This must be one of the fae I wasn’t supposed to meet.
Idris gives Callum a curt nod, but his icy blue eyes never leave mine. I take an involuntary step back, but I don’t dare look away from him. I know danger when I see it, and life taught me early on never to take your eyes off an enemy.
Our silent standoff shatters when Gideon lets loose a vicious, warning snarl and a tall woman bursts through the door. The fae just looks at Gideon and smiles, his lips slowly peeling back to reveal flawless white teeth. It’s not a friendly expression.
“Gideon, watch your mouth.” The woman steps gracefully around Idris with a boisterous, dimpled smile and plants an enthusiastic kiss on my mate’s cheek.
This is clearly Gideon’s mom, and god only knows what she thinks of this weird display. Her son is still squeezing my hand in a death grip, and Ciprian is glued to my other side, so I have nowhere to go when she turns her excitement on me.
“Darling, Gideon has told me almost nothing about you, so I know you're important. Please, come in. I'm not sure why you're all hovering in the doorway.” Somehow, she extracts me from both Ciprian and Gideon with no effort. I follow her into the house, blinking like a little lost duckling.
“Idris, are you heading out, or would you like to stay for tea?” She tosses him a smile over her shoulder and some of the malice melts from his expression.
“Sarah, your offer is more than kind, but this is a family affair. I wouldn't dream of intruding.”
When he speaks for the first time, it’s all old-world charm, tinted with a slight accent I don't recognize. His voice is smooth and thick. It reminds me of melted chocolate and rolling aroundon silk sheets. I blink that comparison away, wondering where it came from.
I’ve never even slept on silk sheets for god’s sake.
Idris bows low in my direction before gliding down the stairs.
Ciprian whistles and shudders dramatically. “That was weird as fuck.”
“Shut up, he can still hear you.” Callum smacks him in the arm.
Sarah smiles indulgently at both of them, interlocking her arm with mine and grinning down conspiratorially at me. “Sweetheart, it's obvious you're with two of my sweet boys, but what about my darling Ciprian?”
I replay her words three times before they truly compute, then my jaw drops, both from the insinuation and her casual acceptance.
“Shit, Sarah. Absolutely not.” Ciprian grimaces at her, taking a step out of Callum's reach to avoid another swat. “Sheena is my friend. Everyone knows if you bang your bestie, things get messy.” He swings his head around, wiggling his eyebrows at his brother and Gideon. They ignore his antics. Sarah looks amused.
“Mom, this is Sheena.” Gideon finally introduces us, sounding both exasperated and amused.
“It's wonderful to meet you, ma'am,” I sputter. “You have a lovely home.” I gesture to the empty corner by the door and immediately feel like a total idiot. Her lip twitches, but she doesn’t laugh at me.
“Oh, sweetie, there’s no ‘ma'am’ in this wing. Call me Sarah. I'm sure we're going to be the best of friends.”
She leads me out of the foyer then, and again I find myself moving without realizing it. It’s quickly becoming clear that Sarah is a force of nature all on her own. All three men leave me to my fate, trailing behind like dutiful puppies.
We walk through a series of lavish hallways and hop on a golden, ornate elevator. As I look left and right in astonishment, I worry my eyes are bugging out of my head more with each incredible thing I see. Sarah keeps up a steady yet calming stream of chatter, bringing each of us into the conversation seamlessly. Seriously, it’s like she has a doctorate in diffusing tension.
By the time we step into a set of rooms that look more lived in, I’m almost comfortable around her. This part of the compound has cheerful earth tones punctuated here and there by bright pops of color. It's tasteful, eclectic, and warm—perfectly matching the woman next to me.
“Boys, will you be staying in your rooms here or in the other wing?” She includes both brothers in her question, and I see them eye each other warily.
“I’ll be staying here with Sheena if that's alright with you, Sarah,” Callum says.
She nods, a pleased smile on her face.
“Unfortunately, I'll be heading back to the House of Horrors later,” Ciprian quips, earning a sharp look from his brother.
“The Hall of Nightmares,” Sarah explains for my benefit. “That's the official name of the demon wing, dear.”
Ciprian wanders away, clearly comfortable in the Therion home, while the rest of us settle around the cozy living room.
“No cookies this close to dinner,” Sarah calls out, ignoring the groan that comes from around the corner in response.
“What if I share with Sheena?” Ciprian asks as he stomps back into view. “Seriously, if she goes another minute without trying your chocolate chip cookies, it might kill her.”
