Page 39 of Mate
“Sadly, not all of us can be named after the literal state of being in agony,” Misery says. Her grin pulls me back into the present.
I return her smile. “A missed opportunity. It pains me to admit how inflated my ego has become, but given the years of cloak-and-dagger surveillance, I assume Humans have thorough files on me.”
“There are none, Serena,” Juno says.
“Well, that’s certainly humbling.”
“We believe they were destroyed by Governor Davenport’s team.” She purses her lips. “That’s okay. For now, at least. If you recall anything else, give Lowe or me a call.”
“Orme.” Misery scowls. “Now that I think about it, Serena, send me your new phone number. So I can keep you updated on Sparkles’s bowel movements, as you requested.”
“I requested cute pictures. Please, stop sending cat turds.”
“Nah.” Her gaze flicks somewhere past my head. “I know it must be symptomatic of either overwork or severe depression, but I’m loving theshipwreck survivor with no access to bladeslook, Koen.”
I turn around so fast, I nearly pull a muscle. Koen is behind me, standing at the door.
“Be good, Vampyre,” he tells Misery, in that affectionate tone that he uses only with her and Ana. It should be at odds with his usual orneriness but somehow fits him like a glove. And sends odd pangs to my chest. I bet hedoescare, whethertheylike him or not.
“I’mnevergood,” Misery replies, and a beat later I hear the video call being shut down.
“How long have you been here?” I ask him.
He lifts a shoulder. Widens his arms. “What is time?”
“How much did you hear?”
“I don’t know. Everything?”
I frown. “Pretty sure being Alpha of this pack doesn’t give you a pass to eavesdrop on people.”
“Pretty sure being Alpha of this pack gives me a pass to run people through the paper shredder and make dinosaur-shaped nuggies out of what’s left.”
He may have just threatened to macerate me, but at least he’s funny about it. “You heard the plot twist, then?”
“Which one?”
“I might be part of your pack.” He stares, unreadable, until I continue. “We could be related. I could be your cousin.”
He scoffs, unimpressed. “You’re not.”
“How do you know?”
“Ihavea cousin. Looking at her doesnotfeel like looking at you.”
I glance down, hot all of a sudden. Hang on. Am I flattered? None of what he just said could be construed asnice.
“Come on.” He directs me with his head. “We’re leaving.”
“For where? You’re not taking me back to the Southwest, right?” I ask as I rise.
“We’ll see.”
“Koen.” I hurry down the stairs after him. “You said that if I told you the truth, you’d go along with my plan.”
“Did I?”
“Yes.” I fist my hand in his flannel. It looks like yesterday’s, but green, and without Vampyre blood. “Please,” I say when he graces me with his gaze. He’s standing in my space. Or maybe I’m in his. “Let me come to the Den with you. For all we know, it’s where I was born.”
