“Nope, we’re in it together.” He entered the bedroom across from Roxy and Axel’s, tugging me behind him.
The room was large with off-white walls. A wrought iron, king-sized bed sat in the center, covered with light blue sheets. Nightstands sat on either side of the bed and a large, matching chest of drawers stood against the opposite wall. At the foot of the bed, a huge flat-screen television was mounted to the wall. To the left were two large windows that overlooked the woods. It gave a sense of isolation and, dare I hoped, peace. Along the side wall, a door led to the bathroom.
“Do you guys need anything?” Lillith asked from the doorway.
“No, I think I’m just going to sleep in these clothes.” That reminded me. “Is there a store nearby?”
“Yeah, we can run into town.” She took a step back into the hallway. “If you’re good, I’m going to crash. It’s been …” She trailed off as if searching for the right word.
“Rough?” I suggested.
“That’s one way of putting it.” She tapped her fingers against her side. “Okay, I’ll see you in a few hours.” She closed the door, leaving me and Donovan alone.
I crawled into bed, and Donovan followed suit. He pulled me into his arms and kissed my lips. I responded, enjoying the feel, especially after one hell of a night. Even though I’d have loved to do a lot more with him, I was exhausted.
He chuckled and booped my nose. “Let’s get you some sleep.” He brushed his lips across mine before cuddling me in his arms. I was out cold within seconds.
The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed. I reached over and felt his pillow. It was cool. He’d been gone for a little while.
Had he left in the middle of the night? Maybe I’d read him wrong and he’d snuck away at the first opportunity. I jumped to my feet, my heart pounding, and ran down the hallway. Roxy, where are you?
It’s about damn time you woke up, she chastised. We got tired of waiting around and went out into the woods.
They aren’t ready to shift. If they shifted without getting their emotions under control, we could be in a world of hurt. Please tell me they aren’t. I didn’t think I’d ever been this stressed out in my life. Turning Donovan had made me more insecure than ever before.
I know. They’re still in human form, she said comfortingly. We’re just walking around the woods. That’s it.
Okay, I’m on my way. I rushed down the stairs and followed their scents to the kitchen. The kitchen was huge with so many white cabinets running along the wall that I couldn’t easily count, and they framed an electric stove right in the center with a double oven. A gray island contained a sink in the middle of a breakfast bar with four barstools.
The dark gray countertop complemented the cabinets and island perfectly as did the dark oak floor.
“There’s Sleeping Beauty.” Lillith snorted, drawing my attention to the large, rectangular oak table she sat at with Katherine and Egan. The dragon sat at the end of the table with an almost finished plate of pancakes and bacon. Lillith sat facing me, her back to the window, and Katherine glanced over her shoulder and smiled. They both held clear glasses full of blood.
Here, they didn’t have to hide what they ate.
“How long has everyone been up?” I glanced at the clock on the black stove and saw that it was almost noon. “None of us went to bed till four.”
“About an hour or so.” Egan took a bite of his food. “Your pack is already out.”
“Yeah, that’s where I’m heading.” My eyes flicked to the biscuits and bacon on the stove. “Who made breakfast?” My stomach growled.
“Mom.” Katherine smiled. “She missed making breakfast and ran out this morning to get food for you all. There’s plenty if you want some.”
“Thank you.” I walked over, grabbed a biscuit, and filled it with a handful of bacon. “I’m going to go hunt those three down. There’s no telling what Roxy might be up to.” I loved the girl, but she could be unpredictable at times.
“That’s a good idea.” Egan grabbed his water and took a large sip. “I’m trying to give those two time to adjust to being wolf shifters and not freak them out with my dragon.”
“Smart idea.” I grinned. “But it wouldn’t hurt if you came out there with us. Donovan knows you, and anything familiar might do him some good.”
“Yeah, okay.” He crammed the last bite of food into his mouth and stood.
“What about us?” Lillith pointed to her drink. “We’re almost done.”
“I’m thinking since a vampire nearly drained them, we need to give them a couple more hours before you tag along.” I wasn’t trying to be a bitch, but hell, if my introduction to the vampire race had been with psycho bitch, I wouldn’t be thrilled with the race either.
“If we pressure them, they may never trust us.” Katherine reached across the table and patted Lillith’s hand. “You have to admit it was traumatic last night.”
“Yeah, but we helped them.” Lillith pouted. “And let’s head into town at some point today. I’m dying to go shopping. There’s this small boutique that has amazing clothes.”
“We do need clothes.” I went to the glass door that opened up to the woods from the kitchen. “Let me see what they’re up to, and maybe we can head out soon.”
“Now that sounds like a plan.” Lillith bared her teeth at me. “If those two newbies have a problem with it, tell them they might find vampire teeth in their necks again.”
“No.” Egan closed his eyes, but the corners of his mouth tipped upward. “We will not tell them that.”
Sometimes, it was scary how similar Roxy and Lillith were. “I agree with Egan. And don’t worry, it won’t come to that. Even if you and Roxy have to go into town alone.”
“As long as it’s her and not you.” Lillith glanced at my clothes. “We would wind up picking out your clothes, anyway.”
“Remember, we don’t have a ton of money.” That was one thing that was stressing me out. “Go easy.”
“Girl, we’ve got you covered.” Lillith waved my words away like they weren’t even an issue. “We’ve been around for so long that we have enough money to share.”
I wanted to say no, but I couldn’t. “We will pay you back.”
“It’s not expected.” She winked at me.
Egan walked over and opened the door for me. “Let’s get moving.”
It took thirty minutes of following their scents to find them. We were four miles away from the mansion and in the thick of the woods.
“Hey, you.” Donovan headed to me and lowered his lips to mine.
Even though he’d kissed and cuddled me last night, he hadn’t kissed me lightheartedly, so it caught me off guard. “Hey.”
“This is amazing.” Axel’s eyes were bright as he glanced around the place. “We could hear you coming the entire way.”
“It’s good that you’re adjusting to your new senses.” This was something I’d planned to do, so I was proud that Roxy had gotten a head start. Good job.
She beamed with pride.
“Wolf hearing is one of your kind’s strongest weapons,” Egan explained. “Along with your nose.”
“Speaking of which, you smell like fire.” Donovan glanced at him. “I’m assuming you’re not a wolf. What are you?”
“A dragon.”
“Holy shit!” Axel exclaimed. “Those are real? Are witches, angels, and demons too?”
“Witches are, but none of the rest.” Roxy chuckled. “Fae get mislabeled as witches and angels most of the time, and people get confused with vampires and demons since the vampires who’ve lost their humanity act without morals. However, witches can only use elemental magic with a sacrifice of sorts, usually blood if not more. Fae don’t need that.”
“Wow, that’s crazy.” Axel shuddered. “That vamp who attacked me was cold. I could see that.”
Something shifted inside me, and the dizziness I’d felt around the teal-haired fae girl in the bathroom several weeks back slammed hard throughout me.
“Sadie.” Donovan’s voice cracked with concern. “Are you okay?”
“I …” But my dizziness increased until I almost wobbled on my feet. “I don’t know.”