“I love it.”
His smile stretched super wide and if I wasn’t so hungry, I’d have dragged him back to our room. But we had the whole night, and the incredible food would give me the energy I needed to ensure it was memorable. Of course, in the delicate laws of the universe, my peace and happiness had an expiration date. The shit show of my life was waiting for me at dawn, but until then, I could bask in this moment of perfection with the man I love.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The aliens did it.
All too soon, the sun came up and my stomach was full of yummy bacon, eggs, and sausage. My body ached in a delicious way, and when I thought of everything we’d done last night, I blushed.
Hudson kept giving me knowing looks as we sped back to White Castle and the weight of responsibility began pushing down on my shoulders.
“At the risk of ruining our date, do you want to talk about your grandmother before we arrive back at the house?”
I squeezed my eyes closed and dragged in a steadying breath. “She’s undoubtedly at the center of these crimes.”
“Do you have any idea why she is doing this?”
My eyes flipped open. “I have theories.”
“Would you like to share?”
I nibbled my bottom lip. Sharing your worries was what a partnership was about, but what if that worry could start a war? That if it transformed into truth, could mean the end of the tenuous peace between the factions?
“Her original plan was to unite the factions and then out us to the world. Together, we would be able to overpower the humans if they retaliated.”
“Okay.” His tone was calm as this wasn’t new information, and thankfully, that treaty had never come to pass, leaving the packs and the vampires free of my grandmother’s plan for domination. However, that didn’t mean she’d given up.
“But that plan is in ruins, and she still wants to rule. I think she’s figuring out a way to kill humans en masse, so it will terrify them into compliance.”
Hudson’s expression didn’t change. He simply nodded. “I can see why you would think that, but isn’t there a more simplistic way than whatever this is? Demon summoning, poisonous flowers, magic transfer? It seems overkill, excuse the pun.”
“Fear of the unknown is the easiest way to create panic, chaos, and terror. Something they don’t understand.”
“You think she’s faking a demon takeover so she can save everyone? Become their savior?” I nodded. “It’s a solid theory,” Hudson said as he indicated to come off the freeway.
“Lucifer won’t stand for it.”
“By the time he gathers his forces, it may be too late.”
Lucifer didn’t needforces. He was a tsunami of power, an archangel, blessed with the power of the Almighty.
We pulled into my driveway and nobody came out to greet us on the porch. That was positive, normally there was someone greeting me with today’s problems.
I jumped out of the car and Hudson’s hand tangled with mine as we approached the door. He yanked me to a stop and my eyes widened.
“What’s wrong?” I whispered.
He tilted my chin up and his mouth descended onto mine. My body reacted by squashing itself against his. He pulled back with one final kiss.
“Nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to do that before we launch into whatever awaits us today.”
I smirked at him and then pushed open the door. Aunt Liz poked her head out from the kitchen. “Did you have a good time?”
I blinked, remembering just how good a time we’d had. “Yes.”
She nodded. “Good, your Aunt Sophia made herself at home in your office and has some news which she wouldn’t share until you got home.”
“I’ll take the bags up to our rooms,” Hudson said, moving past me.
