Oh wait…I wasn’t talking to the abusive, narcissistic, psychopathic, megalomaniac…fuck.
The minute my thoughts cleared sufficiently to allow me to focus on my surroundings, I realized I wasn’t in the shitty room I’d paid for. This one was larger, considerably more luxurious, and much warmer.
The bed was firm but not lumpy. A thick pelt and pile of blankets covered me, and a fire blazed to my left. On my right, a window crusted with fresh snow overlooked the ocean.
Where was I?
Had someone abducted me?
I scanned the room, searching for clues. A stack of romance novels on a side table had me scratching my head. Then I spotted a photo of a pretty female with gossamer wings, and clarity struck like an arrow.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, mage,” the polar bear shifter said from the doorway. “There’s a bathroom through that door. Take a shower for the goddess’s sake and then come through to the kitchen. I’ve left some clean clothes in there for you. Breakfast is ready when you’re done.” He cracked a smile before leaving.
I inwardly groaned. How had I ended up crossing paths with Maverick’s cousin again?
Fate truly was fucking with me.
36
Raven
My jaw opened so wide when I yawned, I was in danger of swallowing an entire planet. Tired didn’t cover how I felt. The stress of the last week had caught up with me, not helped by the fact I’d not had a decent night’s sleep in, like, forever.
We’d left before dawn broke. Discussions broke down fairly quickly once it became clear Nula’s safety was more important than mine. Adam thought me and my males staying at the farm would bring Tiberius, and he wasn’t willing to risk it.
That, on top of Willow’s attitude, killed whatever warm and fuzzy feelings I had left for the place where I’d grown up. Adam may have cared for me after Mom died, but his allegiances had changed.
It hurt, but that was life. He’d fulfilled his promise to Mom by keeping me safe, and as he went to great pains to point out, with five mates and my new and scary powers, I no longer needed his protection.
Since returning to Starfall Academy was not an option, Rasmus had suggested we hide in plain sight. His vampire clan still owned a mansion in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. Luckily for us, Zane had been to that area before—I didn’t ask why—so he could teleport us almost to the front door.
At three a.m., there was nobody around to spot our arrival, and for once, luck was on our side. The mansion had remained undisturbed since the last members of Rasmus’s family left. The house recognized Rasmus and let us in without a problem. How it knew this was a mystery, but I assumed powerful magic was responsible.
The air inside the old house smelled stale, but everything appeared in reasonable condition. I shivered as I spotted huge cobwebs and evidence of rodent activity.
“Hope you feel like catching some mice, Kenji.”
My familiar shook himself and sniffed. “No. I only eat premium meats these days. You know this.”
Maverick surveyed the dust sheets covering the furniture and the extra-thick layer of dust on everything else and groaned, making it abundantly clear he wasn’t happy with the cleanliness of our latest accommodations.
“Fear not, care bear, I’ve ordered you a shit ton of cleaning products on MagiCart.” Zane peered at his phone. “It’ll be here in…”
A loud bell rang from the foyer. I half expected a butler to appear with a silver tray in his hands, but apparently all the human household staff had beenlet goonce the vampires started dropping like flies.
“Shall I answer the door?” Zane asked while playing with his knife and grinning like a psychopath.
“You do realize we’re supposed to be here incognito?” Maverick threw him an exasperated scowl. “Which means not showing ourfucking faces in public, where humans could identify us and call it in to the MIB.”
The doorbell rang again. My head pounded, and listening to a ringing bell wasn’t helping. “I’ll go,” I said.
“Super sensible when you’re number one on the MIB’s Most Wanted List.” Kenji flicked his tails at me.“But go right ahead. I’m happy to be a witness to the carnage that ensues when the MIB shows up.”
“I am?”
Fig wriggled free from Kai’s arms and rushed over to headbutt Kunton—or was it Karton? I could never remember Kenji’s cousins’ names. All I knew was they began with K.
Fig had decided the Ks were his new friends. Much to their disgust. They treated my pig with the same disdain as Kenji. Thankfully, Fig wasn’t that bright and hadn’t figured it out yet.
