Standing stunned inside the doorway to our bedroom, I whispered, “Pearl?” Gently shutting the door so I didn’t startle her, I crept forward, hands out in the worldwide gesture of I mean you no harm. “Pearl?”

“Hmm?” She stared at the shard of glass in her hand, sitting in the middle of our living room. The furniture had been blown to bits once again during our absence. Apparently she had wanted to fix everything earlier so it would be pretty when she destroyed it again. Not only that, but lying around her cross-legged position on the rug were large chunks of her golden hair, which she had obviously cut off with the sharp piece of glass she now fisted. There was no scent of blood in the air; she was fortunate not to have cut herself. Yet.

To top it off, as if the killing object in her hand and her new hit-or-miss haircut weren’t enough, she was glowing so brightly I could barely see the bed. Where Jack lay. Just…watching.

“Okay, okay,” I murmured softly, maneuvering through the new debris and slowly lowering to one knee in front of her. “How about you give me that,” I held my hand out, “so…I can finish cutting your hair for you.” That didn’t sound so bad working on the fly.

Pearl seemed to think so, too, as she easily handed over the sharp object, nodding in an almost childlike way and turning so I could finish cutting her hair. With a fucking piece of glass.

Breathing heavily through my nose, I didn’t dare move away; there was more glass everywhere for her to reach for if she wanted it. I went to work on her hair. That was how Ezra found us fifteen minutes later when he walked through the door, cheeks flushed from drinking. I didn’t stop, just kept concentrating on my work.

When Pearl, with her decently cut hair if I did say so myself, passed out in the middle of fixing the furniture again three hours later, I finally settled on top of Ezra where he sat on the couch — now perfect and clean — and impatiently waited for him to recline, and then sank my fangs into his warm skin, sighing as his hot blood finally spread into my mouth.

Being a Mystical, one would think having your tubes tied wouldn’t be such a big deal. Mysticals heal much faster than Commoners. Add in the fact that the more powerful you are, the faster you heal, and I thought it would have been a breeze, even given the fact that the Mage who had done the procedure on me inside the back room of the medical unit of King Cave — while under a spell from Antonio — had to do it alone, without assistance.

It wasn’t easygoing afterward.

Nor did I heal as quickly as I had thought. The procedure had to be physically and magically performed so I wouldn’t heal afterward. Waking from the process, I couldn’t function properly. The pain was not pleasant, so I was now higher than a kite from the cocktail the suddenly confused Mage had given me, who was completely unaware of the procedure he had just performed.

Antonio had to carry me back to my room because I couldn’t walk. He kept hushing me as I sang a little ditty while he carried me on the deserted round walkway of the living quarters. The time was who-knows-when; the only sign it was still the dead of night was the quiet surrounding us and the stars shining brightly on the ceiling. Turning a corner, he interrupted my singing and muttered, “The things I do for you.”

“Aw,” I smacked his cheek lightly, “I love you, too.”

He chuckled. “You love everybody right now.”

My chuckle matched his. “Not Cahal…Elder Zeller.” I shook my head against his shoulder. “He’s scary.” Thinking about that for a few moments, I slurred, “Antonio, are you one of the,” I spread wide my arm that wasn’t trapped against him, “many who think Ezra and I are having sex? Is that why you gave us one room?”

Antonio eyed me before lifting his gaze to watch where he was walking. “Do you really want to have this conversation right now?”

I scowled. “We’re not having sex.” I slashed my hand through the air as he knocked on Ezra’s door. “We’re just friends.”

Golden eyebrows rose.

“We’re not,” I expounded, turning my head when I saw the door open.

Ezra stood just inside our room, wearing only a pair of black pajama bottoms, which rode low on his hips, and revealing a goodly amount of hard muscled mocha flesh. His hair was still spiked perfectly, as if he hadn’t lay down for bed yet.

I blinked, staring at his chest, then his abs, which were a definite eightpack. Who needs six when you can have eight? Turning my head, my cheek smacked Antonio’s shoulder, and I whispered, “Although, I won’t lie. He’s fucking hot.” Antonio’s chest vibrated against me, and I waved a wobbly hand. “Quit that. I’ve gotta pee and it’s not helping.”

