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With a vampire metabolism, I’d wanted nothing but blood, grilled cheeses, and chocolate chip cookies growing up. Thankfully, I’d grown out of that stage.
“I usually eat what’s available,” I said, giving him a thin smile. “No one likes a hangry vampire.”
Natalia came back, put glasses of water—artisanal status undetermined—in front of us on the table. Then she looked at Connor expectantly.Because he’s the shifter,I wondered,or the only one she trusts to order from their very particular menu?
“Three burgers,” Connor said. “Set us up.”
“Of course.” She nodded, then turned and walked back to the kitchen.
“Are you under the impression we can’t order for ourselves?” Lulu asked testily.
“Shifter place, shifter rules. If I order, they think I’m in charge. Makes it easier for everyone.”
“Because you’re you?” I wondered. “Or because I’m a vampire?” The incident at Little Red had made it clear that antivamp prejudices still ran through the Pack.
He watched me for a moment, as if carefully considering his answer. “Both,” he finally said. “And the burgers are good.”
Lulu crossed her arms. “We’ll see.”
“He’s a wolf,” I pointed out. “Probably knows good meat from bad.”
“One of my many skills. And now that we’re out of danger, please explain to me why you two decided to start a war by storming a literal fairy castle in the middle of the night.”
“The pin belonged to one of the fairies,” I said. “The one I found near the Cadogan House patio.”
Connor’s brows lifted. “How do you know?”
“She took video of the reception,” Lulu said. “We reviewed the evidence and reached a conclusion based on the same.”
“Thank you,CSI.” His tone was dry as dust.
Lulu saluted. “And bee-tee-dubs, your girlfriend is a firecracker. That panther routine?” She mimicked wiping sweat from her brow. “Impressive.”
“She’s not my girlfriend. We aren’t together anymore.”
“Oh, well, damn,” Lulu said. “I will cease harassing you on that topic, and congratulate your good decision making.”
Connor rolled his eyes, shifted his gaze to me. “So, the pin belonged to a fairy. Was the fairy at the party?”
“I don’t know. If he was, I didn’t see him.” We’d have to talk to Kelley—or maybe Theo—about that. See if the Cadogan surveillance video revealed anything else.
“Why did they let us go?” I asked, working that over.
“Because they’re smart?” Lulu said. “They realized they don’twant the wrath of Cadogan House and the Pack raining down upon them.”
Maybe,I thought. They had backed down after Connor had arrived. But that look in Ruadan’s eyes, that interest, made me wonder if we’d been allowed to leave because he had something else planned. I had no idea what that might be, but I had a sinking feeling—after that talk about power—it had something to do with me.
Didn’t matter. I’d handle it, just like I’d handled the fight.
Natalia returned, put plates of food in front of us. A waiter behind her added glasses of beer.
“Diakuju,”Connor said, and she nodded, left to check on the other patrons. Her expression changed completely when she reached them. She smiled, which softened her features, put a hand on their shoulders, chatted with them quietly. It took me a minute to realize why, to recognize the magic that lingered in the air.
I looked at Connor. “Are we the only non-shifters in the restaurant?”
He pulled pickles, onions, tomatoes, lettuce off his burger, piled them on the side of his plate. They barely had time to settle before Lulu grabbed them, piled them onto hers.
“Yes,” he said, then took a bite. “And the salad is unnecessary.”
