11. Chapter 11 - Minnie
Zoe floats over the counter toward me. She nudges my shoulder and winks. “We’re being nice because we’re nice people.”
Violet rolls her eyes. “Plus we know you’re just worried about the fuzzies.”
I feel an instant wave of guilt. I haven’t even thought about the fuzzies all morning. I’ve been selfishly focusing on my own problems. As if marrying Damien is on par with being tortured for all eternity…
Zoe wraps her arm around me. “I was just teasing. I know you’re going through a lot, Min.”
“And you can talk to us,” Amber says. “Whenever you’re ready. We’re here for you, either way.”
Violet nods in agreement.
They really are nice people. They’re kind, and they care… even about me. It’s probably because they feel sorry for me. They’ve all got their shit together—great jobs, happy homes, fated mates, and in Amber’s case, babies on the way—and I’ve got… a big fat nothing.
I’m barely holding on. And throwing that Mood Tea is just the tip of the iceberg…
I don’t protest when Zoe guides me around the mess her magic is cleaning up to the only table that survived. She pushes me into a chair, and returns with a fresh Mood Tea in cheerful pink and a large Unicorn Hot Chocolate for me.
Violet and Amber settle across from us, drinks in hand, and then Zoe turns to me. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re not oblivious, Minnie. We know you’ve stopped taking Formula M.”
The unsaid ‘why’ echoes in the room and Zoe—master interrogator—silently waits for me to spill. But it’s not like I can tell her I’m marrying Damien in front of his biggest fan. Amber wouldn’t just freak out… she’d say I’m lucky to be marrying him. Or that I’m a gold digger.
And if I tell her the whole truth, she’d probably think that Danny was right to leave me behind.
He was meant for greatness, and I was not.
He had to let me go so he could soar. His fans probably think I should consider myself lucky to breathe the same air as the great Damien Starr.
He’ll never be forgotten—while I doubt anyone would remember me.
Amber wouldn’t actually say those things aloud, but I know it’s what she’d be thinking… because I’ve been having these thoughts since Damien became famous. And, deep down, I’ve always known he was right to leave me behind.
Tears spring to my eyes and I take a huge sip of my Unicorn Hot Chocolate. The sugary sweetness somehow only makes me feel worse.
“You can ask us for help,” Amber says. “No questions asked.”
I consider bringing up the one thing she could help with. Being the witness at this afternoon’s wedding. But Amber would literally be the worst choice. She’d go all fan-girl on Damien and probably squeal through the whole wedding.
I shake my head. “I’m fine.”
The three women don’t look convinced, but they don’t pry.
Zoe clears her throat. “Okay, then. Let’s focus on the reason we’re here. To save the fuzzies.”
That instantly brightens my mood. “You have a plan?”
“Hell, yeah.” She puts her hand in the middle of the table. “Who’s with me?”
Amber and Violet place their hands on top of hers, and I follow their lead and do, too.
“To fuzzies on three,” Zoe says.
We count to three and shout, “to fuzzies.”
Violet pulls out her phone. “Let the first meeting of Free the Fuzzies come to order. I’ll be taking minutes, and I’ll send them out—”
Zoe flicks her wrist, and Violet’s phone flies out of her hand and lands on Zoe’s palm.
Violet gasps. “Hey! Why’d you do that?”
“Because the first rule of covert ops is to leave no trace.” She taps the phone. “We don’t write anything down. We don’t DM.” She sends the device flying back to Violet. “And we shut off our phones before we start this meeting. You never know who might be listening.”
Amber and Violet follow her lead.
“My phone’s already off,” I say. “And even if it wasn’t, why would anyone be spying on the four of us?”
“I didn’t want to say anything until we were alone… but the suits with Reddy aren’t hired guards. They’re special ops.”
I frown. “They didn’t look like special ops.” Not that I paid them much attention. I was too busy ogling the fuzzy-hating doctor.
“Yeah, more like someone’s parents dressed up as guards.
” Violet closes her eyes and shifts. Her curly brown hair straightens and turns blonde with streaks of gray.
Wrinkles form on her forehead, crow’s feet line the corners of her eyes, and her cheeks plumpen.
Her features change, too, and I stare at a very average woman I wouldn’t look at twice.
“Yup, that was her,” Zoe confirms. “I don’t know her, but she’s definitely an agent.”
I tap my nails—still magically manicured—on my mug. “How can you tell? She looks more like Violet’s assistant.”
