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“Look, there’s a human who lives here who has been through enough assholes in her life. I’m not calling you one, but be mindful,” I said evenly. His eyes met mine, and he gave a curt nod. It wasn’t perfect, but I’d take it. “If any of you have any experience with buildings and renovations, I suggest you talk to West. For now, I’m ready for some pajamas and trash tv.”
“That sounds like a solid plan,” Alice said, pushing past any remaining tension. “Come on.” Her men stood up and followed her, tipping their heads in goodbye.
“This will be fun,” Avi noted. “Hopefully whatever stick is up his ass falls out soon.”
“I have a feeling he’s redeemable,” I said, hoping it proved to be true.
“And if not, it’s nothing a good ass kicking won’t fix,” Kane offered helpfully.
“Come on, Rocky, let’s go,” I said, dragging him with me.
Even as we settled down for a lazy night in, I couldn’t get my mind off of the chaos that had descended into our lives. With new dragons, hotel changes, and figuring out how to be a part of a group again, I knew that I wouldn’t be bored.
20
Avi
The moment we stepped into the coven’s place, we were hit with the heavenly scent of whatever they were making. Laughter had us walking into the kitchen, where all six of them were working together. It was refreshing to see such a healthy coven, something I’d never really gotten to see growing up.
“You’re here!” Quinn called out. With a clatter, she dropped the spoon she was using to stir something before running over to hug Farren. Our mate didn’t flinch away, giving the other woman a hug that was much friendlier than it would’ve been a few days ago. She was already starting to come into more confidence now that she didn’t live in constant fear. It was amazing what a few close allies did for your mental health, something I knew personally.
“Hope you’re hungry,” Kylan called over his shoulder. He’d taken over the post Quinn had abandoned. “Our girl thought we were having an army here for the night.”
“Don’t act like you five don’t eat enough for an army!” she shot back. “I swear you could put a teenage boy to shame.”
“She’s not wrong,” Levi laughed. “We do like our food.”
“You guys should come check out Molly’s cooking before she leaves,” I said as I took a stool at their kitchen island. “She does amazing buffets.”
“Speaking of, we’ve got some updates,” Niko started. “May as well get the business out of the way early.”
“And a prospective job for Maxon,” I tacked on. The wolf shifter perked up at that, raising an eyebrow. With his intense green gaze, long hair, and muscled build, he cut an intimidating figure that I was sure had scared off more than one beta in his lifetime. But with an apron tied around his waist and a mixing bowl in hand, he looked downright adorable.
“West is talking about doing more security at the hotel, likely cameras and maybe keycode doors,” Kane explained. “We talked a bit about it, but he’s still making final decisions. In any case, if you want a new client, he’d be a wise choice.”
“I’ll pay him a visit, thanks,” Maxon said with a quick smile before turning back to his task.
“Dragons are showing up already,” Farren blurted out. The entire room descended into silence before all six stared at us with wide eyes. “Three confronted us at the cabin, and the one we said we’ve noticed in town still hasn't come forward.”
“I’ve actually been meaning to get over to you,” Quinn admitted quietly. “I’ve had a few dreams.”
“About the battle?” Levi asked. Worry was already etched across his face, and I wasn’t much better off.
“Kind of. It was likely before it. There was a man walking through town, and I somehow knew he was searching for someone. But then he changed shape. Or rather people. He morphed from one person to another, looking entirely different each time.”
“Like a shapeshifter? What supes can do that?” Farren asked.
“There’s magic and runes that can do it,” Kylan said first.
“Demon and dark magic can do it,” I added. “But it’s temporary, like most dark magic.”
“That’s interesting,” Jude said. “I’ve never seen dark magic in person, but we’d always learned it was much harder to fade and wasn’t easily broken.”
“It depends on the caster and what they sacrificed to do it,” I said, glancing at Niko. I held eye contact for a breath or two, long enough for him to read the plea in mine. My alpha caught on easily, shifting the conversation along.
“Skinwalkers can, though they’re not exactly a civilized group,” he said. I shuddered at the name alone. They were a dark magic group, a distant and much more feral cousin to witches. Honestly, I thought they were a thing of legend at this point.
“Gah, no thank you,” Farren shuddered. “I’ve heard legends about them, and I’m sure reality is far worse.”
