12. CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER TWELVE
Zandren
I waited until morning before I called my father.
He lived in Oregon, so we were in the same time zone, and calling him in the middle of the night would yield the worst possible outcome.
Vampires needed little sleep and kept weird fucking hours. So it was no surprise that King Howar was up when Drak was texting him.
King Ryden was a different story and needed to be handled with caution. Cub paws were the best way to deal with the grumpy, nearly-six-hundred-year-old grizzly. He was best approached after he was well-rested, had had his coffee and breakfast, his morning nap, and was sitting on his porch watching the birds in the birdbath.
When I tried calling him before, I reached his clerk—Fellwin. Fellwin could be trusted implicitly. My father was away dealing with some wolf shifter drama north of Vancouver, Canada, and unable to answer his phone. But Fellwin, of course, had his ear to the ground and knew everything that went on in the Realm. He also handled my father’s calendar because the old grizzly couldn’t be bothered to do it himself. I asked Fellwin to keep the specifics of Omaera from my father, as I wanted to be the one to break the news. Not only did I now have a mate, but she was half demon and Queen of the Realm. Yeah, that kind of info deserved to come from me, and me alone.
I texted Fellwin to make sure my father was now home and available. I placed the call
when I knew he would be on the porch, with his sudoku puzzle, tea, and scone.
As always, his answer was a grunt.
“Dad,” I said.
“Zandren.”
“I was struck by lightning.”
Silence echoed back at me. I glanced at Maxar’s phone since Omaera and Gemma were still asleep in Gemma’s room and I didn’t want to bother her to ask for her phone.
Then a sob came through.
I glanced at the screen again.
“Oh, son. I’m so happy. Grandcubs. I can’t wait.”
Who the fuck was this bear?
Ryden Thorne was one of the grumpiest, hard-headed bears I’d ever met. I knew he’d been different before my mother and sister died, but it’d been over a century, so I forgot what a softer side of him was like.
“Yeah . . . it’s uh . . . it’s a bit complicated.” I paced back and forth on the balcony, the sliding door closed. “We haven’t mated yet.”
“No? What’s the matter?”
“Well, she’s um . . . she’s not a shifter.” Among a long list of other things.
“No?” I could feel his terror through the phone. “Don’t tell me she’s a vampire. Gods no.”
“No. No, she’s not a vampire.”
“Mage? We can deal with that.”
“No. Not a mage.”
“Ugh. A demon? Well, it’s better than a vampire. Is that why you haven’t mated yet? She’s playing head games?”
“Dad . . . you know King Donovar was killed, right?”
“Yes, and he had an illegitimate heir that we’re trying hard to meet with, but she’s being a stubborn little demo—No!” The sound of chair legs scraping across the wood porch made me pull the phone from my ear. “Your mate is the new queen?”
“It would appear so.”
“But . . . I heard her mate was a vampire.”
“That’s true . . . And a mage. And me.”
“Three mates? But that’s . . . that’s impossible. That’s never happened before.”
“Yeah . . . that’s what we all said. But it’s the truth. We all got struck by lightning. We all feel the connection. The other thing is that she was being shielded by a spellcaster mage who hid her from the Realm until Donovar died. When he died, the spellcaster’s magic ended because the Fates’ magic is stronger. But we found out last night that her mother wasn’t a mage or demon, not a shifter, or even a vampire. She was human, Dad.”
“A hybrid?” His disbelief mimicked my own. I was still coming to terms with the idea of half human, half . . . other beings out there. Surely Omaera wasn’t the first of her kind?
“Yeah. King Howar dispatched a demon advisor to help Omaera with her powers, and the woman was a true terror. She smelled human on Omaera immediately and treated her like scum. Then she came back last night to try to kill Omaera’s human roommate and torture Omaera.”
“Son, this is . . . how many people know about her being hybrid?” Caution colored my father’s raspy voice. “Does Howar know? What about Anysa?”
“I . . . I don’t know. As far as I know, it’s just us . . . and now you. Don’t make me regret telling you this, Dad.” I made sure my threat was clear. My father was deeply devoted and in love with my mother for centuries. He would have eviscerated his own parents for her, and he knew just by my words that I would do the same for my mate. “Don’t push her. I don’t know if it’s you leading this charge to manipulate the new queen, but stop. Two demons just killed her aunt yesterday. The only parent she’s ever known. She is grieving. She is trying to come to terms with this new world, her role and the fact that three men showed up on her doorstep claiming to be her Fated Mates. You need to understand that she needs time.”
