shross,” Vena said to Anchor and Cross. “What about Cropard?”

“I think it doesn’t matter as long as people get behind us,” Cross said.

Vena sat at the table, her focus on her phone. She scrolled with one hand while using her fork with the other to absently eat.

“Do you want to see the fan art?” she asked Cross. “You should see the size of your dueling swords.”

Cross stepped over to look. “Impressive. But I’m not sure how I could walk with something like that. My tailor would charge extra for sure. Taking my inseam would be salacious.”

Vena snickered.

I sat next to her and peered at her screen and the many, many pieces of art that flooded the page. From hyper-realistic to manga, the variety and imagination of the images impressed me.

My phone rang. Taking it from my pocket, I saw it was Miles.

“Hey, Miles,” I said. “You’re on speaker.”

“Good. Are Shepard or Cross with you?”

“Both. Cross is right here, and I can get Shepard.”

“I’m here, too,” Vena said. “Thank you for asking.”

Shepard emerged from the bedroom just as I was about to get him.

“What’s going on?” he asked when our gazes swung to him.

“Miles is on the phone,” I said.

“You found something, didn’t you, Miles?” Vena demanded. “Spill it.”

“While Mom and Dad were following Grandma and Grandpa Hunter’s research trail, I was combing through the dwarven archives for anything vampire-related. I found two very interesting things. The first is about a relic that has the power to pull an entire race into the portal.”

“An entire race?” Vena questioned. “What if they were halfway around the globe?”

“Wouldn’t matter. It’s that powerful, and it’s why the portal was closed. From what we’ve pieced together, it was made by the fae originally to steal humans. Vampires were angry about it and called for a treaty.

“But the important part is that it’s a relic that can influence all creatures.”

Vena’s mouth dropped open. “Like what Grandma and Grandpa Hunter were looking for.”

“Exactly. We just don’t know why they were looking for it or who wanted it.”

“What’s the source of this information?” Cross asked.

“An old book in the dwarves’ archive. It’s so old it looked like it was about to turn to dust. We had to be very careful turning the pages. But it talks about the relic. I also found information in it about the first vampire and first wolf created, which is the second interesting thing. It chronicles how much power it took to create the original curses.”

“Can you send us pictures of the pages?” Shepard asked. “I’d like to see it.”

“Already done. I can send you what I have. So many pages are already beyond reading.”

“Does the book say anything about breaking the vampire curse?” I asked.

“No. But I suspect if it took immense power to create, it would take even more power to break. You’d have to ask the fae queen.”

I wrinkled my nose at the thought.

“Thanks, Miles. You did good,” Vena said. “Let us know if you find anything else to help prove vampires are bad and werewolves are good.”

“You got it.”

After he hung up, he sent images of the book pages. The ink on the age-yellowed paper had faded to almost nothing.

“I bet Mom and Dad are already talking to Curran about making a copy of the book and preserving the original,” Vena said.

“That’s not a bet I’d take because you’d win,” I said, adjusting the contrast so I could read it better. “Do you think sharing the vampire origin story would help?”

“Doubtful,” Shepard said. “It would only make the fae look bad, which would cause more unrest.”

"Which would play into the chaos that Orphia wants,” I said.

Shepard nodded.

“Then I say we stick to our original plan to show what Cross can do,” I said.

The group agreed.

Shepard drummed his fingers on the back of his phone, and I knew he was considering calling the fae queen.

“Do you think Effora will answer honestly about breaking the vampire curse if you call her?” I asked.

“Unlikely,” he said. “But I owe it to all the people Orphia is converting against their will to try.”

He stood and moved away from us to make the call, only to return a few seconds later.

“She didn’t pick up, which is unusual.”

“Is she still mad about us tricking her at the restaurant?” I asked.

“When it comes to getting what she wants, she doesn’t hold grudges,” Cross said. “And Shepard’s unattainable desire is something she would do anything to have.”

“He’s right,” Shepard said. “She always picks up when I call, even when she’s occupied with a meal.”

I snorted. “That’s when she especially likes to answer. What does a fae queen do when she’s not having sex with anything that has a peg?”

“Or a hole,” Vena said. “I don’t think she’s picky.”

“True,” Cross said. “As for what she does…it’s not much. She doesn’t lead her people like Shepard does. Fae live independently of one another. Even families. Once a child is old enough, they’re left to their own devices. It makes feeding easier.”

“Has she met with Vivian yet?” Shepard asked Cross.

“No, but my people are watching closely. A group of humans arrived at her place last night and haven’t left.”

“How large of a group?” Shepard asked.

“Twelve.”

“Ooh, orgy,” Vena said.

Anchor pulled her into his lap, a possessive move that I attributed with Shepard and Cross, but not Anchor, and not something past-Vena would have liked. But I watched my friend melt into the cuddle and pull Anchor down for a kiss.

“Aw,” I said. “That’s so sweet.”

Anchor flushed and immediately pulled away, which earned me a scowl from Vena.

“Payback for bursting into my room this morning.”

She pouted but didn’t argue. Instead, she went back to scrolling on her phone.

“Wait,” Anchor said, watching over her shoulder. “Go back.”

She did, and he looked up at Shepard.

“Turn on the news.”

The reporter was just finishing a feel-good piece about a little girl helping a fairy caught in a net. She’d proudly shown the camera her bandaged finger, which the fairy had bitten.

“And she still thinks they’re cute?” I muttered.

Vena grinned at me.

A second later, the news switched over to another fae murder. Officials called it a serial killing since the stab wounds were identical to three other victims.

“Three?” I said, looking at Shepard.

