“Huh. I saw him shift the one time and he was the size of a regular gray wolf.”
“Okay.”
Max’s eyes narrowed. “At the bazaar, he killed the zombie vamp.”
“Apparently, that guy wasn’t a zombie. Vampires can’t be zombies.”
“Right, so the non-living-by-definition-zombie vamp, Kraft killed him after playing with him?”
She swallowed a groan and from the far corner, hidden in the back, waved Josie over for another drink. From all the sighing and stomping around Josie did, Riley would have though the underworked teenager had been through the wringer instead of serving four other tables while her sisters bustled around, smiling at customers.
“Here.” Josie slapped a drink down, in addition to a platter of fries and four burgers. Then she smiled at Riley’s side. “And for you, sir.” She pushed a big bowl of milk toward Paz.
I like this kid.Paz rubbed his face over Josie’s fingers.She’s mine too.
Hoping the small demon wasn’t adding lycan souls to his collection, Riley frowned at him before tuning back into her cousin. “What?”
“I asked how Kraft knew to use water on the blood circle you found.”
“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?” she said sourly, irritated she’d come all the way home only to have to deal with mating nonsense when the end of the world neared. “I’m sorry. I can’t let this go. Don’t you think we have more to worry about than a berserker getting mated and knocked up?” she snarled.
Max sighed. “I feel ya. I’m thinking you just play along for a while until it blows over. The alphas and alphas-in-waiting will leave, and then we’ll spend time focused on the artifact and rogue sorcerer. Because they really are blaming you for all of it.”
“Who’s ‘they’?”
“Well, the Wildridges, for one. And the Torn-Fang and Raven’s Eye packs too.”
“We all know the Raven’s Eye dires are fawning over Julian’s family.” The Wildridge alpha’s heirs were a way into alliances with his pack. Freddy, his younger brother, and Antonia had become very popular ever since the Wildridge dires had started making a play for lycan leadership. Raven’s Eye played both sides, staying friendly with the Crimson Claw and Wildridge packs, hoping for an “in” with the eventual winner.
“Unfortunately, since it’s clear Freddy is all over you, the Raven’s Eye dires aren’t trying to mate any of theirs to the alpha-in-waiting. Just to his siblings. What a bummer.”
“If you make one crack about me taking one for the team by mating that jackass, I will shove your head in this glass.” She tightened her grip around her soda.
Do it. I bet you could shove his face in there. He doesn’t seem to have that big a brain.The kitten blinked slowly, his version of a grin.But perhaps if you mated this Freddy, I could watch?
“You too, Shadow. I bet I could fit your whole body in here.”
Max held up his hands in surrender. “Easy, woman. I know you’re losing it when you’re not only threatening your favorite cousin, but a poor little cat as well.”
Oh, I’m so scared.The kitten huffed, not scared at all, and returned to lapping up his milk.
Ivan arrived and shoved Max over, joining them at the corner booth. He grinned at Riley, the big blond full of good-humor and a constant need to kick ass. “Riley. You don’t look a day over two hundred.”
“Fuck you.”
“Fuck you too, princess.” He snickered and leaned over the table to rub her head, mussing her pony-tail. Then he stole some fries. “Yum.” Ivan being Ivan, he yelled for Josie to bring him what Riley was having, but doubled. “Who got a cat?” He sneezed and sat farther back.
So of course Paz paid him keen attention.
“You do realizesheandIare sharing this meal?” Max sounded perturbed.
“Yep. Not my fault you two have no appetite. Not that I blame you.” Ivan gave a low sigh. “I go away for a year and come back to find that the Wildridge fucks stole the most powerful and important artifact our kind has ever had, right out from under us. Then I learn Riley’s playing footsie with a clan of misfit vampires.Andshe’s messing around with dark magic and killing dires.” He shook his head. “Tsk tsk. If you guys wanted me back so bad, why not just call? No need to make such a fuss that I had to return early.”
“Can I kill him?” Max asked.
“After I torture him a little. Sure.” Riley smiled through her teeth at the giant doofus. “You’re so not funny.”
He really is.Paz chuckled.
