Page 26 of Queen of Diamonds

Shouldn’t there be signs of like… a small human in here?

But the bathroom looked normal. It was full of scattered makeup and far more bottles of soap than any human could sanely use, but no diapers or potty.

I frowned, upturning her bedding like a giggling kid was going to tumble out.

Where the fuck were we going to put a two-year-old in our warehouse? How big were they on average?

The lighting in our place was crap except we needed new curtains. No kid was going to sleep with all that. Maybe those big, old cupboards we didn’t use in the kitchen? A kid could fit in one of those, right? Like a wall-mounted bassinet or something… We’d have to lock it in case they rolled, but I could stuff it with extra blankets. Cut holes… Hmm… No. That was a nest.

I was thinking of Omegas. Or birds, maybe.

It’d be fine.

Glade would figure it out.

I drew myself up from peering under the bed to re-assess.

Where the hell was she keeping her kid?

Something was wrong. I got to my feet, examining the room again. I was good in a fight, not a baby hunt. Maybe Knight should have come.

Being in this amazing smelling home would definitely not help how close he was to a rut. The shoot-out had helped, but he needed a little more. Possibly, if I was a brat enough, I could be that little more.

As I glanced around again, I spotted a fluffy brown cat poking its head up from beneath the bed.

We stared at each other for a long moment before it padded over.

“Hi,” I said. “I’m looking for Lucy.” The cat rolled on its back and let out a meow. “Actually, I’m in a bit of a hurry?—”

Oh.

Oooohhhhh.

“Lucy?”

A… cat?

Oh, thank God.

No one had fucked my mate—and cats were cheaper, anyway.

I reached down to pick it up, but it straightened lightning fast and took a swipe at me.

Dammit.

I lunged, trying to grab it up, but for something so round, it was certainly fast, darting out of my way and diving back under the bed.

I ducked down to see a pair of white orbs reflecting back at me from the dark. I swiped for it, but it—she—backed up. I could upturn the bed but she was quick.

“Why are you being so difficult?” I sighed, sitting back and scratching my head before coming to the only rational solution. “Look. I’m sorry. Not personal. Really.”

I tugged the metal vial from my back pocket, pulled the top, then tossed it under the couch.

The gas was invisible and odourless, nothing a cat would be alert for.

I’d be fine. Had no effect on me, I laced a bit into my joints at least once a week now—though it had been more frequent when I’d started. I just got a bit of a high.

Grinning stupidly, I lowered my head. No more glowing orbs. Thank God it had worked. Though… come to think of it. After I’d dragged Lucy out, I poked her, trying to find a pulse, which proved difficult with so much fur. I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard a purr rumble to life in her chest.

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