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She shrugs. “I’m not sure how I feel about them. I guess they’re okay.”
“Well, you’d like his. It’s nice.” What am I doing, talking up Castor? He doesn’t want to be part of our pod.
Castor is smiling at my mate. And now I get it. Now I get why Nico doesn’t want Castor around here. Annabelle likes him. Like, likes him likes him, and he’s playing with her. He can’t have her, and he knows it. Yet he can’t stay away, and I get that too. But the real test is going to be if he can keep away. He’ll have to be a better male than me because I wasn’t able to. She’s my everything. So no, there’s no way I could ever stay away. Really, he’s a fool to even try.
Holter bolts the door behind us, and soon we’re sitting in the living room like some sort of strange dinner party held by Castor’s mother. I fully expect a butler to bring out a tray of too-small appetizers any minute.
Sunshine reaches over and grabs my hand. “You really believe Marina left on her own? Why would she make a video?”
“Yes, that’s been running through my head too.” I squeeze her hand. “Castor’s...”—I consider my next words carefully—“...contact has gotten word to the Kraken for me.”
“And you haven’t heard anything back?” Sunshine asks even though she knows the answer.
I shake my head. “Nothing other than one direct message: Marina went on her own, and the Vitrom governor had nothing to do with it.”
“That’s it? They didn’t give you anything else? Like letting you talk to her?”
“Knowing the Kraken, Annabelle, there’s little chance they will. Our relationship with them is murky. It’s based on our mutual hate of the Vikings,” Nico adds. He’s not a fan of the Kraken or the Vikings. The half-krakan Kappler Banard might be Nico’s one exception—I know he was the big tech guy on Nico’s old ship, the Centauri.
Sunshine squeezes her lips together. It’s her tell. She’s thinking too hard. I don’t care what I smell like or how tired I am—I need her in my arms. I give a tug and pull her to my chest.
“I want to help Marina.” Sunshine puts a hand over my heart and leans into me.
“I did as much as I could,” I reply. “I wanted to protect your family too.”
Castor’s lips turn down.
Sunshine flinches. “What? Did you find something out about Marlee? Is she hurt?”
“She’s okay, Sunshine. Your aunt too.” I grit my molars together. Whomever ordered them taken wanted them alive, or they’d have been turned to ash in the warehouse.
“Thank goodness. Where are they? Do you know why they haven’t messaged me back? If you know they’re okay . . . ?” Sunshine looks from me to Castor. Castor, who has his piercing blue eyes fixed on my mate. Sunshine stops, and her hands drop to her side. “There’s something else. It’s bad. What is it?” She moves toward Castor.
Castor’s eyes flit over her. “No, it’s nothing serious. At least, not on the scale of everything else going on.” He turns the block around. Ophelia Drakos—Castor’s mother—and two of his fathers are standing at the door upstairs, outside of Castor’s apartment. “Mind if I stay a while?” He turns on what he thinks is a charming smile.
“Of course, we would love to have you stay with us as long as you like,” Annabelle replies. Her eyes fall back on me.
“Just a little while,” Castor says.
“Hiding from mummy and daddy?” I laugh.
Castor raises one of his perfect eyebrows. “Not hiding. Deferring. You should know how that goes.”
“Touché,” I say.
“Stop!” Annabelle has her hand out in front of her.
Holter shakes his damn head at me.
“You’re right, Sunshine. Castor is a guest in our home. I shouldn’t berate the male.”
She cocks her head at me. “He’s not a guest, and you know it.”
Nico rumbles a loud, uncomfortable groan.
“Do you have something you want to say, Nico?” Castor leans back. And fuck, if I have to step in between the two of them to keep a fight from happening... yeah, that’s not something I want to do. But I will, for Sunshine. I’ll keep her mate and the male she has a crush on from killing each other. It’s a fool’s errand, but I’ll do it.
Nico glares again. Nothing like two long-time friends who know exactly how to rev each other up.
