“Whatare you?” I add, noting that his accent is similar to my own.
He smiles. “Are you always so demanding of those you just met?”
“Only potential threats.”
Amusement shines in his glass-blue eyes. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You shouldn’t,” I inform him. “I don’t like threats.”
“Ah, well, then you and Helia are going to get on famously,” he drawls. “I almost wish I would have stayed for the meeting now.”
“Helia?” I repeat.
“The Monster City Queen,” he tells me, catching the elevator door before it can close. “She’s ready for you, by the way.”
I cock a brow at him. “Are you here to escort me up?”
He laughs, though the sound lacks humor. “I’m not in the habit of escorting anyone anywhere, Orcus. But unless you want an Emissary to come find you, I recommend heading up to see Helia. The Emissaries around here are all about punctuality and rules.”
He lets his arm fall then and starts down the hallway.
I stop the door from closing this time and stare at the man’s back, half-tempted to ask where he’s heading.
But given that he didn’t answer my question about his supernatural type, I doubt he’ll give me that information either.
Besides, it’s not really my business.
All I want to do is to get this meeting over with.
I step into the elevator.
Key in the code.
And steel my spine.
Time to find out what kind of creature becomes a Monster City Queen.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
ALINA
I blink into the darkness,bliss swimming through my veins.
This is where I exist now.
This delirious world that smells like evergreens and ash, with a hint of refreshing air mixed in. It’s… it’s my safe haven. My happy place.
A soft purr rumbles against my ear.
Something hard nudges my lower belly.
Lips whisper across the back of my neck.
A palm squeezes my hips.
Male voices murmur over my head.
Yes, this is my utopia, I decide, nuzzling into the source of the purring.Warm. Masculine. Flesh.