Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
bloom
After I checked in with my team, which was doing fine, Harper met me in the office for a quick little debrief. A cute, cozy rug had appeared beneath my desk chairs while I was gone, stretching across most of the office.
I was starting to wonder if Maverick had convinced a wizard or witch to come out of hiding or something. Supposedly, other magical beings existed too.
The rug smelled like one of his enforcers. Ryker, maybe? I hadn’t memorized their scents, and they were nowhere near as strong as the Alpha’s.
“I didn’t kill Celeste,” Harper whispered, dropping heavily onto my couch. Thankfully, she had her own cup of coffee in her hand, so she wasn’t going to touch either of mine. I wasn’t in the mood to share. “I was arguing with Rhone, so he can vouch for me.”
“I obviously believe you.” I forced myself to put my cups down. I needed to ration my caffeine to get through the whole day, and the freaking family dinner that night.
Which Maverick was supposedly going to attend.
I needed a way to stop him from going, because fiancé or not, that would be a shit show.
Maybe I could get them to move it to a family lunch? Then I would have a better chance of Maverick not making it. My family members all took Fridays off of their respective jobs, so they could probably do it. We had before, when I was swamped.
I typed out a quick text, asking them if they could do lunch instead. While I was gone, I’d missed a crapload of messages from them about the road trip Maverick and I had gone on. Someone had posted about it online.
I’d silenced the chat during my insane week of work, so I hadn’t read the messages yet. I’d only ignored two calls from them on the drive to Erren, so they couldn’t have been too pissed. They would’ve called more if they were.
“Any ideas who killed her?” I asked, turning back to my best friend.
She looked slightly dazed.
“Harper?” I snapped my fingers, my stomach clenching.
Her attention jerked back to me, and she rubbed her eyes. “Sorry. I really need to take a day off and just sleep.”
I forced myself not to give away the worry gathering in my lower belly. “I was thinking that on my way in.”
Was she starting to zone out?
That was the start of devolving, wasn’t it?
What the hell was I going to do?
“Let’s do it tomorrow,” I said. “Take the day off. Maverick already told me I should, so he can deal with the office. We’ll spend the whole day on the couch, sleeping, while Is It Cake reruns play in the background.
Harper perked up. “We can stop at that bakery we like on the way home, so there’s cake to eat while we watch.”
“Hell yes. Couch, sleep, cake, and no werewolves? It doesn’t get better than that.”
Harper lifted an eyebrow. “Are you pretending you don’t like him again?”
“No. He’s my fiancé now.”
“Fiancé? Damn.”
“Yeah. We’re not doing rings, though. Werewolves don’t wear them, and I didn’t technically agree to the engagement.”
She smiled. “Of course he’s forcing you to be engaged to him.”
“I know. He’s a pain in my ass, but I kind of like him.” I turned back to my computer as it dinged with a few new messages. “Oh, sweet.”
“What?”
“I got my family to switch the dinner plans to lunch instead. I’m hoping I can avoid bringing him.”
“Fiancé dearest?”
“Yes. You know it wouldn’t go over well with my family.”
“No kidding. He wants to go, though.”
“He always gets what he wants. It’s my turn for once.” I scanned the newest texts. “They’re trying to make sure you’re coming.”
Harper’s amusement faded. “I wish I could.”
“They probably wouldn’t realize,” I said, but we both knew it was a risk she shouldn’t take.
We were already tempting fate by having her around Maverick and Rhone, who had seen plenty of turned vampires.
Mostly the devolved ones, if I had to guess.
“I already told my mom I’m still struggling with vampires after seeing Steven’s body. Just tell them that,” Harper said quietly.
I met her gaze.
Her expression was tired, and… sad.
My throat swelled. “We’re going to find a way around it, Harper. Velour has a lead.”
“The fact that my survival hinges on that asshole is truly abysmal.” She was trying to make a joke.
“Extremely,” I agreed.
“How are you going to avoid Maverick showing up? He totally stalks you, so he’s going to find out.”
“I’ll tell him right after I leave, and hope like hell that he’s in the middle of something.”
Harper laughed. “He’s going to be pissed, Bloom.”
“I can handle him. Now shoo, woman.” I waved her back toward her desk. “Get your work done so we can have Couch and Cake Day tomorrow.”
“Alright. Enjoy lunch. If an enforcer shows up with food, tell them I’m interested.”
“You know I will,” I called after her.
She grinned over her shoulder.
The ache in my stomach deepened into a yawning pit.
I couldn’t lose her.
I just couldn’t.
I texted Maverick while I was in the elevator. My last latte was gone as of fifteen minutes earlier, which was sad.