“And…that’s where you take her, Ezra,” Antonio mumbled quickly, holding me away from his body. “I only handle baby-Lily pee, not adult-Lily pee.”

Ezra chuckled, but lifted me from Antonio’s arms, saying dryly, “Much appreciated.”

Blowing a kiss to Antonio once the whirlwind of crossing the threshold was through making my head spin, I whispered whimsically, “I love you, Antonio. I really, really love you!”

He shook his head, a grin gracing his features. “I love you too, Lil.” His eyes met Ezra’s.

Ezra lifted one bare foot…and kicked the door closed in Antonio’s face.

Still being quiet, as Jack and Pearl were sleeping, I drawled deeply, “Now, that wasn’t nice.”

Ezra hummed, not bothering to answer as he turned and started walking through our room, heading for the bathroom. “Your throne awaits you, oh high one.” Spring green eyes met mine. “I’ll get you there, but I don’t handle adult-Lily pee, either.”

I snorted. “I think I can sit on the pot without falling off.” Maybe.

Well…I did end up falling, but only after I had done my business and stood too fast. To further my bad circumstance, Ezra had left the door open a crack to be sure I was alright, since the room was spelled to stop any noise traveling outside the bathroom. On the fortunate flip side, I managed to get my undies up before Ezra burst through the door, having heard me smack onto the black floor where no rug lay. He did have to flush the toilet though, since I hadn’t gotten to that yet. I had only peed, otherwise I might have been mortified.

Best friend or not, shit was still shit.

Ezra chuckled, carrying me to bed. “Yes, shit is still shit.”

“I said that aloud?”

“Mmm-hmm,” he murmured, laying me on the edge of the bed before climbing over carefully and lying between me and Jack. Pearl was on the far side. He covered us with the fur blanket, resting his head next to mine as I tilted my head to face him. A slow, shit-eating grin began spreading across his features. Speaking of cockiness. And sex. “So you think I’m,” he paused, bringing his face an inch closer, “fucking hot.”

My eyebrows rose. “Try not to get a big head over it.” Turning slowly, my body aching in bad places, I rested a hand against his bare chest. I watched my hand progress as I leisurely slid it lower, gliding my fingers over one of his pecs. Feeling him still, his muscles automatically hardening, my fingers gradually bumped over the ridges of his abdominal muscles until I hit the waistline of his pajama bottoms. Stopping my hand’s movement, I peeked up from under my lashes and imitated the smile he had graced me with moments before. His face was blank as he stared at me from under hooded lids, and, knowing I had shocked him quiet, I whispered, “An eightpack, Ezra? Really? You couldn’t just go for the normal six?”

His lips slowly twitched. “As a gentleman, I think you should sleep off the drugs in your system.” Again, his wide, full lips curved wickedly. “Unless you plan to move your hand lower, then I might forget I’m acting the gentleman because, really, I’m not all that gentlemanly.”

I blinked, hardly hearing his cocky words since they were nothing new. Instead I stared at his mouth. Really, for the first time ever, I think I might have been seeing his lips for how deliciously lush they appeared. The bottom lip was full, absolutely bitable, as if it had been formed just for the purpose to nibble on. The upper lip was not quite as full, but with plenty of shape to trace with the tip of your tongue…leisurely…to hear him moan for harder contact.

And…it was Ezra’s mouth, my best friend’s lips, I was eyeing.

Breath catching, I snatched my hand back.

He had gone still once more.

I didn’t want to risk a glance into his eyes, having no clue what expression I had been wearing seconds ago. Even if it was now perfectly blank. “Sleep sounds about right.” My damned eyes unconsciously dipped to his mouth again, and I jerked my head to the side and rolled the other way, deciding the ache of the movement was worth the feat. Until he rested against my back, placing a gentle warm hand on my hip…and pressing his massive erection against my ass. It was my turn to quiet, my body going predatory still as my heart jump-started into a wild gallop.

In a deliberate dominant action, he bent his head over mine, placing his lips against my ear. “Look at me like that again, sweetheart, and I can’t promise I’ll remain a gentleman any longer, friendship pact be damned.” He pressed his hard cock more firmly against me. “Don’t tempt me.” A definite promise laced his seductive tone.

