“Is she wearing a rabbit onesuit?”
“They’re called onesies, idiot.”
Great. I’d found them. Their voices floating out of the glass room.
“I think it’s adorable.”
“I wouldn’t be caught dead in that.”
The sooner I could hear about this plan, the sooner I could get back to bed. To play Snake.
I eyed the nine royal children of Clan Sundulus and Angelica standing inside one of the glass offices. Easing between more furiously typing Vissimo, I ignored the screen of flashing colour blocks that represented Bluff City, entering the meeting room.
Lalitta blurred to my side, pulling up the hood of my onesie. “It has ears too.”
Uh?
I peered at her. We’d been together when I bought it. We’d left the action movie early when Lalitta became too engrossed in the film. Let’s just say her eyes lit up and shone two laser points on to the movie screen.
I grinned, and she rounded her eyes slightly.
Yeah, yeah. I remembered. I was terrified.
“What’s that about?” Neelan asked, peering between us. Whether he intended to flex his muscles as he spoke or they just tended to ripple, I couldn’t decide.
“Miss Tetley and I spent some time together yesterday,” Lalitta said, baring her teeth. “If you must know.”
Yep. Kyros looked super worried. Not. A quick search of his emotion platter confirmed his utter lack of concern.
But as though jolted, his face turned thunderous. “Where did you take her, Lalitta?”
She shrugged a shoulder. “That’s between me and Basilia.”
I’d let her call me that this once. Because I was terrified.
She continued, smirking. “I didn’t hurt her too much.”
Kyros stalked slowly to the long table occupying most of the rectangle space. “Lalitta—”
I stared at him, a wrinkle between my brows.
He wasn’t feeling one jot of anger toward her. All I could detect was fondness.
“Right on, little sis.” Gerome held up his hand. Lalitta slapped her palm against his, grinning wolfishly.
She strutted to her seat and plonked down, beaming.
My mouth bobbed.
They knew she’d done absolutely nothing to me and were pretending for her sake? Mostly dislike them, I may, but that was freakin’ adorable.
I pushed my floppy bunny ears back.
Rory blurred to my side and yanked the hood up again. “If you’re going to wear that, commit to the whole look. Plus, the hood covers your hair.”
I shooed him away, glaring. “My hair looks that way because I just woke up.”
“If you say so.”
I squinted at his hairline. “At least I don’t have grey hairs yet, old man.”
He inhaled sharply and whirled away, pulling out his phone to get the camera up.
Pantsuit snorted and I shot her a wry look. Rory was Vain with a capital V.
“Does the one suit have a tail?” Neelan sneered.
I stomped my foot. “I didn’t come up here to be quizzed about my onesie. It gets cold in my room and this is warm.”
“Aw, she stomps her foot. Just like Thumper in Bambi.”
I eyed Gerome. “You’ve seen Bambi?”
His mouth snapped shut with an audible click.
Francesca folded her arms. “How come she can stomp her foot, but I always get yelled at for it?”
Because you’re a brat.
I placed my hands on my knees, smiling at her as I would a three-year-old. “I shouldn’t have done that. It’s a naughty, naughty habit.”
Francesca snarled, bursting to her feet.
“It’s embarrassing that you’d elect to wear that,” Deirdre stated from where she sat, hands clasped behind her head. “You’re a grown woman but look like a child.”
My lips twitched. “Thanks for weighing in, Deirdre.”
She dipped her head regally.
“It does have a tail,” Neelan announced. He was behind me? “A little, furry tail.”
A hand tugged the back of my suit.
I jumped. “Let go!”
He followed me in circles until I had the sense to stay still.
There were only a few sane people in the room, and holding myself rigid, I addressed one of them. “Why am I here, Angelica?”
“Please take a seat, Miss Tetley.”
There went my hope for a quick yes-or-no wrap-up.
Lionel walked to the seat at the head of the table, drawing out the chair for me.
The seat was directly opposite Kyros’s.
Lionel’s wide smile faded as I took the seat next to Safina, a position that would best shield me from Kyros’s view.
“Spit it out.” I sighed.
“In your time at Live Right, you have secured six houses,” he said.
The table was a much nicer place to look than to where Kyros loomed. I tuned into his emotions. Determination… maybe? Something fluttery sat beneath it though.
Hold the phone.
That wasn’t pride…
Kyros was proud of me? Or himself?
Probably himself.
“That’s an unusually high success rate,” he continued after a beat.
Oh my god. He was proud of me. Go figure.
He added, “More unusual when you consider you were delegated our troublesome properties.”
As punishment for a little misunderstanding with the law. I slid my hood down and glared at Safina when she whipped it back up. Pantsuit was meant to be the kickass reasonable one.
Dammit though. Still respected the shit out of her.
Francesca snickered, and Gerome whipped out his phone to take a picture.
Scrap that. Every single one of Kyros’s siblings was a piece of shit.
“Miss Tetley,” Kyros said in a delicious, toe-curlingly deep voice.
I straightened at the oily quality behind his words.
What was that feeling? I’d felt it yesterday when we’d spoke too.
Giving up, I peered down the table at the crown prince of Clan Sundulus.
His meadow-green eyes locked on mine like I was north and he was a compass. “We have gathered the difference is due to you being human.”
I pressed my lips together at his serious expression.
He paused. “What’s so funny?”
Shoot. “You guys are only just figuring that out?” I shook my head. “Of course that’s the difference.”
Nine scowls trained on me, plus Angelica’s amused crook of the lips. Kyros was too smart to only be figuring this out now. What? He thought I was too stupid to put two and two together and decided to ease me in?
Oh, brother.
Kyros steepled his hands. “Every other day—during Clan Fyrlia’s turn—instead of outside appointments, you will train my realtors in human behaviour.”
Was he high?
“You want me to what now?” I blurted, brows climbing.
My response confused him.
“No,” I said, standing. “Not happening.”
A leaden quiet took hold of the room and plunged it into icy water.
Kyros’s confusion slid directly to deep irritation. Fury exploded, followed by intense focus.
Was that him trying to control his alpha temper? Or was he trying to gauge my mood?
My head spun from the emotional influx and I drew in a steadying breath.