“I can’t wait to learn how to use it. I want to summon Lupai.”
Dread crawled over my skin at the thought.
“Sorry we’re late.” Vincent’s voice came from the doorway behind us, pulling us from our conversation.
I pushed myself up from the edge, banishing the unease in my gut, and the Lupai on Cassie’s lapvanished into dust. “About time. I was wondering if you’d snuck off to Stokers. I was about ready to hunt you guys down.”
Barrett, Zephyr, and Thalia appeared from the doorway behind him, fully clad in their own black leather armor, various weapons strapped to their chests and hips, hoods down.
“It took us a while to convince Zephyr to leave his new female,” Barrett taunted. “Was kinda bummed we didn’t get to see her. No matter what, we can’t get him to spill any details.”
“Female? Zeph, you got a girl?” Cassie jumped to her feet and ran over to him.
When my eyes met Zephyr’s, the familiar scent lingering on his skin hit me like a brick, and the possessive light in his pale green eyes made it clear... he’d bonded to the female.
A heavy sigh slipped from my lips. “Fuck.”
CASSIE
“Iwant to meet her!” Zephyr didn’t meet my eyes at first, and I realized he was glaring over my shoulder at Damien. My brows furrowed. “Is everything ok?”
“We’ll discuss it later.” Damien’s voice was sharp, but his eyes remained fixated on Zephyr. His words didn’t seem wholly directed at me, but to everyone. The air became thick with a strange sort of tension. I shifted on my feet, wary of the energy in the air.
What had I missed?
“Awe, I’ve been dying to meet this female of his,” Barrett teased, throwing his arm over Zephyr’s shoulder. Zephyr’s body tensed, thick muscles cording beneath the leathers of his gear, and I feared he might turn on Barrett.
Damien growled a low warning, his eyes shifting to Barrett. “You’re walking a fine line. Drop it.”
Barrett’s brows knitted in confusion, but he obliged, releasing Zephyr, his hands in the air as he stepped back.
“I didn’t know,” Zephyr said lowly, eyes still locked with Damien’s, and my confusion grew.
“I’m happy for you, honestly. No hard feelings, I hope,” Damien said.
Zephyr didn’t respond, and I looked between the two. “What the hell’s going on? What are you guys talking about?”
I looked at Thalia, only to get a shrug in response, confusion painting her face as well.
When Zephyr’s silence remained, Damien spoke up. “Like I said, we’ll discuss it later.”
What was there to discuss? What did Damien know?
Watching the hostile energy fill the air between them, I feared they might attack one another at the wrong word. I walked up to Zephyr and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey.”
His pale green eyes fell on me, and the harshness melted away, a tender smile returning to his sweet face. “Sorry, Cas. It’s ok.”
My eyes narrowed, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to press, but the curiosity was enough to drive me insane.
He took a deep breath before he spoke again. “Let’s get out there. I know you’re ready, and I’m eager to see all that training pay off when you bring down your first darkling. Your daggers sharp and ready?”
I smiled, nodding my head. “Sharpened them before we left the house.”
“If she uses that hard head of hers, she won’t need those daggers to take them down,” Vincent said, tightening his black fingerless gloves. I couldn’t help but feel a little prideful I’d head-butted an immortal hard enough for him to remember.
“Twenty bucks says our little spitfire’s too chicken to headbutt a darkling.” Barrett ruffled the top of my head, and I elbowed him before smoothing my braided hair back into place.
“Stop calling me that,” I huffed.
