Stefani shrugged. “Well, Mom, Max was so in love with you he hid the fact that he was an alien. He never let his beast meet you at all. You told me he was willing to live like that for the rest of his life, if it meant he could keep you.”
“That was different.”
“How?” I demanded. “How is that different, Mom? I have no idea how these guys go from man to beast and back again at will, but seems to me there is some kind of power struggle that goes on inside them. That’s why they get locked up if their mating fever gets too bad. Their beast becomes more powerful, impossible to control.”
“And turns into a raging killer.” That was my sister. Pointing out the obvious. As usual.
“Not funny, Stef,” I said.
“Doing my part for the stand-up comedy scene on Atlan.”
“Well, don’t quit your day job.”
“Don’t have one, so I’m good.”
Usually charming but right now totally irritating. This was serious. “Just because Max figured out how to send money home and pay for school doesn’t mean—”
“Enough.” Damn that ‘mom voice’. Heard it since birth. My entire being reacted just like I had when I was three—straighten up and shut up. Vivian Davis had raised us alone in one of the worst neighborhoods in Miami. She didn’t take bullshit from anyone. Especially not her daughters.
Tears threatened and I stopped walking, stopped moving. What the hell was I going to do? “I don’t know what to do, Mom. I love him.”
“You’ve known him for four hours.” My sister raised her eyebrows. “The sex must have been amazing.”
“Shut up, Stef.”
“Girls,” Mom said through clenched teeth. Unfortunately, my sister wasn’t finished.
“Listen to reason, Adrian. How do you know he really cares about you at all? That you weren’t just a sweet piece of ass offered to him at the last minute? Like his last meal?” She stood up to tilt her hip to one side so she could flop her arms around as she spoke. “Oh, sure. Uh, yeah, I’ll have a filet mignon, rare, your most expensive wine, and, wait, one more thing. I’ll take that nineteen-year-old hottie to sleep with, too.”
“You’re a bitch,” I mumbled.
“I’m not. I’m your twin. No one else has your back like I do. And I don’t like this situation. You played your twin card. Fine. I helped you get in there. Honestly, I figured he would either ignore you or tell you to get out.”
“You didn’t believe me when I said he was mine.”
“Sorry. No. I didn’t.” At least Stefani seemed contrite about that. She lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. “No one has ever heard of such a thing. It’s weird. You acted like you were the beast, not him.”
“I feel like one right now, let me tell you.”
“If I’d known you would actually turn out to be his mate, I never would have helped you. Twin card or not.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s locked up, waiting to die in the Atlan version of death row. You just told us you are in love with him. How could you be? I don’t know, but whatever. It’s worse for you if youarein love with him.”
“How is that?” I asked.
“Because now, when they kill him, it’s going to hurt you, too. Hot sex? Sure. He seemed like he was in control when you went in there. I never would have helped if I knew it was going to break your heart.”
“They aren’t going to kill him.”
“Yes, honey, they are.” Her mean mom voice was gone, replaced with soothing—I know it hurts but it will be better soon—tones. “His execution is to take place in less than an hour. Max received word a few minutes ago. That’s why I came up here. I didn’t want you to be alone when you heard.”
“What?!”
“Calm down.”
“I will not calm down!” I lifted the hem of the dress with which I’d planned to wow the biggest and most powerful politicians on Atlan and made haste toward the door. I had planned to spend the evening begging for Kovo’s life. For help. For a stay of execution. New investigation. The list was long and nearly endless.