He was already dialing someone, though, and he looked worried as he paced farther away from us. Serial killers concerned me, a human. But Shepard wasn’t human. Why he was worried clicked into place, and I looked at Cross.

“A human couldn’t kill a fae, could they?”

“Not usually. Perhaps if they had help, but even then…” he shook his head.

“So what could kill a fae?”

“Werewolves, other fae, and vampires,” Cross said. “Some minor races are possible, too, but they would have no reason.”

“You think this is Orphia stirring up shit, don’t you?” Vena said, leaning forward on Anchor’s lap.

She wasn’t fooling anyone, not when Anchor flushed and gripped her hips so she would stop wiggling.

“Yes.” Cross looked at Shepard, listening to his conversation for a moment. “So does Hugh.”

Vena let out a noise that was between a squeal and a screech. We all swung our gazes to her—even Shepard, who was saying goodbye to Hugh—as she bounced on Anchor’s lap. His eyes were nearly rolling back in his head at her aggressive movements.

“It’s them!” She poked her phone screen and set it on the table, calming before answering on speaker. “Hello?”

“Is this Aneva?” A man asked.

“It is.”

“Great news. We have room for you and your guest if you are still interested in attending a Night Club meetup.”

“We are.”

“Excellent. Are you free tonight?”

“Actually, we are.”

“Great. I will send the details to this number. Be sure to wear something red to show your support of the vampires. It will help the bus driver identify you.”

“Where is the driver taking us?” Vena asked.

“Unfortunately, I can’t say. As you know, the wolves are killing innocent vampires. We keep the location a secret to protect the vampires and their supporters. I hope you understand.”

“I do. It makes sense.”

“I’m so happy to hear that. We’ll see you tonight, Aneva. Thank you again for your support of the endangered vampires. Together, we’ll end the wolves’ oppression.”

She disconnected the call. “Looks like I got a date with my bestie tonight.”

A new message pinged her phone. Cross read it. “The pick-up spot isn’t too far away.”

“I don’t know if I have anything red,” I said.

Vena made a disbelieving sound. “Trust me, you do.”

When I raised a brow at her, she smiled. “Do you really think you could get a wardrobe filled with clothes and not have something red? You’re cohabitating with a vampire. It’s their color.” She pointed to my necklace peeking out from the collar of my shirt.

I automatically placed my hand on it, feeling the rubies.

“Now, back to what’s important,” she said. “Are we thinking Shross, Cropard, or maybe Crosh?”

Shepard shook his head. “I’m going to make a few calls in the study.”

Cross grinned and patted Vena on the head. “Good girl.”

She grinned back until Anchor softly growled. Facing Anchor, she cooed, “Aw, do you feel threatened by the big, bad vampire?”

Anchor stood with Vena in his arms.

“Cross, you need to call me a good girl more often.” She cackled as Anchor took her to their room.

“That’s one way to get rid of her,” I said with a chuckle.

I started picking up our plates.

“I can do that,” Cross said.

“You cooked for us. The least I can do is clean. Maybe you can help Shepard coordinate the details for tonight. I know you’ll both worry. It will help me feel better too. While I know I have you and the pack, as well as the necklace, which I’m charging up before we go, I don’t want any hiccups.”

“You know I’ll get to you if anything happens, right?”

I nodded. “That doesn’t stop my stomach from knotting, though.”

He took the dishes from me and gave me a one-arm hug, pressing his lips to my temple.

“If anything ever happened to you, vampires would be wiped clean from this earth.”

He kissed me one more time and released me. “I’ll coordinate with Shepard.” He placed the dishes in the sink and headed to the study.

Not wanting to know details since I would overthink everything, I took care of the dishes, then baked until the apartment smelled like lemon tarts.

Vena appeared just before I was about to start lunch. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her shirt was inside out.

“Did you even bother to look in a mirror?” I asked.

“It smells like sunshine and summer in here.”

“It’s lemon.”

She breathed in and sighed. “The scent of energy. Need some of that.”

I slid her a plate with a tart on it. “Only one. Lunch will be soon.”

“What are you making? Whatever it is, I need two. And my man needs three. He worked hard. Still no launching of the pocket rocket, but we only have?—”

I held up my hand. “Don’t want to know.”

She pouted.

“And to answer your question, I’m making SOS,” I said.

She squealed and hugged me to her.

“I’m only making it because you love it so much.”

“What’s SOS?” Anchor asked, emerging from the bedroom in a neater state.

“Shit on a shingle,” Vena said happily. “I want more shit on my shingles.”

“I remember,” I said.

Cross and Shepard joined us at the table just as I started setting out plates. I sat between them and listened to Cross explain how they would handle the meetup tonight as we ate.

“You’ll have your phones so we can track you easily,” Cross said. “But if anything feels wrong, leave. We want to save lives, but not at the cost of yours. Do you understand?”

Vena and I both nodded.

“Since the meetup time is just before dark, we don’t expect any problems at the pick-up location. Most likely, it’ll be thralled or compelled humans.”

“Or humans who are on team suck-and-slave,” Vena said.

“That too,” Shepard said. “There might also be friends of vampires watching, which is why we’ll be close enough to see you, but we’ll stay out of sight.”

“Once we know the actual meeting location, we’ll come for you and start asking questions,” Cross said. “You’re not there to get the information yourselves. You’re only there to find the location. Understood?”

“I feel attacked. Why are you only looking at me?” Vena asked with false innocence.

Shepard’s phone rang before he could respond.

When he saw the name, he put it on the table and answered it on speaker.

“Lover, forgive me for missing your summons,” Effora crooned. “It was an oversight that I’ll immediately correct. Where and how would you like me?”