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I am, a little.” I grasped at the excuse she offered. “But I am very sorry to seem ungracious. The room is very nice. I wonder where my mates have gotten to? I’m sure they’ll want to thank you, too.”
“Maybe.” Caroline laughed, a musical sound. “But Asher and his friends are all very used to the best, so they probably won’t think twice about it, the spoiled things.”
“Mother, I’m sure you know that’s not true.” Asher looped an arm over Caroline’s shoulder. “I am only used to the best because I was raised by the best. I hope they haven’t been telling you about all the awful scrapes I used to get into.”
“You and Blaze,” Caroline lamented. “We thought we’d be gray haired at thirty.”
The moms spoke with all of us for another moment or two and took their leave. “Your father will be at supper, Asher. Don’t be late.”
After the door closed behind them, I asked, “How can you not be late when we don’t know what time supper is?”
Asher grinned. “It’s been at seven every night except when we have special events since I was born.”
“Then we don’t have a lot of time. Why didn’t either of you tell me what to expect?”
Raven came closer and took both my hands. “We kind of did, but in our defense, this is just what we grew up with. And I can’t go back.”
“And I don’t want to,” Asher chimed in. “I like the way we live, and I want us to make our own way. Sure, I have some money, but that doesn’t mean I want”—he looked around the luxurious room—“this.”
“Me, either.” Raven kissed my cheek then my lips softly. “We’re just here visiting so Asher can spend some time with his folks and also with his brother.”
“Doesn’t he have other siblings? Didn’t one of his moms say something about that?”
He blanched. “It’s very complicated. But Blaze will be here, and he’s dying to meet you both. I don’t get a lot of time with him, in general, since we go to different schools.”
“I’m sure I can stand the luxury for a few days at least.”
Raven laughed. “You just want to swim in the big tubs that every room in this castle has in the attached baths.”
“A swimming tub?” Maybe I could get used to this. “Is it big enough for…three?”
“Oh, now there’s my mate.” Asher moved to a nearby door and pushed it open. “Shall we find out.”
I had a feeling we were going to be late to dinner.
Chapter Six
Valentina
“Tell us everything, Erik,” I said, extending my break. Jo and Tess could cover for a few more minutes. Besides, this felt important in my chest.
“That’s it, Valentina. She was murdered and I thought that her leaving me, taking off without a word or a second thought, was heartbreaking, but this…to know that someone or something stole her from me…it’s too much.”
“What if it was a random killing? What if she was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time?” Bishop offered.
“No,” Erik said. “No. She…I don’t feel like it was random. Besides, it was a different time back then. Yes, murders happened but not like this, and not very often. We weren’t rich by any means, so it couldn’t have been a robbery.”
“Just because she didn’t have money doesn’t mean she couldn’t be robbed, Erik. Thieves aren’t the smartest people on the planet.”
He wasn’t wrong.
Erik shook his head. “It just doesn’t feel that way. I think someone murdered her.”
“What about the body? You thought she left you, but no one contacted you? From the morgue?”
Erik shook his head. “I wasn’t exactly listed in the phone book. And, at the time of our mating…well, it wasn’t something we announced to the masses. A descendant of Circe and a vampire. It wouldn’t have been well received. We kept to ourselves. I doubt anyone that knew her even knew where we lived.”
“What did you do after? Did you even try to find her?” Fox asked.