Shock and confusion, not only at his actions but also at myself, may have been waging a battle inside me and making my palms sweat, but I couldn’t stop my arousal. The same arousal that had made a brief appearance while I gazed at his lavish mouth now flooded through my system at his dictating tactic and the feel of his impressive erection against me. I heard his deep inhale. I felt the heat of his lips hovering over the shell of my ear. All of his muscles flexed and his hand on my hip tightened. I stayed perfectly frozen, knowing he was most definitely scenting my arousal, just as I could scent his body’s reaction to me.

He was wholly turned on.

As was I.

A soft growl, made of pure Vampire, flared from his chest, purring against my ear as his chest vibrated against my tense back. Softly, he whispered, “You’re so fucking lucky it’s me in this bed with you.” He inhaled deeply, intentionally, as if he were savoring the scent. Only in slow increments did he exhale, his chest lowering with the motion and his muscles relaxing…but his erection in no way diminished. “Go to sleep, sweetheart.”

An hour later as I still lay with my eyes wide open, I decided Antonio had been right. I was unable to sleep and unable to figure out if Ezra had found slumber yet. My body had in no way relaxed, my muscles tight enough to bother my healing incision. With the lovely bonus of still being aroused. Antonio had said I loved everyone right now. Apparently, I loved everyone on this drugged cocktail…plus I needed to get laid. It had been too long. Moreover, Ezra and I always seemed to get ourselves into trouble when sleeping in the same bed.

If I was feeling better tomorrow, I was going to hunt down Finn. I wasn’t about to risk my relationship with Ezra. Our friendship meant too much.

The next day, I found Finn. Spent half the day inside his room where the both of us used up a lot of sexual tension on each other; seemingly, it had been just as long for him since his last bed partner. He knew the score and didn’t ask for anything other than mind-numbing pleasure. Which he did graciously.

Rubbing against his fabulous body once more, I rolled from his bed, it now a mess from our foreplay, and started dressing. I had been in here too long and needed to get back to Pearl and Jack, Ezra having taken duty watching them. This morning Ezra had acted as if nothing was different, so I was praying last night was a one-time occurrence of insanity for the two of us. When he had asked where I was heading I had told the truth, and he hadn’t batted an eye, so hopefully all of the weirdness had dissipated.

“Feel free to hunt me down anytime you like,” Finn murmured, also rising out of bed, blessedly naked, and picking up a towel hanging over a chair. He had used the word hunt, which was pretty much spot-on. I had most definitely been ruthless this morning trying to find him.

Zipping my jeans, I hurried with my bra and picked up my t-shirt, yanking it over my head. “I think I’ll do just that.” Finn had pleased me in bed, and I was sure the feeling was mutual because he grinned, tying the towel around his waist. Staring at his action as I put my boots on, I asked, “Modest?” He definitely hadn’t been for the past few hours.

He chuckled, walking toward his front door. “No. I’m heading to the pools. The other Mysticals seem to frown upon nudity when going to and from there.”

“Ah.” I had passed the pools earlier in my hunt inside King Cave; in certain pools clothing was optional since they resembled spas: heated for relaxing. “Enjoy yourself.”

He chuckled, opening the door for me. “I already did.” He nuzzled my neck as I passed, and I scented his animal — black bear — once more, meaning he had shifted recently, his voice rumbling with said animal’s tone. “Remember, all you have to do is knock.”

Grinning cheekily, I nodded and stepped onto the main walkway. “Not forgetting.”

“Lily!” King Kincaid’s abrupt call broke the moment, his tone pleasantly surprised. He was a few feet to my right, strolling up the walkway with King Venclaire — my biological dad — Antonio, Vivian, and Cahal. His gaze skittered from me to Finn. His dark brows rose in a hurry. Quickly assessing our disheveled state, he lifted his lips into the biggest damn grin.

Ugh. At least he wouldn’t be hounding me to have sex with a Shifter anymore. His mind had been set on thinking Ezra and I were doing the deed, and he wanted our ‘affair’ to end. Sex between different Mys factions was a major taboo, especially in the light of the new information of Beasts coming from hybrids.

King Kincaid stopped next to Finn and me, his dark eyes darting inside the room.

