Page 51 of Live Love Lasso

I bark out an awkward laugh at that visual. Honestly, I’m not sure who’d best who in that fight, and I hope we never find out.

It gets more awkward when we pull up Varek’s long dirt driveway to find him standing in the middle of four giant minotaur statues representing the four minotaur gods and goddesses. Three sit upright with wet concrete around the base. The fourth lies on its side and Varek’s working on making the hole deeper. He’s got his shirt off, exposing massive muscles. He snorts, tail lashing from side to side, making him look mighty irritated.

Bishop hops out of the back of the truck and stalks toward the minotaur, both hands on his big, muscular hips. “You got anything to do with the sick animals?”

So much for diplomacy, gods almighty.

Varek’s dark brows rise, eyes widening. “Are you serious?”

“Unfortunately,” I say as I join them, “you stand to gain a lot if certain plots of land all of a sudden seem less valuable to their owners, Varek.”

He narrows his crimson eyes. “Let me get this straight. You think I’m poisoning the animals to destroy the land so I can then buy that destroyed land? Do I have that right?”

“Pretty much,” Bishop confirms. “So is that a yes or…”

Varek drops the shovel in his hands, clapping them to remove the dirt. Then he grabs his shirt from where it hangs over the statue and pulls it over his broad shoulders.

“No, I’m not doing anything to the animals, and frankly, I’m surprised you’d think I would. I bought this property five years ago.” He waves at the statues. “I’m putting up statues of the minotaur gods and goddesses because I intend to put down roots here. I’ve never done anything but try to put down roots.”

He snarls, baring twin fangs. “Pine Gulch is such a welcoming place, so long as you don’t wanna change anything about it. I don’t fit in here, and that’s fine because this is supposed to be a place for the misfits, for those who want something more than they can get in other havens.”

He points at me. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed Lemon. She doesn’t fit in here either. Have you considered that?”

Unease filters through me because I know what he means. Pine Gulch is cozy and welcoming, but we can be set in our ways, too. Either way, I stare at him for a long minute, working to get a read on him. Bishop says nothing, just stares down the big minotaur, who glares at us.

Shit. I don’t think we’re getting anywhere here with Varek. When I glance at Bishop, it’s obvious he’s thinking the same thing.

We’re back to square fucking one.

Lemon

“Just open your mouth, bitch.”

I zip my lips closed despite Bluebell’s insistent—and rude—directive. “I’m not eating it. It looks weird, and it smells weirder.”

She rolls her eyes. Today her hair’s black and gold stripes, and her freckles match. “Listen, my brother Jasper’s best friend is the star skyball player. Hadrian Alkazar…you might have heard of him? He personally made these mini calzones for tailgating, and if you don’t eat one, it’s bad luck.”

I snort out a laugh. “Way to name-drop your famous friends, but still, it’s a no. I can smell the garlic from here.” I wave at the food spread covering the entire tailgate of her pickup. “I will try anything else on this tailgate but that.” Other trucks parked around us are getting kinda rowdy since the skyball game starts in just a few minutes.

Oz grabs the tiny calzone from Bluebell’s hand and pops it in his mouth. “I got no…mmmph…problem with garlic. She’s a vampire; she’s probably allergic or something.” He chuckles and accidentally spits a chunk of the calzone out. It nearly hits me, and I spin out of the way, eyes wide.

“Lies! The garlic thing is something superstitious humans made up that has no basis in fact. I bet a human met a vampire who just happened to not like garlic, and then it became lore. Humans can be really weird about supernatural things, as we know. That’s part of why we have the haven system in the first place… A way to be safe from their crazy.”

Oz and Bluebell both roll their eyes. “Facts. Whenever we call a human here from the outside world, it’s always so fascinating to watch how terrified they initially are. Like…of course monsters exist. Why wouldn’t they?”

“Well, come to think of it, I bet it is a weird experience to just feel like you need to get in the car and drive, then bam you find a hidden monster town. That’s not normal.” I grab a carrot stick before Bluebell tries to shove something else weird in my mouth. “Rainbow is so big that when humans are called by the Keeper, we rarely ever know it’s happened. Do y’all call very many humans from their world?”

“Not so much. But when we do that shit goes right in The Gulch Gossip, as you might imagine. Plus, there’s the welcome scavenger hunt. Speaking of which, have you made progress on that?”

I nod, mouth full of carrot. Chewing fast, I choke it down. “I actually have. Furyon helped me, and then I’ve got a couple⁠—”

“Oooo, did he help you good and hard?” Bluebell winks suggestively at me. “‘Cause, seriously, I think every woman in this haven has tried to date him at some point, including me. And maybe Oz too.”

Oz slaps the back of her head. “I flirted day one, and he kindly rebuffed me, so I never got as far as attempting a date, thank you very much.” He rolls his eyes but winks at me.

I look between them. “Okay, I thought the article was just exaggerating a little when they called him the hometown heartthrob. Is that like…a real thing?!”

Bluebell laughs and throws two mini calzones in her mouth at the same time, eyes rolling back into her head as she moans. She swallows and grabs a third. “Yeah, girl. He’s smart, charming, down to earth, friendly with everyone in town. Plus, he’s got that dark elf confidence, you know? And I bet his large form is so hot, not that any of us will ever see it.” She pauses. “Have y’all talked about his other form?”