“Oh, anofficer. She single?”
My laughter came from deep within and exploded with happiness. Slapping Evan on the back, I said, “As far as I know. Why don’t you go and find out?”
Evan waggled his eyebrows. “I’ll be back in time for the ceremony.”
“You better be.” Evan and Erik were standing up with me.
Erik sighed. “I’m gonna go check on Nana. You good?”
“I’m good.”
“See you at the altar.” Erik smirked before he set off toward Nana and Mrs. Hart. Oddly alone, yet not alone at all, I found who I was looking for and made my way toward Boone’s Pops. Holland appeared irritated. Well, more irritated than typical.
“Everything okay?” I asked while drawing closer.
Holland huffed as his blackened fingers tapped along the side of a glass of something that had a distinctly odd color. At my stare, Holland said, “Burnt rum,” before lifting the glass and downing half the contents. I was hard-pressed to remember a time when I’d seen Holland more fidgety.
Raising an eyebrow, I asked again, “Everything okay?”
Instead of a huff, I got a growl. “It is that damned kitsune. He will not leave me be.”
A second eyebrow met the first. “Hikaru?”
Holland’s eyes narrowed. “Do you know of another kitsune?”
I smirked while shaking my head. By now, I was more than used to Warlock Holland’s sarcasm. “Not that I know of. Why’s he hanging around you?”
Holland rolled his eyes. “I’ve no idea, but it is…irritating.” Holland’s teeth ground together, but his cheeks flushed, and he wouldn’t meet my gaze.Interesting. Holland threw back the remainder of his burnt rum. He was just lowering it from his lips when a sound from the far corner of the yard caught our attention.
“I’m going. Stop pushing!” The buzz of wings lit up the evening air as a mostly gray-haired pixie flew out of an atmospheric tear. The pixie was quickly followed by a broad warlock.
Holland groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. The word “Kines” was little more than a growl. “I had not anticipated his presence.”
I blinked as I stared at our latest guests. “Warlock Vander Kines?”
“The one and fucking only. Thank Gaia.”
“And the complaining pixie?”
“His one and only, Parsnip.”
“Oh! I know that name. He has a television show onHome and Kitchen.” I struggled to come up with the name. “Something about odd couples living together.”
“Interspecies Habitat,” Holland helpfully supplied.
I snapped my fingers. “That’s it.” Another pixie followed, one I easily recognized. Phlox flew through the opening, quickly followed by Leon. Both were then followed by a golden-haired pixie I also recognized. “Peaches.”
“Oh, this is lovely. Phil, you have to see this,” Peaches exclaimed as his head swiveled this way and that, taking in Mrs. Hart’s property.
“King Moony shouldn’t be far behind,” Holland said, and sure enough, another vampire exited the rift. “Looks like Hellfire brought the entire group.” It didn’t sound like Holland was that happy about the situation. “There will be more.”
And sure enough, there was. A tall, pink-haired pixie I’d never seen and a burly male with a possessive hand on said pixie’s shoulder.
Before I could ask, Holland supplied, “That would be Philodendron, though from what I understand, most call him Phil, and his mate, Alpha werewolf, Sedrick Voss.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pixie that…large.”
“Hmm, from what I understand, Philodendron is likely one of a kind. He is a home-and-hearth pixie. Bonded as well.”
