Not if that sounded weird though. I didn’t mean it to be weird. If it sounded weird, I just mean thank you.
There is something about dinner that’s bugging me... could you tell me what the family secret is? Valor said he’d tell me in two weeks, but I’m getting super frustrated every time I think about it. There’s something weird about Kerrianne saying ‘we don’t eat people’ AND Valor calling her pup. I don’t know if it passes the vibe check, and I’m hoping it’s not cannibalism or something. We’re friends and late-night cohosts, so you should tell me.
Or at least give me a heads-up so I don’t show up next time and get eaten or look stupid thinking the worst.
We could eat her.My wolf salivates, and I try to push the dirty thoughts of Leticia out of my mind.
I read her next text instead of indulging him in that thought.
Leticia:
Please tell me you’re not cannibals and it’s just something funny Kerrianne said.
I snortand click into the three images she sent a few hours later. They’re pictures of beautifully plated Italian food.
Now, I’m the one salivating.
Our mate could cook us that? We could —
I shove the wolf down. We haven’t met her in person. We can’t be sure we’re mates. He’s overly attached. This is attraction to a beautiful woman, and the chemistry will change when we meet face to face.
I go back to the third message.Valor is going to tell her the family secret? How the fuck did he mess up that badly?
A rock sits in my middle, and it’s cooling me from the inside out.
Mom, Dad, and Valor have no mention of it in their messages. Kerrianne didn’t note anything off about her dinner with Leticia.
I let those thoughts ruminate as I stretch and slowly make my way out of bed. But by the time I’ve stretched out and stared at my closet for a minute, trying to remember what clothes are, I don’t have any answers, and I push them out of my brain to focus on joining the rest of the world.
“Royal.You never answered your brother back.” Mom sighs as I ascend the stairs to the kitchen in search of food.
“I sent him a thumbs-up that I’d start working on his to-do list,” I say as I head toward whatever she’s working on to see what I can steal.
Mom bats my hand away from the food, raw green beans, in front of her. “These are for dinner, or did you forget we’re doing Thanksgiving dinner again tonight. The redo.”
“I remember.” I don’t, but no way am I getting caught slacking on everything. “What’s got Valor’s boxers in a bunch?”
Mom stops working and turns to face me. “You didn’t read that message at all.”
“I was going to grab a snack and then go down and start working.” I raise my hands in defense.
“Christ, Royal.” Mom grabs a towel off the counter and chucks it at me.
“What?!” I snatch it out of the air but grab my phone from my pocket before she throws something heavier.
Valor:
Take the information you gave me yesterday from the guy, Marc, and work backward. The guy has videos circulating on the internet of teenage girls changing. Antonella is included.
Find me where they’ve been distributed and who I need to dispose of.
I want this done: yesterday.
My blood turns cold.Doing recon on someone Valor was pressing for information was just supposed to be mundane work. I knew Valor planned to use the guy as a warning to others who might double-cross us, but to show Antonella his darker side... That is wholly unexpected.
“Jesus.” I tuck my phone back in my pocket, fighting off a shiver.
My wolf is already pulling a mental list of codes and things we’ll need to get the job done.