“I always hoped you’d find a love as deep as the one I had for your mother. I’m proud of the mate you’ve turned into, Son.”
A lump formed in my throat, but I couldn’t let my emotions cloud the true reason I called him. “Dad, don’t push her. If she’s not ready to meet the High Council, then give her time.”
“When do I get to meet her then? She’s family now.”
“When she’s ready.”
“I’ll see what I can do. But I’m just one of three on the Council.”
“Yeah, but you’re the toughest.”
His chuckle was gravelly. “Three mates, huh? That can’t be easy. Especially for you, with one of them being a vampire.”
“He’s an asshole too. You know King Howar’s head guard? Drak Ferrin?”
More silence.
“Dad?”
“I know him, yes. He’s the King’s cousin.” The bitterness and hate that resonated through the phone had the hair on the back of my neck standing straight up.
“Well, that’s the vampire. And the other one is some chaotic, unhinged, fire mage with a penchant for drama and murder.”
“Drak Ferrin,” he rumbled. “Golliver Ferrin was his father.”
I narrowed my gaze, my attention pulled away by the movement inside the apartment. Omaera and Gemma were awake and in the kitchen. “Listen, Dad. Please, do what you can to tame the rest of the Council. She needs some time to adjust. She’ll meet with you all when she’s ready. But if you push her, she’s . . . well, let’s just say, I think her being half human hasn’t diminished her powers in any way. She may very well be one of the strongest demons to ever live. She just needs to learn how to control her powers before she kills someone.”
After mentioning Drak’s name, my father’s mood shifted, and I could tell he wasn’t in any frame of mind to be on the phone. He grunted.
“I’ll call you again soon, Dad.”
Another grunt .
“Bye.”
The line disconnected, and I stared at the screen for a hot minute before I opened the sliding door and stepped inside.
Omaera was staring at her phone. “There’s a game tonight at the Black Fox.”
Gemma grunted and nodded, filling up the coffee machine with water. “What’s the buy-in?”
“A thousand. But there are some high rollers expected to show up. And by high rollers, I mean men with big egos who will hate to lose to a little girl.”
Snorting in mirth, Gemma bobbed her head, jostling her red curls. “I only work a five-hour shift today. Ten to three. So it’s totally doable.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, my belly rumbling with the need for food.
“Poker game tonight,” Omaera said. “It’ll be good to do something normal. The last few days have been insane. I just want to go back to the way things were.” Her gaze turned deadly. “You know, after we take care of whoever killed Delia.”
“Absolutely not,” Drak said, looking up from his phone where he sat like an undertaker on the couch. “It’s not safe.”
Omaera glared at him. “I’m sorry, but I’m not asking for your permission.”
“As your mate, I have a say in things that will unnecessarily put you in harm’s way,” he countered. “And going out to a poker game is absolutely unnecessary. You need to work on controlling your powers. You also have the meeting with the High Council today.”
I glanced away, hoping to the Gods that my father reached out to Queen Anysa and King Howar, encouraging them to give Omaera some time to adjust. However, unlike my father, who had a secondary stake in Omaera being treated gently because she was also his daughter-in-law, I was skeptical the Vampire King or Mage Queen would see it the same way.
Drak’s phone pinged, and he glanced down at it, the corners of his mouth dropping into a deep frown. “Never mind. They have agreed to wait until you are ready.” He fixed his gaze on me, but it remained deadpanned.
Whatever, you stupid bat .
I was looking out for my mate. Full stop. If his allegiance was still to his king, then he was just going to make mating with Omaera that much more challenging and delayed for himself. He needed to make her his first, and only, priority. Just like I was.
“Perfect! No stupid High Council meeting to bring me down before a game.” She brought down five mugs from the cupboard, then glared at Drak. “Because I am going.”
“Then I will escort you,” he said.
She laughed humorlessly. “Not fucking happening there, Fangs. I want some space from all of you. I need it. You’re smothering me when all I want right now is some time with my best friend. Some time for us to grieve Delia.”
Drak’s nostrils flared, and he looked like was trying to decide whether to lose his shit—which I would absolutely pay to see—or vomit. He chose to remain quiet. Dammit.
The bathroom door opened and Maxar stepped out, steam rising off his body, which was just covered by a towel around his waist.
“I’m going to find breakfast,” I said, heading for the door. “Omaera, would you like to join me?”
