When we stopped outside an apartment with a deep red door, he set me on my feet, kissing me softly.
Then he rapped on the door like he was the Feds or something. “Do you want to yell ‘FBI’ while you’re at it?” I teased, but I was straightening my clothes.
I was wearing a hoodie that had unicorn horn and ears, and yoga pants that had kittens wrapped up in burritos printed all over them. These were my normalish clothes. I had the choice to pack work clothes that still smelled a little like Gladys, or my crazy clothes, and obviously kitten in burrito pants had won.
“You look fine. They’ll love you,” Micah whispered, before the door was opened by a stunningly gorgeous man with white blonde hair and amber eyes the same shade as Micah’s. He looked like a Swedish masseuse, or a Rolex model, or something. He had thick rimmed glasses and mussed hair. In short, he was steal-your-breath hot.
“You guys have finally made it. Come on in.”
He waved to the inside of the apartment, his smile wide and his eyes sparkling.
The apartment seemed to be one large open plan, with a couple of doors off to the sides. The pretty guy pointed to the couch. “Please, have a seat. I’m Alistair. You must be Layla. I’ve heard a lot about you.” He thrust out his hand and I met it with mine. It was strong and soft, his fingers long enough that I had wildly inappropriate thoughts considering Micah, my brand new lover, was standing beside me. At the same time, his touch was comforting. I frowned at the dichotomy of the situation. Could you simultaneously want to hump and hug a person?
A woman with the same white blond hair as Alistair came through the front door, a huge welcoming smile on her face. Was this Alistair’s girlfriend? She didn’t seem to have a key, but that didn’t mean much.
“We never lock the doors. Eden owns all of this building, and everyone here is family. You are so welcome here, Layla. Also, I’m his niece. Alistair is single.” She slow-winked and I died of mortification.
I didn’t realize I’d voiced my question out loud. She turned towards Micah, her smile getting wider if that was possible. “Micah! It has been too long, my friend.” She embraced him in such a fierce hug, I started to feel slightly jealous. I looked between Alistair and the woman. They were similar enough in appearance to be siblings, except her eyes were a brown so dark they were almost black and his were the same gold as Micah’s. She had a faint accent that I couldn’t quite place. She focused those black eyes on me again.
“My heritage is South African.”
My mouth swung open in surprise. This time I knew I hadn‘t voiced the question out loud. Alistair gave the woman a stern look.
“Penelope, you shouldn’t read people without their permission. It’s rude.”
Micah was nodding his head in agreement, attempting to look solemn but barely able to suppress a smile.
Penelope screwed up her nose. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I confuse what people say out loud with what they’re thinking and find myself commenting on their thoughts or not answering verbal questions. I am Penelope, telepath and shape shifter. Lesbian. You’re cute. I’m also single.” My eyes felt too wide, and I looked between them all, blinking rapidly.
“You’re a mind reader? What the hell is this place? A halfway house for hot people who turn into things that aren’t human?”
Penelope burst out laughing and Alistair smiled at me, shrugging. “I guess as you are here now, you may as well know and it will save you getting a shock when you meet the other… housemates. I don’t know how much Micah told you.”
“Uh, he told me nothing. He’s basically Fort Knox with a penis.”
Penelope snorted.
Alistair cleared his throat, but he bit his lip like he was trying to remain serious. I think I might want to do that too. Bite his lip, I mean, not mine.
Argh, no. Bad Layla. Give the girl a little bit of D and she turns into a ho. You have Micah, and he is more than enough for one woman, you greedy snatch, I chastised my vagina.
Now Penelope was laughing so hard that I thought she was going to pee herself. Dammit. Mind reader. Think blank thoughts. Or of Micah’s giant, hard di-
“Uh, ew!” Penelope made a gagging noise and I smirked to myself.
Alistair cleared his throat and gave Penelope a stern look. “As I was saying, we are an organization for the supernatural and preternatural. Micah and I started the organization in 1924 as a safe haven for Lycans with the intention of creating a new pack. However, we were soon convinced to extend it to other immortals when Locke came along. You’ll meet Locke later, I’m sure. Then, Penelope turned up and convinced us to extend it to preternaturals who would only live mortal years. As she said, she’s my niece, a few generations removed.” He looked at her indulgently, even though they looked like brother and sister, not niece and however many times removed great uncle. “She can be persuasive when she wants to be, always pre-empting my arguments by reading my thoughts. Micah and Locke agreed with Penelope on the subject and Eden was born.”
I wondered what Penelope’s other form was.
“An owl. Oops, I’m sorry. I’ll stay out now, I promise.” She smiled warmly, a hint of apology in her eyes. Micah grabbed my hand, twining his fingers with mine.
“You know why I brought Layla here. The bounty hunters are getting more blasé about human collateral every day. They killed two normals in Roseau while they were looking for me. This needs to end, they grow more mercenary with every day.” Both Penelope and Alistair looked solemn. “All I know is that I can’t take Layla home until no trace of my trail is left.”
I was fully aware of his hunted existence and I couldn’t even begin to understand what it would be like for him, for all of them. I had never faced the bounty hunters, never had to run for my life from people to whom my only value in this world was my skin.
But if it wasn’t for the hunters, I would never have reconnected with Micah. Talk about an emotional quandary.
“Every dark cloud has a silver lining, no?” Penelope’s voice lilted into my reverie.
I frowned, not liking the invasion of my thoughts again.
She merely shrugged apologetically. “Whoops.”
After a few minutes of silence, it was Alistair who spoke up. “We’ll call an emergency meeting. I’ll even try to call in the people who are integrating in the world. We can put it to a vote. I’ll not order people to fight, even if I thought they would listen to me.”
“Fight?” I squeaked, but Micah merely nodded and tugged on my hand.
“I’m going to take Layla to my quarters now, if they’re still available?”
“Your apartment is your own, you earned it. We would never use it, except in the direst of circumstances. Most members don’t even know there is a sixth level to the building,” Penelope said softly.
Micah nodded and gave her a tight smile as he guided me toward the door. I got the impression he wanted to heft me back up into his arms and drag me to his apartment like a caveman.
Alistair waved. “My door is always open if you have any questions, Layla.” He paused, and then a dazzling smile stretched his face. “Plus, I love your pants.”
Penelope laughed, but I could hear her yelling, “Me too!” even as Micah dragged me to a door at the end of the hall. He opened it onto a room no bigger than a supply closet. I looked around and raised an eyebrow. “Think you got the short end of the deal, Micah.”