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“He told me he’s enjoyed his conversations with you and the rest of your coven. I hope Fox being a Varik won’t upset future conversations.”
“Winter!” Fox snapped.
Winter scowled at his mate, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his black hoodie. “What?”
“That sounded like a threat.”
Winter sighed heavily and dropped his head back. “I didn’t mean it like a threat. If I was threatening anyone, they’d fucking—”
Fox darted close and slapped his hand across Winter’s mouth. “Seriously, he’s not threatening. He always sounds threatening because of his reputation. I have enjoyed our talks and I would like to meet the rest of your coven in person, but if you’re not comfortable with me because I’m a Varik or because my boyfriend is an asshole, I understand.”
Winter said something behind Fox’s hand, but it was too muffled to understand. He was likely taking issue with being called an asshole.
“No! I…I can’t speak for my coven brothers, but I don’t have a problem with you being in the Varik Clan. I…I think I just need time to wrap my head around you dating Winter,” Sky said. His color was better, and his voice was at its normal levels.
So, it was time to drop the other bomb.
“We probably should have told you, too,” Gideon started, his cheeks flushed. “But Ryder and I are also part of the Varik Clan.”
A sharp laugh broke from Sky’s throat. “Of course. Of course you are.” He slapped his hand over his mouth, eyes suddenly going wide. When he lifted his hand, he whispered, “Did I say anything at the club that was embarrassing?”
Gideon immediately patted his shoulder. “No, you and Maddox were wonderful. Very interesting. You’re not at all what I expected when we heard you were a necromancer.”
“Not that any vampire looks forward to meeting a necromancer,” Winter muttered.
Fox smacked him on the chest. “Be nice!”
“Are you still willing to help Gideon with the ghost?” Ryder demanded, dragging Sky’s wide eyes up to him.
“Sure. That’s not a problem.” Sky paused and rubbed his hand on his chin. “I think I know my price for removing the ghost, though.” He turned his smile on Gideon. “In exchange for removing the ghost, I want you to owe me one meeting with King Aiden.”
“What do you want to meet with the king about?” Winter asked.
Sky shrugged. “No reason…at the moment. I want to have this promise in my back pocket in case something important comes up at a later date.” He chuckled and pressed his hand to his chest. “You think some nobody witch like me can snag a meeting with the king? Hell, nah. But I’m sure his own clan members could arrange it for me just once.”
“You know we can’t guarantee that Aiden would help you or do whatever it is you want, right?” Winter countered.
Sky made a dismissive noise. “I’d never expect that. Convincing the king to help me is my problem. This payment would simply get me an audience.”
Gideon’s wide, pleading eyes immediately shot to Ryder, begging for help. He didn’t know how to answer, and Ryder was feeling a bit at a loss. If they went to Aiden and asked him to give Sky a meeting, he was sure Aiden would grant it, but was that the right way to use their connection to the clan?
“Done,” Winter answered before anyone else tried to speak. “But the bargain you’ve struck is with me, not Gideon. Get rid of his ghost, and I’ll make sure you get in to see the king so long as it’s a Varik sitting on the throne.”
Gideon smiled brightly up at Winter. “Thank you so much.”
“Truly, thank you, Winter,” Ryder chimed in.
The youngest Varik looked at the ground, his hands stuffed into the front pocket of his hoodie. “It’s not a big deal. Seriously.”
“Awww, you’re just a cheese-doodle-loving sweetheart,” Fox teased. He wrapped his arms around his mate and nuzzled his face against Winter’s throat. “Love you.”
“Okay. Let’s go check out this ghost.” Sky picked up the bag that had slipped from his fingers and shoved to his feet. He paused and turned his attention to stare at Winter. “Does this mean you’ll be joining us?”
“He’s not allowed!” Fox blurted out.
Winter narrowed his eyes at his mate for a moment. He shook his head at Sky. “No, I’m not. Ghosts react to my presence, and I don’t want to screw up any spells you might be using. Ryder promised to keep an eye on Gideon and Fox for me.” Winter grinned, revealing the points of his fangs. “I thought I’d go hunting while I wait for you to finish.”
Sky shuddered. “Yeah, you go get all full of blood. No biting here.”
