“Real talk time. My mate says your family is at war with werewolves. True or false?”
My heart hammered. “What?”
“Oh, don’t worry. I know about all the supernatural stuff.”
She did?
Something else stole my attention though. “Did you say mate?”
“Kyros is a vampire. I am too. One week old.”
What. The. Fuck.
Vampires exist?
My body chilled. I mean, I knew other stuff had to be out there, but this woman was from Bluff City.
Five hours away.
“So,” she drew out in the silence. “Vampires—Vissimo—are kind of territorial. And a little elitist. They’re a bit snobby about discussing other races. What’s the go with werewolves?”
Swallowing hard, my mind rushed for an out. For all I knew, she was recording this conversation. “You’ll need to excuse me, Mrs Le Spyre. I only found out recently.”
That was vague enough. I hoped.
Her voice lowered. “You didn’t know?”
“Nope.”
“And you grew up in the valley? That’s bullshit. Been there, done that. Hated it. All I can say is that things do get better. If you need to talk, well, I actually am really busy and super rich, but leave a message with Evie and she’ll pop a call through when I’m free.”
Weirdly, my chest loosened at her offer.
She wasn’t a steward. Was that it? I had so many secrets at this point and something to hide from everyone. Even Rhona and Wade. Talking about my troubles to an unbiased ear—someone who’d mated with a supernatural creature—would be incredible. “Thank you. That means a lot. Really. And if you have any business questions, don’t hesitate to call. I’m busy, but not super rich, so leave a message and I’ll pop a call through myself.”
The woman laughed. “I like you. Gotta go, Truth Ranges time.”
Billionaires watched that crap? The line beeped. I grinned. Did she hang up?
She did.
I liked her too.
The door burst open.
I sagged. “Christ, Wade.”
He kicked the door shut. “Hey, baby girl. Busy?”
“Only extremely. Hey, do you know the name Le Spyre?”
“Basilia Le Spyre is the seventh richest person in the world. Like, crazy powerful. I want to use the word camp, but I’m not so sure I understand what it means.”
Did you know she’s a vampire? “Do you know other supernatural races exist?”
“Yeah. Vampires rule Bluff City. Big war there for a long time. Apparently, it just came to an end.”
So casual. “Any other creatures I should know about?”
“Like, locally? Demons to the north, some say. There were rumours of a witch’s coven out south at one point.”
My ears rang. “What else exists?”
“I wouldn’t rule out anything in books. I mean, you’ve seen what the Luthers can do. Best to just throw the rules out the window. On to more interesting things.”
“I find this subject pretty interesting.”
“When were you going to tell me that Sascha Greyson was the one to leave the record player in your room?”
My ears buzzed. “He didn’t.”
“You’re a liar. And he did. Which is scary for a whole lot of reasons. Chiefly, that he snuck into the manor undetected. Wait, did he build the pillow wall between us?” he gasped. “He did.”
I stood. “Wade.”
“Scandal sandals. How long have you known and—”
“Wade,” I snapped.
The six-foot-five male squeaked and plonked in the chair.
I rounded the desk and perched there as I contemplated him. Mothershitter. Basilia Le Spyre just gave me a taste of what it would be like to unburden myself. Wade knew too much already, and I could lie. I could lie to him like everyone else.
I was so deathly sick of the lies.
Sick of falling for them. Sick of treating others that way.
Maybe this would help.
Wade’s face was serious. “As someone who told this very isolated and old-fashioned population that he was bisexual, you can be certain I’ll never, ever judge you.”
The last of my fear fled.
I pulled the other chair closer and grabbed his hands. “I’ve kept this a secret for so long. I didn’t know what was happening at first, and then I thought everyone would misunderstand.”
I closed my eyes. “Sascha Greyson believes I’m his mate.”
I stole a peek.
Wade’s jaw dropped, but my throat was uncorked. There was no stemming the verbal tide.
“He’s driven to complete a series of interactions with me that he calls meets. The end result is that I either choose or don’t choose him as a mate. For breeding purposes. For all time.”
Wade blinked once. Twice. “What’s a mate?”
“A one and only kind of arrangement. Like Jacob Twilight shit.”
“Right. That’s… permanent. Why the record player?”
I clenched my teeth. “He had to stalk me for the last meet. Learn everything about me. And then capture me.”
He dragged in a shaking breath. “Have you… Has anything happened between you?”
“Nothing much, and that was before I knew werewolves existed.” My cheeks burned and Wade searched my gaze.
The details would remain my dark secret.
“I guess I should ask if you return his feelings?” Wade said carefully.
“No,” I spat. “He’s a monster.”
“Okay, we have that at least. I’m not gonna lie, there’s being bisexual, then there’s being in love with a Luther. There are some things the Ni Tiaki won’t accept.”
“Believe me, I know. When I found out about werewolves and the meets, I tried to stop them, but things don’t work that way, so I’m told. Sascha and I must go through each of the meets so I can deny his ass at the end.”
Wade freed his hands, running them through his blond hair. “First off, you need to know everything will be okay. I’m going to help you. Is there a reason you haven’t told anyone the truth?”
How much could I say?
Fuck it. I was in this far. “Herc is dead because he interfered with the capture meet.” I bowed my head. “I should have told Herc before Sandstone. I knew what Sascha might try in the grid, but I was so ashamed, Wade. I’d just found my family here, and I didn’t want them to hate me. Herc is dead because of me.”
Wade tugged me forward, and I pressed my face against his shoulder.
“You shouldn’t shoulder everything alone,” he whispered. “Shh, baby girl. I’m here. You’re not to blame for any of this, I swear. You came to this valley knowing nothing about their kind. Sascha Greyson took advantage of you from day one, don’t you see? There’s nothing to be ashamed about. How were you to know what he was? Our tribe can’t spout on about how much they hate the Luthers and then expect you to come running to them with this. Herc would have understood.”
But he hadn’t. What I’d done disgusted Herc through and through.
I sniffed hard. “Rhona doesn’t know.”
“And that was a hard decision you had to make for the good of the tribe, I’d expect. She’s not known for her reasoning ability.”