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The one thing I was certain was fictitious at one point was becoming very real.
And so was the threat on our lives.
The morning sun rose, the humidity only slightly decreased after the storm, and the streets puddled with water as we slipped through the alleys. People were setting up market carts, the streets cramped with horses and wagons jaunting down the lanes.
Katrina stayed close to me, both of us on alert. We hadn’t talked much after we left Mrs. Yang’s. The old woman was shrewd as fuck, and we left her purse heavier than the damage we did. But to be fair, we also left her to clean it up.
My nerves were coiled, ready to react to anything. I kept us moving, paranoid we were being followed. Ducking and weaving through the city to lose any tails, we took longer than I wanted, finally getting back to the dinghy when the sun was high in the sky.
My shoulders relaxed at my ship in the distance, knowing it was still there. Drifting our small boat next to it, Scot tossed us down a line from the deck.
“Hey, Captain.” Scot leaned over, hauling Kat up the rope ladder with no effort, a strange smirk on his face.
“What?” I climbed up, another prickle of energy running up and down my spine, his strange grin unsettling me. I climbed aboard, my gaze darting around nervously.
“We’ve been boarded.” Scot stepped out of the way, gesturing to two figures behind him.
Shock stilled me in place, my eyes taking in the two blonds. The tall, ripped man appeared like some Californian surfer with an easygoing grin and chiseled jaw.
The small girl next to him had waist-length, wavy hair the color of soft gold and a face you’d picture on an angel. She was a punch to the chest, cracking it open with memories and love.
“Annabeth?” I croaked.
Her blonde hair floated in the wind like a halo. A smile of pure joy spread over her face, her blue eyes filling with tears as she ran for me.
“Croygen!” She leaped into my arms, and I felt like a piece I had been missing slotted back in place. A part of my family returned. “I have missed you so much.”
I held her so tight as she sobbed, threatening tears of my own. Annabeth was like my little sister, part of the family Zoey had created. Zoey had met AB after the devastation hit Seattle. She had lost her parents and had been kidnapped and put in a fighting/sex ring. Zoey saved her from that life and made her part of our “found family.”
Annabeth and Lexie became like sisters, Zoey adopting them and adding her baby to the growing family. I had watched AB grow up alongside Lexie, then witnessed her fall in love with the Dark Dweller, Cooper, standing behind her.
The problem was that AB was attached to almost every memory of Lexie, bringing that part of my life back in a wave of emotion.
“What are you doing here?” I put her back on her feet, flabbergasted that she was standing in front of me. She wiped at her tears, still trying to calm down.
“Hey, man.” Cooper approached, shaking my hand, his other one rubbing her back. “Good to see you.”
Returning the handshake, I nodded. “It’s good to see you guys too, but seriously, what the fuck are you doing here?” My attention jumped from AB to Cooper. “How did you even find me?”
“Lars has eyes everywhere.” Cooper gave me a knowing look. “And since you are here, you probably know why we are too.”
A sinking sensation set me back on my heels. “Oh, fuck…” I whispered. “The nectar.”
Cooper grinned more.
“He knows.” I swallowed.
“You know Lars makes it his business to know all.”
“Knows all and wants it.” I shook my head. My focus jumped back to Annabeth. She had grown more into herself since I had been gone, looking stunning. She’d definitely been training, but she was still a waif.
“Why would he send you guys?”
“Let’s just say I made a bargain with him.” Cooper’s gaze drifted to AB. “If it does what it says…”
My lid closed for a moment as understanding dawned on me.
Annabeth was human. She was aging, would grow old and die, while Cooper wouldn’t age at all. None of us around her would, not for eons. She was his mate, and he would do anything to keep her around forever.
