She trails off, her mouth dropping open as her eyes widen. At first, I wonder if I got some of Eisha’s blood on my face or something, but then she points at me and shrieks.
“Wait! You’re—you’re the maniac on the news assassinating immortals! Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh mygods?—”
She scrambles for her phone like she’s about to call human authorities.
“That’s our cue,” Everett announces, taking my hand as we run from the gas station.
30
BAELFIRE
I haven't been homein months, but I'm not surprised to hear the distant roar of a dragon as soon as the rental car crosses into Decimus territory.
That was definitely Declan. He must be home for the holidays.
“I just sensed some serious magic wards,” Silas mutters from the passenger seat since Everett is now driving. “Should we be concerned, or do they know we're coming?”
“My caster dad, Ivan, set those up forever ago so no one with hostile intentions can pass into our territory. It alerts him, too, so he’s probably telling the others about our arrival right now,” I mutter, glancing into the back of the car.
Maven is catching up on more sleep, leaning against Crypt as he gently traces one of her hands. She looks so fucking peaceful when she's resting near him.
Gotta admit, I'm grateful for that.
It’s still weird as fuck to see the incubus look anything besides apathetic or murderous. That's all any of us saw from him until Maven arrived.
But now? He’s not as hateable as I used to think. Not that we are or ever will be “best mates,” as he puts it.
When Crypt sees me looking, his eyes narrow. “If they're at all impolite to our girl?—”
“They won't be.”
The other three remain tense, thinking my family will have a problem with who and what Maven is.
But I know my family. They're loud, proud, and fucking ridiculous but never judgmental or blindly prejudiced. If anything, I'm worried they'll be a littletoohappy to meet Maven and tease the hell out of me about having a mate while they're at it.
Come to think of it, out of the entire quintet, I definitely had the luckiest upbringing. Silas was raised by an eccentric sexist who made him fend for himself, Crypt was a literal monster's son brought up by the Immortal Quintet even though they hated him, and Everett's family is a swarm of emotionally abusive manipulators dressed in designer clothes that cost more than most people's cars.
Meanwhile, Maven grew up in a fucking brutal environment. The little my mate has told us about her past makes me physically sick to my stomach if I think about it.
I’m pretty sure this is going to be her first glimpse of what anactualfamily is like.
Gods, I hope she likes them.
Finally, we round the base of a massive mountain and turn down the long road leading into the valley where my family's huge house, the barn, and several other buildings sit proudly in the vibrant morning light. Snow coats the ground and trees as we pull into the big circular driveway.
I’ve missed these mountains. Being back here makes me want to go flying with my mom and Declan.
And I wouldloveit if Maven rode on my back. I bet my mate would love flying.
Except maybe not yet—not when shifting risks me being lost for gods know how long to my inner dragon.
He’s such an unmanageable dickhead. He's been quiet during the ride, but I can feel him stirring. The scaly fucker will be causing more problems for me soon.
I scent the pine trees and something cooking in the kitchen, and I'm not surprised to see one of the curtains move in my family’s massive living room. About six or seven familiar faces peer out at us, a couple of them waving.
Yep. They’re going to swarm us the second we get out.
Everett parks, his pale blue gaze sweeping over the house mistrustfully.
