The bedroom door swung open, and Hudson strode out with the overnight bag clutched in hand. I glared at it, then at him. “This is ridiculous. The world is ending, and you want to go on a break?”
“The world will still be ending tomorrow,” Dayna said, making Rebecca grin.
Wait, they were in on it? Why was I not surprised? I glared at them and crossed my arms. “What do you know?”
Rebecca mimed zipping her lips. Oh, how ironic that the gossiping vampire princess was suddenly tight-lipped about this little impromptu trip.
“We aren’t going far, and Harry can come get us if there’s an emergency,” Hudson reasoned.
“Phones also work,” I pointed out.
He grinned. “Not where we’re going.”
Dayna jumped up and down on the spot, and I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I think we should wait.”
“Nope,” Hudson responded.
“But—” He bent in front of me and wrapped his hand around the back of my knees before lifting me over his shoulder. “Put me down,” I snapped.
Rebecca giggled, Dayna waved at me, Harry blushed, and Hudson ignored me as he jogged down the stairs. Aunt Liz passed us, and her eyebrows rose until Dave came up behind her and smacked her ass.
“Don’t interfere.” Even Dangerous Dave was in on whatever this was.
The Escalade was already around the front of the house; the engine running and waiting for us. He slid me into the passenger seat and clipped my belt on before stealing my breath with a kiss and slamming the door closed. He was around and into the driver’s side before I could contemplate leaping out. One night. I could take one night off. Nothing was going to fall apart in that brief space of time.
“Do I get to know where we’re going?” I asked as he sped down the road.
“Nope.”
I folded my arms and leaned my head back. I was tired. No amount of sleep was going to cure this bone-deep exhaustion,but a nap wouldn’t hurt. My eyes fluttered closed, and I let my mind drift into each corner of my life. My father, my grandfather, my grandmother, Indigo, the Serpents of the Dawn, Donn—so many moving parts I was caught in the middle of. It was no wonder my heart leapt every time my wards clanged or the phone rang. Come to think of it, my wards didn’t warn me when God was on my doorstep. But if anyone was going to thwart them, I didn’t mind it being Him.
Warm fingertips caressed my cheek. “Cora, we’re here.”
I blinked my eyes open and frowned. Judging by the dense blanket of trees surrounding us, we were in the thick of the woods. A wooden-clad lodge built on a platform suspended between the giant trees sat in front of us.
“You have a treehouse?” I asked as I unclipped my belt and climbed out of the car. Fairy lights wound up the trunks, but there were no visible stairs. I stretched my limbs before circling the base of one of the trees the house was attached to. Nope, no stairs. “How do we get up there?”
Hudson’s warmth covered my back, and he turned me to face him. His hazel eyes shimmered gold. His cat was prowling close to the surface. “I climb, you hold tight.”
He spun and crouched, making me scowl. I could let Indigo loose and fly up there, but then she might demand a date night with our mate, and despite my objections, I was now insanely curious about where he’d brought us.
He turned his head and winked at me. “Are you waiting for an invitation?”
I swung myself onto his back, wrapping my arms securely around his neck. My stomach dipped as he launched into the air, clearing a good ten feet before his claws dug into the bark. I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face as he tore his way up the tree, coming to a stop when we reached the wooden wraparound veranda. Hudson swung me around, holding meclose to him while we entered the glass-fronted building, refusing to put me down until after he’d switched on the lights and kicked the door closed behind us.
I spun in a slow circle, taking in the space. The seamless living area consisted of one large couch placed in front of a wood stove positioned in front of the far wall made entirely of glass. It offered uninterrupted views over the treetops, which appeared to stretch for miles. The setting sun created a deep wash of orange and pale violet brushstrokes across the broad expanse of sky.
Behind the sofa was the biggest four-poster bed I’ve ever seen. Made from stripped, unstained wood, the uneven spirals wound up to the wooden ceiling. The forest green bedding matched the other soft furnishings in the room. On the other wall was a single strip of kitchen units. Nothing fancy, but enough to get by on. At the very back was a wooden door, likely offering the privacy of a bathroom. It was, without a doubt, the most stunning home I’d ever been in. Built with nature in mind, I could understand why he would pick this as a hideaway.
“Where did you find this place?” I asked as I opened the refrigerator. It was stocked with enough goodies to survive a zombie apocalypse. Probably a bad thought to put out into the universe.
“It’s mine, and now also yours.”
I spun to face him. “What?”
He dropped the bag on the floor and covered the few feet between us before he threaded his hands into my hair to tilt my head back. “This is mine. Not the pack’s, not The Principal’s. It’s my space to unwind, to escape from the pressures of the world, and now it is yours. I’ve never brought anyone here. Hell, only Dave knows the vague location. Nobody but me has ever touched this place.”
“The builders know.”