She cocked her head to the side for a moment, blinked, glanced at Gemma, who merely shrugged, then she nodded. “Actually, I could use some fresh air. Just let me throw on some pants.”
I grinned like a lovesick fool at the fuming vampire.
Maxar was busy getting dressed, not caring two-shits that he’d dropped his towel in front of Gemma and given her a full view of his cock.
I mean, to be fair, nudity didn’t bother me either, and I’d rocked up to their apartment with no bottoms. But Gemma didn’t seem nearly as unfazed by the naked man though, and went bright red in the cheeks before hiding her eyes.
“Come on, Maxar,” Omaera said, coming out of her bedroom in cute black sweatpants and a gray crop top which showed off a hint of a tattoo along her ribcage. “Just because you’re fine flashing that thing around doesn’t mean others are. Poor Gemma’s scarred for life.”
“I’ve seen dicks before,” Gemma countered. “Plenty. Hundreds.” Then she went even redder in the face. “Okay, maybe not hundreds. But I’m no virgin. I just . . . wasn’t expecting to see one over breakfast, that’s all. Especially one that I have no intention of riding.”
Omaera snorted. “We’ll find you a dick to ride.”
Gemma shook her head. “You know I’m on a break from guys. They’re nothing but trouble.”
Omaera kissed her friend on the cheek and glanced at Maxar, Drak, and I. “Don’t I know it.”
We took the elevator down to the lobby, and I held the door open for her. It was a warm, spring morning and the birds and bees were the soundtrack to our brief jaunt down the sidewalk. I ached to take her hand in mine, but I didn’t want to push her.
“So, where are we going for breakfast?” she asked, glancing up at me and causing the sun to perfectly hit the rose gold hoop in her right nostril, making it shine.
“Just over here. There’s a great bakery.”
“Oh, I love Plummer’s Pastries.”
I guided her down the alley behind the bakery to their dumpster of day-old baked goods.
She paused when I lifted the lid. “Wait, what’s going on?”
“Breakfast,” I said.
“You . . . you eat garbage?”
“It’s not garbage. It’s day-old pastries and bread. It’s perfectly fine. And most of it is still in the bags and boxes.”
She backed up, shaking her head. “Look, Pooh Bear, I know you’re a bear and all . . . which I’m still skeptical about because I’ve never seen you shift. But I’m not a bear and I don’t eat garbage. I make plenty of money playing poker that I don’t need to go dumpster diving for food. Let’s just go around the front and buy something from Randy and Josh.”
I frowned. If only she knew how much good garbage there was out there.
Pick your battles.
Nodding, I closed the lid and together we walked to the front of the bakery and inside, standing in line with all the hipsters who just had to have their Earl Grey scones and their pumpernickel cobs. My eyes threatened to stay fixed to the back of my head I was rolling them so much.
We reached the front counter and Omaera ordered a box of a dozen mixed pastries.
“What are you going to have?” I asked her.
Her mouth dropped open. “Right. Relentless appetite. I forgot. Josh, make that two dozen mixed pastries, please.”
The young man with the bright-blue hair in a manbun nodded. “You got it, O.”
We carried our boxes out into the sunlight. But I wasn’t ready to go back to the apartment and share her with anyone yet. I wanted her to get to know me better, and I certainly wanted to get to know her better too.
“Come on,” I said, tilting my head to the side. “I want to show you something.”
“If it’s your dick, I’ve already seen it. Impressive, but let’s leave our pants on. Okay, Pooh Bear?”
“Clothes are just so restrictive. It’s hard to find them in my size. And what do I do with them when I shift?”
She snorted. “All valid. But it’s still weird.” Her brows knitted together. “So do you like legit live in a cave or a den or whatever?”
“Sometimes, yeah. It’s actually very nice. Nice and cool in the summer.” I led her across the street and down a path toward the park. People were in the field throwing balls for their canine companions, while others with small children pushed them on the swings, or cheered them on when they came down the slide.
I’d need to go deep into the woods with her to avoid running into people.
“You’re not taking me into the woods to kill me, are you? Because I’ll toast your gray matter right now.” The look she gave me was more playful than it was serious. But I knew her well enough now, to know that she also wasn’t kidding.
All I did was give her a cheeky smile in return followed by a growl in my throat that seemed to turn her on rather than intimidate her. The sudden flare of her nostrils and the rush of color to her cheeks was all kinds of sexy and had my cock thickening in my pants .
