Dominik leans back in his chair looking smug, the gold Phillipe Patek on his wrist glinting in the light from the huge chandeliers above us.
“You’d have thought, wouldn’t you?” he says with a fanged smile. “But then what if you wanted somewhere private to meet with your friend and her new pups?”
I stare at him, well aware my jaw has dropped.
“And in order to convince a werewolf pack leader he should attend and bring his mate, I bought the café for us.”
“Youboughtthe café?” I look around me again. “You bought this place just so I could meet with Grace?”
Dominik nods and then furrows his brow.
“Do you think I should have bought somewhere larger?” he asks. “Grander?”
My jaw is already slack. I don’t think it can drop any further. It’s then I hear the sound of Grace’s voice, accompanied by Ferenc’s deep one.
“Dominik?” My own voice wobbles. “What did you do?”
“I did what you wanted, my dove.”
I stand up and see Grace pushing a large pram down the balcony towards me. Ferenc strides along next to her, his face beaming.
“OH! THERE SHE IS!” Grace bellows, pushing the pram faster in order to get to me.
By the time I’m wrapped in one of her huge hugs, I’m crying so hard I can hardly see her.
“Hey.” She pulls back as I scrub my face with the back of my hand. “Oh, wow! You’ve been busy,” she says, staring down at my bump.
Dominik towers over us both. He’s on edge because I’m in tears. His fangs peep over his bottom lip. Ferenc releases a low, dangerous growl.
“Oh, my god! Is it Dominik’s?” Grace’s eyes widen.
“No,” I say quickly.
“Vampires cannot breed,” Ferenc rasps.
“It was, well…let’s just say the father is not in the picture.”
“But you’re here, with Dominik?” Her brows knit together.
“It’s a long story.” I sigh. “Grace, I’m so…”
Before I can get my apology out, there is a squeal from the pram.
“Duty calls,” Grace says as Ferenc reaches down, and in a moment, he has the cutest pup cradled against him.
Grace lifts another two up against her. They yawn and wriggle.
“Werewolves are born shifted,” she says by way of explanation. “They can take their human form from around six months.” Grace smiles at the gorgeous pups.
“Or in my case, around twelve months,” Ferenc says. “I was a later starter.” He bares his teeth in a sort of smile at Dominik. “We have matters to discuss, vampire,” he adds.
“Oh, dear.” Grace rolls her eyes. “Well, go and get on with it. I have to catch up with Lucy because she’s been super busy.” She eyes my bump. “And I need all the gossip.”
Dominik
It hasn’t escapedmy attention there is another presence in the café, one of solid granite. Viktor stands off to one side, as ancient as the sunset.
Ferenc holds the little pup against his shoulder. It yawns and stretches and then goes back to sleep.
