Page 42 of Vameer

I shake my head.

Jack turns to look at Alex. “Help me out.”

“But you’re doin’ so well.” Alex rolls his eyes, then turns to me. “It’s a celebratory action. A congratulations.”

My mate will be perfect. But humans are weird.

But… these humans are kind. So I reach out and tap my fist to the top of his.

Jack yanks his hand back. “Shite.” He shakes it. “Fuck.”

I grimace. “Lo siento.”

Alex starts laughing so hard he drops into a chair.

“I apologize⁠—”

Jack waves his uninjured hand, and I’m glad to see he’s smiling. “That’s on me. Should’ve thought about the super strength thing.”

Alex leans back in his chair. “Best night of my life.”

I nod to where Gracie has made her way behind the bar, face aimed at the floor. “She going to be okay?”

Jack scoffs. “Oh, she’s gonna be fine. Best night of her life too.” Then he heaves out a breath. “Gimme a minute. I think I can find a replacement for that belt.”

I turn to Alex when Jack heads toward the back hall. “Humans know about vampires and their enhanced strength?”

He nods. “We found out about your kind like seventy years ago. Wasn’t around for it myself, obviously, but it was a crazy day for humanity when a bunch of Alts just walked into town one day.”

“Alts?”

“Alternate Evolutionary Outcome. Alt for short.” Alex narrows his eyes in thought. “I always thought it was a little weird that we called them, you, that. Why come up with the designation Alt when you could just call them vampires? Because until the Battle of Versailles, when those wolves jumped outta the fucking sky, we didn’t know about shifters. That’s brand-new information. But I guess it’s kinda like Homo sapiens or whatever.”

The moving image of Volik fighting my enemies happened just days ago. And if that’s the first time humans, as a whole, found out about shifters…

That can only mean danger.

I may have been gone for a long time, but I know the type of men that run governments. A new threat will cause powerful humans to act stupidly.

I need to find my mate.

“What happened when the Alts revealed themselves?” I must understand the history and learn everything that humans know.

Alex winces. “Something called The Trials. I think it’ll be better if ya read that part, rather than us telling you.”

I want to demand answers, but if it’s as bad as I assume, then he’s probably correct. I do not want to lose my temper with innocent men.

“Got some options,” Jack calls as he reenters the bar.

I stand, keeping a hand on my robe.

“I got twine. Some safety pins. And⁠—”

“That one.” I hold my free hand out.

He stops in front of me. “Are ya⁠—”

I reach out and take the length of chain from him. Then I wrap it around my waist, adjusting my robe beneath.