Page 167 of Their Lethal Pet

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” King Cain says slowly, his gaze narrowing in a way that suggests Orcus has struck a chord—and it’s not one he should have plucked.

Flame sets his glass down, his palm going to my lower back in a protective gesture that Reaper matches on my other side.

“Oh, I knew this would be fun,” a feminine voice interjects as a screen appears on the wall that’s adjacent to the windows. “I’m curious as to who has the bigger…” She trails off, her lips curling down. “Actually, I don’t care. Which is a strange yet refreshing realization.”

The dark-haired woman looks to the side then, her painted lips quirking right back up at whatever she sees off camera.

“Helia,” King Cain says, his voice deeper than before. “How lovely of you to interrupt.”

Helia,I repeat.As in… the Queen of Monster City.

Yes,Orcus replies, not that I needed his confirmation. I recalled her name from previous discussions. But I had no idea thatthiswas what she looked like.

Gorgeous.

Dark features.

Long legs.

Wearing nothing but a silky robe.

And one of my mates met with her last week.

My lips curl down. I didn’t like that realization one bit.

She does nothing for me, Alina,Orcus tells me, his mind confirming that to be the truth. But it only placates me a little bit, mainly because she appears to be eyeing each of my mates with interest now.

“It’s not an interruption when one is invited to join a call, darling,” she finally says, her striking face crinkled with mirth. “Or that’s what Bernard said, anyway. Something about potentially being needed?”

King Cain glances at a door, his gaze narrowing. “I see.”

“As does your assistant,” she returns, the words not making sense to me. “Ravens are quite good for that, I hear.”

“You two gossip entirely too much,” King Cain mutters.

“Jealous he found out about my new mates before you did?” she asks, her eyelashes batting coquettishly at him.

“Not really, no. I’ve been too busy to care about anything other than my own mate.”

Queen Helia smiles, her eyes creasing at the sides. “Right under your nose this entire time.”

“Don’t start with me,” he replies.

She holds up her hands. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” There’s a note of humor in her tone that has King Cain sighing in response.

He mutters something under his breath that I don’t quite catch, but she somehow does because she laughs.

Then, louder, he says, “It seems Orcus would like to know more about Alina’s sister. In exchange, I believe he’s offering to leave my Strigoi alone.” He looks at my Alpha. “Did I summarize that appropriately?”

“You did.”

“Brilliant. Helia?” King Cain prompts, arching a brow at her.

“Why are you looking at me? This sounds like an arrangement between the two of you,” she says.

“And yet you joined our meeting,” he returns.

She grins. “Yes, and I’ve prepared popcorn as well.” She stretches her long, dark-skinned legs out along her chaise, causing the robe she’s wearing to inch upward on her athletic thighs.