When the doorbell finally rings, I grab my bags, stash everything where it belongs, and snatch my little speaker off the bathroom counter. I queue up my favorite playlist—a genre dumpster fire of anime theme songs, Indian metal, K-pop bangers, mid-2000s emo, and screamy nightmare fuel that definitely violates Lorewood’s one and only noise ordinance.
Basically, me in audio form.
By the time I’m chopping onions and potatoes, “Gimme Chocolate!!” by BABYMETALhits—blistering speed, sugar-rage vocals, and exactly the kind of deranged battle cry I need right now.
I grab a fistful of garlic and start chopping like Inosuke in a cooking competition he doesn’t understand but refuses to lose.
“That’s right, motherfuckers. This ismyshonen arc,” I mutter to no one, flipping the steaks with flair.
“Let’s fucking GO.” I snarl it this time, channeling that one sleep-deprived YouTuber who finally nailed a bottle flip onto a chandelier after five weeks, a million tries, and a very public feud with gravity.
Prepping the food takes most of the afternoon, which means I get to spend several beautiful hours lost in music, spices, and the kind of chaos that almost feels like control.
On the menu tonight is filet mignon, blue cheese scalloped potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, and lemon mousse for dessert. I don’t know what Thane likes, but I know Louie likes what amounts to raw meat of any kind, and Eve loves lemon mousse.
As I’m pulling the potatoes out of the oven, the doorbell rings, and I rush to the basement steps to check the security console. When I see Eve and Thane on the small screen, I hurry to the front door and fling it open.
“Hey, guys! Welcome! I’m so glad you were free tonight. I’ve kind of been going crazy here with nothing to do. Come in!”
My face flushes with excitement while I hang their coats in Ezra’s bare closet.
Hell. I almost feel like myself again.
Once I give each of them a quick hug, I pass out glasses of red wine. I watch Thane out of the corner of my eye while Eve updates me on all the shop gossip. I’m still trying to figure him out.
Thunderous footsteps pound through the house just before Louie charges into the kitchen, barefoot, her hair an untamed mess, her whole vibe effortlessly thrown together, like the cool Boho chick at a concert who offers you ‘shrooms.
She’s wearing a faded oversized T-shirt, cinched at the waist with a belt, convinced it’s a dress. And at the risk of breaking her heart, I didn’t tell her it’s not.
“Hey, Aury, is the steak done yet? Don’t forget, I like mine very, very rare,” she says, throwing her arms around my waist.
Whoops, kinda forgot to tell Eve and Thane about my “second cousin.”
I was too excited about doing something other than worrying about Ezra and explaining the human experience to an underborne who, until recently, spent most of her time as a dog.
Eve shoots me a curious look, and Thane leans against the island, staring at Louie with a warm, slightly amused smile.
“Oh yeah, sorry. We have one more for dinner. This is my, uh, second cousin from England, Laura. She was already planning to visit, but with everything going on, I totally forgot. We connected on Elios a few months ago, and she was curious about where I lived.”
Jesus Christ, even I don’t believe me.
“Oh, cool. England, huh? Nice to meet you, Laura. I’m Eve. Aurora and I go way back.”
Eve doesn’t ask. She never does. Not when things get Hagan-weird.
She lived with us. She knows better.
If I slap a family label on someone, Eve knows not to dig.
Because it usually means one thing: my dad.
Apparently, my mom’s side is literal Hellspawn. And my dad’s side? Mafia-adjacent with secrets no one says out loud.
And me? I’m just the cosmic cocktail stuck in the middle.
I feel like a chaotic romance novel that couldn’t decide on a genre. Demon romance? Hell yeah. Mafia drama? Why the fuck not. Trauma-based emotional damage? Obviously. And let’s not forget the hellhound, the wrakh, the grumpy billion-year-old shadow god who literally melts panties, and the fate of an entire species resting on my shoulders. So yeah. Turns out I’m basically the unholy lovechild of every fucked-up BookTok trope. Who knew?
While I’m busy having my little existential crisis, Eve rushes over and wraps Louie in an enormous hug. To my amusement, Louie looks terrified, but she finally lays her head on Eve’s shoulder with a comfortable sigh. When Eve pulls away, she notices Louie’s fangs, and I freeze.