We meandered off the main path into denser woods, blazing a trail of our own. Mosquitos and other bugs buzzed around us and she swatted at a few. I kept a keen eye out for people or other animals. Some people chose to let their dogs off leash, even though this was marked as a strictly on-leash park. The last thing we needed was Fido or Fluffy stumbling upon us.
Once we were well off the trail and hidden from view, as well as any curious off-leash dogs, I set the boxes of pastries down on a stump and started to unfasten my jeans.
“Whoa!” Omaera said, backing up. “Not happening, bro. If you brought me out here to force me into mating you, I will flash fry the contents of your skull and Maxar will burn you to dust with that magic black fire of his.”
I paused and cocked my head to the side, shaking my head slightly. “I’m not going to force you to do anything. Ever. I want you to mate with me because you want to. Because you want me. But that means you need to get to know all of me.”
Her brows narrowed, but she didn’t back up anymore. “Okay . . .”
I finished unfastening my jeans and dropped them to the ground. I never wore boxers. I’d also grabbed shoes and socks when I snagged the jeans and shirt, so I ditched those too. Last was the open flannel shirt. I folded everything neatly and put it on the stump next to the pastry boxes, then stepped back and dropped to all fours.
Giving a happy little shake, because it felt so good when I shifted, I let my instincts take over. My face elongated into a snout, my teeth sharpened and descended, my spine, ligaments, and muscles lengthened, and fur sprouted from beneath my skin. It only took about a minute before I was fully in bear form.
I did another big, satisfying stretch, then faced Omaera. Her mouth was open and her eyes wide. I ambled over to her, and she backed up a little, fear in her green gaze.
My tongue flicked out toward her hand.
She reached out timidly, and I licked her fingers.
She giggled.
Such a lovely sound .
I did it again, and she grew bolder and reached out further to pet my head and scratch behind my ears. Her laughter was the most beautiful music I’d ever heard, and as she grew less afraid and scratched me rougher, I stepped closer. But I stepped a little too close and accidentally nudged her hard enough she fell backward on her butt.
I went to her, licking her face as an apology. Only she continued to laugh, looping her arms around my neck so I could haul her up. She sat up, but remained sitting on the cool, pine needle covered earth. I plunked my butt down beside her.
“Can you speak?” she asked.
I shook my head.
“But you understand me?”
I nodded.
“Which form do you prefer? Human or bear?”
A happy rumble tumbled out of my chest.
She laughed. “I suppose it’s less frowned upon for bears to eat from a dumpster than humans. And you can run faster, don’t need clothes, and it’s completely expected and acceptable for you to be grumpy.”
She hit the nail on the head.
“Your fur is so soft.” She stroked my nose. “This part here is like velvet.” I nuzzled her face, loving how affectionate I could be with her in my shifted form. I licked her cheek, and she giggled. “You’re doing this because you can get away with it in bear form.”
Damn, she was smart.
Her mouth dipped into a deep frown, and she nuzzled me back, closing her eyes. It felt good to be close to her like this. “I’m really sad, Zandren,” she whispered, her words coming out quiet and hoarse.
I nuzzled her more.
“I’m also really angry. Delia is dead and all I want to do is find the people who killed her, and hurt them as much as I’m hurting now.” Her sniffles tugged painfully at my heart and she wrapped both arms around me and cried terrible, wracking sobs into the fur of my neck. “I don’t know who I am anymore. ”
I brought a big paw up and wrapped it around her, pulling her closer to me. She collapsed against my chest and continued to cry. I hated how good I felt right now when she was so broken. But having my mate trust me like this, having her turn to me for comfort, was a new kind of joy and pleasure I’d never felt before.
Lifting her head from my chest, she glanced up at me, wiping tears from her cheeks. “Are you purring? Do bears purr?”
I bobbed my gigantic head.
Indeed, bears did purr. Usually, it was cubs that purred when they were content after nursing, but adults could too, when they were just that happy.
And even though she was in pain, I was so happy to just be with her like this. To have her accept my bear form and wrap her arms around me, seeking solace.
Her smile was sweet and small. “It sounds like a muscle car idling.”
I nudged her gently with my nose, still purring.
Her eyes widened. “If we mate . . . we don’t have to do it with you in bear form, do we? Because you’re a very handsome bear and all but . . .”
I chuckled inside, which came out like a choppy growl as I shook my head.
She relaxed and petted me again. “Phew. Because I’m cool with you being a shifter—words I never thought I’d say out loud, by the way—but it’d feel way too much like beastiality otherwise.”