I’d itched for another one badly enough to consider making it at my beloved mini coffee bar, but it wouldn’t have been as good as the shop’s. So, I hadn’t.
Me
Hey, family dinner was switched to family lunch, I’m headed out now. You can catch the next one
My phone rang. His name appeared on the screen.
I hit the button to ignore the call.
It rang again.
I ignored it again.
Maverick
I know you’re holding your phone
Answer it or I’ll make Ozzy track you with it
It rang again.
I reluctantly answered, trying to ignore the other people in the elevator with me.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Beautiful. Where’s lunch at?”
“Don’t worry about it. I know you’re busy.” I stared straight ahead, biting my lip.
“I didn’t say I was busy.”
“Right, but I figured you wouldn’t have time. With everything happening in the building, and the undoubtedly beautiful Sutton making her way over…”
I stepped off the elevator, walking toward the coffee shop. There was a line, but I didn’t care. I could be late if it meant going to lunch armed with another latte.
“I need a few minutes to wrap this up with Rhone and the security team, but I’ll meet you in the lobby when I’m done,” Maverick said.
“My family’s going to call me incessantly if I’m late. Take your time and meet me there if your meeting ends soon enough.”
Please let it not end soon enough.
He chuckled. “Alright. Where are we eating?”
I gave him the name of the restaurant before ending the call. It was only a few blocks away, so the walk was short.
The barista recognized me, and waved me to the front of the line.
Maybe being engaged to the Alpha werewolf had perks I was interested in after all.
I gave him my order, and he flashed me a small grin as he waved my credit card away. “I’m supposed to comp your drinks. A message went out earlier. Courtesy of the Alpha.”
“I didn’t know he was that courteous,” I remarked.
The guy grinned wider. “Neither did we. Vampires can’t be all bad, huh?”
“Guess not.” I couldn’t help but smile.
My phone buzzed, and I looked down while he helped the next customer. Someone else was making my drink.
A picture of me smiling at the grinning barista came through.
Maverick
What is this?
Me
Me being excited to get a free drink
Thanks, BTW
Maverick
Did he flirt with you?
Me
I don’t think he’s stupid enough to try that
He was just saying that you’ve given me unlimited access to free drinks
Seems like a bad call on your part, but I’m here for it
Maverick
Coffee really is the best way to seduce you
Me
Indeed
Aren’t you supposed to be at a meeting?
Maverick
Yes
Rhone is scowling over my shoulder and telling me again that we need a chaperone
Me
Tell him we’re being good
Biting still has not occurred
Maverick
Would you bite me for free coffee?
Me
Is Rhone the one asking?
Maverick
Yes
Me
Then of course not
Gotta go, have fun
I took my drink with another smile, waved at the nearest security camera, and headed out, slipping my hand in the pocket of Maverick’s hoodie. I’d ditched the t-shirt earlier, but didn’t have any spare clothes left at the office.
Even though I could’ve tried to hide what I was a little bit with my hoodie, I didn’t. My face and red eyes were plastered all over the internet already, so why bother?
I enjoyed the walk enough that my coffee was only a third of the way empty when I got to the restaurant. The ice on the streets had melted, and it hadn’t snowed in a while, so the city looked a lot less like a winter hellscape than usual.
The hostess paled when she saw me. The smile I offered only made her more terrified.
I gave up and took another sip.
Give me the energy I need to handle life, caffeine.
She led me to my family’s table at the back of the restaurant. As soon as I saw my mom and dad, I slipped into the big, curved booth across from them, ignoring the rush behind me as the hostess hurried away.
My side bumped a muscular one, and my nostrils flared.
Fuck on a fucking cracker.
I hadn’t smelled him over the food.
“Oh my god, mom.” My fingers dug into my coffee cup hard. Good thing it wasn’t styrofoam. “Are you trying to get all of us killed?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, honey,”
I uncurled my fingers and gestured violently toward the six-foot-tall gym rat beside me. His thick, dark curls were the kind all women, straight or not, wanted to bury their hands in. His chiseled jaw, brown skin, and deep red eyes only added to the sex appeal.
Said eyes were currently brown thanks to contacts, of course, but the impact was still the same. And I didn’t know how vampire guys could bulk up, but he had cracked the code, because he was twice as strong as any other vampire I’d ever met. Most of us were on the soft side of average.
Thankfully, the thick scent of vanilla on my borrowed hoodie and the memories of what the Alpha done to me with his mouth the night before made me impervious to any sort of draw toward my ex.
“You can’t just invite Timber to lunch without warning me,” I hissed. “Do you know anything about werewolves? I’m soulmates with their Alpha!”
“Well you didn’t invite the wolf, did you?” my mom demanded.