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The shadow of a big fucking bird flashed over his view.
He rolled to capture it on camera. Flicked to video and followed its flight.
Wings flapping like a bat instead of a bird, a dragon-like head, hawk-like talons. The wyvern was twice the size of the ones he’d faced.
Vann ducked down before it saw him. Definitely not a fight he wanted to pick today.
It swooped into the forest and disappeared. Vann waited, zooming in and capturing as much of the area as he could. Maybe an analysis later would show something. His instincts weren’t talking.
Hours passed, and his stomach rumbled that lunchtime had come and gone. Two more wyverns had flown over. Security guards, surveillance, or both?
He slid his phone out of his back pocket. No missed calls or texts, but enough bars he shouldn’t have missed anything. He packed up and jogged back to the car.
As soon as service was more reliable, he texted Lana to gather historic, aerial, and lidar to get a better analysis of the area, and sent his own photos.
How many more wyverns were there?
If they attacked the aerie, maybe they could draw out the trainer.
With the impending crowd about to invade his home, he stopped at the grocery store and loaded up. Demon hunters could technically go a long damn time without eating, but they were also bottomless pits, and his team liked to eat.
By the time he got home, dinnertime rumbled in his stomach. He loaded the groceries into his arms and stalked across the driveway.
He stepped inside and almost dropped the bags.
A few days of prep, but when the decorator said they could have everything moved in today, Vann thought they were being bombastic.
That sofa—that would forever remind him of Eryn’s breathless gasp and the red-hot sparks when he’d kissed her.
Aside from that, the decorator had taken Vann’s ideas and sprinted. A beachy-rustic coffee table sat atop a wool rug that matched the moody sky and contrasted the dark wood floors. The whole place was done. Dining table with seating for the entire team—and sturdy enough to handle the feast they’d celebrate with after a big fight.
Exactly as he’d described, like Lana and Archer had in their new place, an oversized beanbag chair faced the ocean in the floor-to-ceiling bay windows next to the bookshelves, with a reading light, a side table, and an ottoman. The spot he planned to spend many, many quiet evenings.
The bookshelves weren’t as deep or tall as he had been hoping, but he’d have to hire a carpenter to make custom built-ins later. Some with lockable doors and weatherproofing, as some of the older books he still had stored at his dad’s place were ancient.
Vases, candles, trays, baskets, wall art. Nothing was left out.
Lexi wandered down the hall from the guest rooms. “Do you love it?”
“Fucking incredible.” He nodded appreciatively as he scanned the room.
“You should see the guest bedrooms. Like something out of a magazine.” She sauntered into the kitchen and poured a thick mug of coffee. “You guys work in teams, right? Is that why a single guy has a house with four guest bedrooms, a fold-out bed in your office, plus the apartment? Well, once our lease is up.”
He followed her in and poured a cup for himself.
The new dishes were washed and put away, a bowl of fruit sat on the island, and a few pictures of his dad and him, of the team—pictures he’d meant to hang ages ago—were now collaged along the hallways. The scent of roasting veggies and the Italian sausage he’d had in the fridge wafted from the oven. “This wasn’t all the decorators.”
“I hope that’s okay.” Lexi nodded toward the deck in a silent invitation.
“I’m grateful. Everything looks amazing. Smells amazing.”
“Thank you.”
“For turning your lives upside down?”
“For letting us crash here. For the kick-ass security system on the way for our apartment. The vampires.” She paused and watched him over the rim of her mug. “For protecting my sister… and for agreeing to leave it alone when we ask you to.”
“I’m not leaving it alone.” The spasm under his ribs constricted his voice too tightly to speak.