Zoe snorts. “You mean Nole?”
Violet bursts out laughing, but she’s still in guard-form, so her chuckles are punctuated by unexpected, loud snorts.
I can’t help it. I start to laugh. And startle myself.
It’s not like I haven’t laughed over the past decade. There has been the occasional giggle late at night, or when I’ve brought Natty to visit Zachariah, but never full-blown laughter like this.
Joy surges through me, spreading like the Summer Spritz potion and warming me from within. It unlocks something inside me—a part of me I thought I’d lost. A part that hadn’t been there since childhood. Since Danny.
And just like that, the joy dissipates, replaced by pain. The others don’t notice, and their continued laughter reminds me I don’t belong.
Amber calms down first. “At times like these, I really miss shifting.”
Guard Violet lets out another snort, and it sets everyone off again.
When the three of them finally settle down, Amber grins. “I could never control my powers like you can. You rock, Sis.”
“Thanks, Sis.” Violet beams at the praise. “Wanna see the other guard?”
We nod, and she transforms again, into an equally nondescript middle-aged man. We examine him, and then she shifts back.
“You really think they’re secret agents?” Amber doesn’t look convinced.
Zoe nods. “The agency sent someone who would blend in. But once you’ve been an agent, you can mark an agent. Trust me, I’ve got a sixth sense about this.”
And I trust her, because years ago—right before I met Zachariah and took in Natty—I came across some emails from the agency, begging for her to work for them again. She wasn’t just good at her job. She was spectacular. So if she says they’re agents, then they are definitely agents.
I frown. “Does that mean they also marked you?”
“They would have received a full report before coming to Silver Springs, and that would have information about retired agents, including me. They have profiles on all the vampires in town, any known or suspected criminals, and anything else that might be relevant to their mission.” She places her palms flat on the table.
“Now, let’s go over the facts. Reddy is planning to sell all the fuzzies to vampires as food.
And the research he presented is fudged, which we know, because we went straight to the source. Snowball.”
We all nod.
“Snow says Reddy bit her once,” I tell them. “It was excruciating, but luckily, her blood made him puke.” I frown. “How do we even know fuzzy blood is safe for vampires to drink?”
Amber grimaces. “There’s a video online of a shirtless vampire feeding on a fuzzy.”
“Which is why we have to act fast,” Zoe says. “Reddy’s got an adoption website up, with names and photos of all the fuzzies. There are fifty, but one has already been adopted. Helix.”
Knowing the little fur ball’s name somehow makes it worse.
“Poor Helix.” Amber places a hand on her pregnant belly and rubs slow circles.
“We have to do something.” She purses her lips.
“What if, instead of trying to convince vampires not to buy fuzzies, we convince Dr. Reddy to stop selling them? If we could just get him to see that what he’s doing is inhumane, maybe he’ll stop. ”
I shake my head. “He can’t stand biting humans.
He’d starve himself each time he had to feed.
And Snow said whenever he broke and bit someone, he’d come back and cry himself to sleep.
” I feel a pang for the man and shove it aside.
“He could feed on willing humans, but he’d rather torture fuzzies.
” My anger grows. “You saw the fated hate bond. He’ll never give up! ”
“We don’t know for sure that’s what the magic means,” Amber says. “Maybe he thinks he’s doing the right thing? I mean, the agency is backing him. Aren’t they good guys?”
Zoe nods. “Technically, yes. But they care about the greater good. Torture a few fuzzies, but make enough money to fund a mission to take down a serial killer… net positive.”
“Still…” Amber says. “If we just talked to him…” she trails off and glances at me. “Did you notice how he was staring at you during his speech? I bet he can feel the bond between you. And he thinks you’re fated mates…” Her eyes light up. “Minnie, he might actually listen to you.”
But unlike the hope written all over her face, all I feel is pain.
Because unlike the others, I’ll never find a fated mate.
All I’ve got are three men who are destined to hurt me so bad that I’ll hate them for it.
Damien already succeeded, and Zachariah will, too, once he takes away my little boy.
Reddy won’t quit until he’s hurt me just as badly.
And the only way he can do that is by torturing the fuzzies I’d do anything to save.
The urge to throw something—like a Mood Tea in his attractive, lying face—builds.
Violet doesn’t notice my distress. She takes out her phone. “I’ve got Reddy’s contact info from the library room rental. I could give him a call.”