I snorted and dipped my head so she could better scratch behind my ears.
“Were you disappointed I wasn’t a shifter?” she asked, locking eyes with me. The sincerity and worry in her moss-green eyes made me flick my tongue out and lick her salty, tear-covered cheeks. She giggled and swatted me away. “I’m being serious. Were you disappointed?”
I hesitated, which made her eyes widen, but then I shook my head. No, I wasn’t disappointed. I was surprised, but one look at her, and I adjusted my expectations and dove head-first into whatever this new future was going to be. She was my mate, regardless of whether she was a bear, a shifter, a vampire, or a demon. But thank the gods, she wasn’t a vampire.
I bent my head and nuzzled my snout beneath her chin. She pressed a kiss to the top of my nose. “This has really helped, thank you.” Our gazes locked. “My heart hurts a little less, but it’s still pretty broken.” I moaned in empathy. I knew exactly how she felt. My heart shattered when my mother and sister died. And even though time had passed, and I was better, the pain of losing a parent never completely went away. I could only imagine her pain was compounded because Delia was the only parent she’d ever known.
We sat on the earth for a little longer, her tears falling with abandon on my fur. I let her hug me as hard as she needed. And when the emotions came back and thrashed her once more, she buried her face in my neck and screamed as loud as she could, her fingers tangled up tight in my fur. I didn’t mind. I was a big bear and could handle it. If I could take away her pain completely, I would. I’d absorb it, or live with it myself for eternity as long as she was able to live freely without it.
I’m not sure how long we sat there, but I ignored the incessant rumbling of my stomach and let her get it out. I let her cry and scream and feel all the feelings. She tried so hard to be tough. To tell the world she didn’t care, but deep down, she cared so much. She cared about her aunt. She cared about Gemma. She really was the perfectly cooked marshmallow ready for a s’more.
The sharp caw of a crow overhead pulled her attention. She’d stopped sobbing about fifteen minutes ago and just clung to me, softly weeping and sniffling. She lifted her head, her eyes red-rimmed and wet. I flicked my tongue out and licked her cheeks again, tasting her salty tears. She smiled and laughed through stuttered breaths. “We should get back. And you’re probably starving.”
I was.
But I didn’t care. If she needed me to hold her for ten days and fast while doing it, I would.
“You can shift back if you want.” She stood up from the ground and brushed the dirt off her sweatpants. “Thank you for showing me this side of you.”
I licked the back of her hand and nuzzled her chest before stepping back and standing up on my hind legs. Slowly, my nose shrunk, my fur receded, and my spine straightened. My muscles, bones, and ligaments all returned to their human size and shape, and I was quickly back in my naked human form.
She blinked at me and smiled. “Now I get why you never want to wear clothes. ”
Grinning, I reached for my shirt and slid into it. “They’re just so restrictive.”
“If we mated, would our children be heirs to both the shifters, demons, and the entire realm?”
I loved that she was asking about children. I nodded. “Yes. Our cubs would not only be powerful shifter-demon hybrids—which is incredibly rare, and I’m assuming extremely powerful—but they’d also be heirs to two royal thrones.”
“Cubs . . .” she mused. “They’d be like . . . baby bears.”
“They would be.”
“That’s kind of crazy.”
I pulled up my jeans and padded over to her on bare feet, feeling comfortable enough to rest my hands on her hips. “Crazy good though?”
“Would I give birth to them in bear form?
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think so though.”
“Well, find out for me.”
I chuckled, loving that she was even talking about us mating and having cubs. I still didn’t like that she was saying if we mated, not when but she’d get there. I could feel our bond growing. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, I said, “I’ll ask around.” Then I went and grabbed my socks, shoes, and the boxes of pastries, opening up the top box and shoving a bear claw into my mouth, devouring the entire thing in one bite. “You want one?” I asked her with a full mouth.
She smirked and reached into the box, pulling out a powdered sugar donut. “I’m breaking my fast early.” She took a bite, which caused powdered sugar to coat her lips and chin.
“Worth it though, right?”
Moaning, she rolled her eyes and nodded as she spoke with a full mouth like I did. “So worth it.”
I ached to lick the sugar off her lips, but I wasn’t sure we were there yet. We’d already made so many strides today. I needed to let her set the pace. She was grieving, and I didn’t want to take advantage.
We headed back down the path we blazed until we hit the main trail, passing a few people jogging or pushing a baby stroller.
