Page 60 of Suspicions on the Stage
“Definitely,” Lucas replies. “Obviously, Nana did her best to keep me from being caught up in her and my parents’ nonsense, but it didn’t work as I got older. I love being in the spotlight for hockey, but not when it’s this sort of drama. It feels so gross—like I’m a commodity, not a person.”
Once Iggy turns the engine off, I nod, looking back at the two younger supes. “I get it. I’ve had my own experience with infamy, and I didn’t like it at all. That’s why we’re all being so careful in public. We have way too many eyes on us—all of us—to let that start a media frenzy.”
Lucas frowns, kicking the seat lightly. “Something I fucking hate because I’dloveto tell everyone you're my mate, Lady M. I’d strut my stuff all the hell over the place if we could.”
“I appreciate that, but it’s not an option while you’re a suspect in a murder.” I wink at him, then open my door. “Let’s get inside and get comfy again, so when the others arrive, we can adjust our plotting, okay?”
“Fine,” he says with an adorable pout. “But I call the right side!”
“Left!”
Iggy smacks his palm on the wheel with a grunt. “No fair, assholes.”
Aphrodite, save me from demanding men who are obsessed with me.
“I’m bringing chips and dip,”Lucas yells loud enough to rattle the bullshit items Magnus has on the walls everywhere.
The polar bear raced upstairs as soon as we left the car, getting back into his comfortable clothes and heading downstairs before anyone else. He’s probably hungry again—no surprise—so I finish pulling on my tank and yoga pants so I can go down to monitor him. If I don’t, he’ll have half the kitchen and the bar out there when we join him. Neither of those things is unappealing, but I think too much drink while we’re hashing this out will be counter-productive.
Then again, I’m no one’s mama, and they’re all adults, soooo….
Chuckling as I pad down the stairs to the kitchen, I realize that whether I’m a parent or not, I’m still the leader of our family. I have to keep us all in balance, and maybe that’s why the demoness shared her little secret. It definitely fucked with the fragile balance I was maintaining, and I’m sure she sensed that, no matter how well we cloaked our emotions. Hopefully, she finds the right unicorn soon and we can be shed of her. There’s enough chaos in our lives; we don’t need a shifty hybrid with phenomenal cosmic powers screwing with us to amuse herself.
“Hey, babe,” I say as I come up behind Lucas and wrap my arms around his muscled abs. I lay my cheek on his shoulder as Isqueeze him from behind, surprised how much better I feel just from touching him again. “Don’t over-do it on the booze, yeah? We should be sober enough to fix our plans, now that we have someone on the truth taster.”
He whirls around, booping my nose with his. “I know. I’m not planning a kegger, woman, just something a bit more casual and comfortable, since I assume Li and the grumpy lizard will be all sorts of edgy.”
“You think?” I ask as I steal a chip from the bowl on his tray.
Shrugging, my ursine mate goes back to stacking the tray. “I don’t know for sure. I mean, Liam’s pretty easygoing, but this seems like a big deal. He didn’t tell us because it was Kaspar’s thing, but… I’m sure he’s feeling a bit hurt by it. Plus, it has to besuperawkward for the dragon. I haven’t been in that situation, so I don’t have experience, but itsoundsreally shitty.”
He’s so much more perceptive than people give him credit for.
“I agree. It seems like the Fae chick used them both, and now that they know neither of them was the problem, it might heal something.” I pause, considering for a moment before I continue. “Of course, that’s speculation, because the asshat dragon refuses to tell us anything. I could be completely off-base.”
“No, I think you’re right,” Slade says as he slips into the kitchen with us. He’s dressedveryinformally now, and it makes my chest flutter with happiness to note that he’s even barefoot. “They probably fought over her and it likely almost ended their friendship. The emotions in that room werenotsubtle.”
I frown as he rubs his neck, realizing all the jumble of energy in that small room might have been tough on the siren. “Areyouokay, though? I’m still learning about how your stuff works, and it didn’t occur to me that being there might have hurt you.”
The siren beams brightly as he shakes his head. “Not as much as other places have. One of the thingsmymother had to teach me was mitigating bursts of feeling to keep from getting harmed. It’s hard to balance when my own emotions are involved, but when it’s someone else? I’m usually good at compartmentalizing it.”
“Empaths have it rough,” Lucas says as he holds a piece of cheese up to the musician. “I wouldn’t trade being a big, bulky bear for it. It sucks trying to keep my shit together, much less being fucked up byotherpeople’s crap.”
“Amen.” I nod as I go to the cabinet and pull out another tray. “And that is entirelytoofull, Lucas Wolfberg. It will definitely topple on the way out. Move some of it onto this one, so we don’t lose our snacks.”
For some reason, men are completely unable to admit when shit might require more than one load—it’s as if coming back to get a second tray would bruise their manhood.
Slade laughs as he comes over to help distribute the various foods and bottles between the trays. “I think our bear is just used to having staff do this stuff.”
I arch a brow at him. “I’m not sure you can throw stones at glass mansions, babe.”
“He can, though,” Iggy says as he enters the kitchen slowly. He’s acting like someone is going to throw him out, and I guess that’s fair, but unnecessary. “Slade has been operating on scholarships and work study since he got to State U. And perhaps… a little help from his friend, when he allows it.”
My brows furrow. “You really do need the coffeehouse job, then?”
“Uh, yeah…” he says as he rubs his neck sheepishly. “It’s part of how I pay my tuition. That and all the stuff I do, like organize the orchestra for the theater productions and lessons and…”
Lucas snorts, shaking his head as he glares at the professor. “You could coverallof that with pocket change, Briarton.”