I held the boxes in one hand, but my hand closest to hers was free. I glanced down at where our hands swung in tandem. She noticed.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Can I hold your hand?”
Her smile was small and sweet but it made my entire body light up and come to life. She reached for my hand. “Yes.”
Nothing could ruin how good my mood was right now. I was smiling like the biggest idiot, but I didn’t care.
She giggled. “Your smile is a little creepy it’s so big.”
“Don’t care,” I said. “I’m just that happy.”
A cold, minty scent wafted up my nostrils just as we turned a corner and Omaera said, “What the fuck is he doing here?”
Well, apparently there was something— nay, some one —that could ruin my mood. I growled as the vampire approached us.
“How’d he know where to find us?” she asked.
“He’ll have followed your scent. It’s as distinct as a fingerprint and as your mates, we’re more in tuned to it.”
Now it was her turn to growl. “Well, I don’t like it.”
Me fucking either.
Drak approached us. “Where have you been?” he demanded. “It’s not safe for you to be out here. Not when someone wants you dead.”
I glanced down at the idiot-stick dressed all in black on such a warm day. “She’s with me, bozo. She’s perfectly safe.”
“I’m also a demon,” Omaera hissed. “You need to back off the whole possessive protector thing. It’s not a good look on you.”
We all began to walk back toward the street. I handed the boxes to Drak, despite his look of severe displeasure when I did so. Then, for good measure, I reached into the top box and grabbed an old-fashioned glazed.
“King Howar has found you a new advisor,” he went on, ignoring her comment.
“Whoopy,” Omaera said with a big dramatic eyeroll, followed by an irritated look on her face. “I don’t want one. I’ll figure it out on my own.”
Drak shook his head. “I don’t recommend that. You got one lesson from—”
“A psycho killer, qu’est-ce que c’est ?”
His brows bunched, as did mine.
She looked at us both like we lived under rocks. “The Talking Heads? Do you guys not know anything about pop culture? You’re like a trillion years old.”
“I don’t watch television or listen to music much,” Drak said. Neither did I, but I didn’t need him thinking we had anything more in common or that we could bond over. Fuck him.
Snorting, I finished the old-fashion glazed, and reached across Omaera to stop Drak, open the box, and pull out a Boston Cream.
“That is why I suggested we not meet at your home this time,” Drak said. “We meet in a neutral location so the advisor can’t ambush you like—”
“The psycho killer did,” she finished.
Something niggled at the back of my neck, but I waited until I swallowed my donut and the apartment was in sight. “I’m not sure how much we should advertise Omaera’s hybrid status. What if this next advisor feels the same way Raewyn did, and she runs off and tells people? For all we know, Raewyn spilled the beans too.”
Drak was quiet until we reached the front door of the apartment. “I will meet with them and vet them ahead of time then. You can hide around the corner and if I deem them trustworthy, you can come out of hiding.”
Omaera used her key to open the door. “Or, you go and vet them, I stay home, then you call and let us know. Or we just don’t meet with another advisor.”
He was a pale motherfucker to begin with, but the mention of going without her made the bastard pale even more. What the hell was that about?
“I think it’s best if we all go together,” he said as we stepped onto the elevator.
“You’re so fucking controlling,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s super annoying. And besides, Raewyn could smell my human side. So what’s to say this one won’t be any different?”
“That’s right,” I said plainly. “Maybe we need a mage instead of a demon?”
Drak made a noise of protest in his throat, but otherwise chose to remain quiet until we got back into the apartment.
“I’m going to go shower.” Omaera glanced around the apartment. “Where’s Gemma?”
“At work,” Maxar said, lounging on the couch with his phone.
“But she didn’t start until ten.”
His ruddy brows pinned together. “Yeah, and it’s noon.”
“Noon!” She spun around and faced me. “Did you know we were gone that long?”
I shook my head. Time ceased to exist, or matter, when I was in bear form. Add in the fact that I was in my happy place with my mate, and it felt like it stood still and I never wanted it to end.
She blinked a few times, coming to terms with how long we were gone. “Jeez, time just flew by.” Her gaze softened when she looked at me. “But in a really great way.”
I grinned like an idiot at her, puffing up my chest just enough for the other two to take notice. I could feel the heat of Maxar’s envy, and the death-glare from Drak had me chuckling.
Yeah. Too bad, suckers. The key to this little demon’s heart was compassion, patience, and a soft place to land. And I was going to give her all of those things and more because she was my mate, and I was head over paws, madly in love with her.