Finn quickly shut the door behind him, thankfully being guarded since his bed was in full view. It still did nothing to help my growing embarrassment as I now saw, with the help of the ceiling’s sunlight, the healing bruises I had put on him…and maybe a few bite marks…which the entire group was now staring at, since Finn wore the towel only around his waist. I had a few of my own: a large bite on my neck, which by now probably appeared more like a hickey, and the rest covered by my clothing. To the Vampires, who were careful to keep a blank face, it probably seemed a bit harsh, but it was the way of a Shifter pair’s first mating.

My damn King was still grinning like it was his birthday, while holding out his hand in greeting. “I’m King Kincaid. And you are?”

Finn met King Kincaid’s eyes, showing his alpha, and shook hands. “Finn Galvani.”

King Kincaid did as I had done many times before: he didn’t look away from anyone’s dominant gaze, the battle of alpha wills on. “You’ve met Lily, then.” Not really a question, but stated as he took his hand back, letting them dangle relaxed at his sides, even as his nostrils flared. His grin was now brighter than the sun above us.

Finn’s lips tilted just a bit. “Yes.” He didn’t elaborate.

Feeling all kinds of uncomfortable, I rolled my shoulders, trying to ignore how my biological dad, Ezra’s dad, Ezra’s mom, and my real dad kept glancing between Finn and me. In a rush to end this, I interrupted Finn and King Kincaid’s staring match, asking, “Weren’t you going to the pools?” They both turned from one another, the perfect opportunity given to end the battle. I jerked my head down the ramp, giving Finn an out. “You said you were heading there.”

Finn grinned fully at my obvious antics. “I believe I was.” Taking the offer, he dipped his head respectfully to the Kings and Elders before moving down the walkway, saying over his shoulder to King Kincaid, “It was a pleasure meeting you.”

“Indeed.” King Kincaid nodded, his hands now on his hips. His gaze swung to me as I began creeping away in the opposite direction. “Lily, would you like to eat with us?”

I stopped, peering at him over my shoulder. “I was going to check on Pearl and Jack. See how they’re doing.” Truth.

“Ah, very kind of you.” He started moving toward me up the incline, the rest of the group now following quietly. “I’ll walk with you until your exit.”

Barely withholding my sigh, I nodded, and then walked with them.

“Black bear, huh?” King Kincaid had made it a full minute before interrupting the beautiful silence. Still grinning. “He’s probably the strongest alpha I’ve seen yet, outside the Rulers.” He smacked my back. “Nice pick.”

Again, I barely withheld my sigh. He wasn’t exactly talking quietly, which meant anyone within earshot could hear him, not to mention the Vampires behind us, who were speaking quietly with Antonio even though I could feel their gazes hot on my back. “I do my best.”

King Kincaid chuckled. “Are you going to see him again?”

My lips pursed, frustration beginning to mount. “Yes.” A quick glance at him through narrowed eyes. “Would you also like to know how large his cock is?”

He waved a hand, and, in true King fashion, his retort was meant to gain the upper hand after my coarseness. “That’s not necessary, Prodigy. Black bears are notoriously large from what I understand.”

I cracked my neck, some of my sated high falling away with this conversation. Turning my face from him before he could ask me exactly what day I planned to see Finn again, I watched the Mysticals traveling round the circular living quarter’s walkway. We were mid-level currently, so we had quite a few more rounds to go before my exit. So I watched others, and eventually felt a semblance of peace return when King Kincaid kept quiet.

Until two more rounds up where a sight caught my eye. I knew it was Ezra, even if all I saw was his back. He was stepping backward outside a door. He had on only a pair of jeans, and what appeared to be his t-shirt dangled from one of his hands as a red- and black-haired beauty of a Vampire followed him outside the room, wrapping her arms around his neck. I couldn’t hear her from here, but her head tilted back as she laughed from something Ezra must have said. His own arms slid around her waist, pulling her flush against him, his biceps bulging with the action.

My feet faltered, but Antonio accidently bumped into me from behind at my abrupt stop, shoving my thoughts into gear. I quickly pedaled into motion, glancing at King Kincaid to see if he had caught me watching Ezra. He was still grinning, his gaze forward, so I peeked back over, a bit of anger beginning to flare inside my gut. Ezra was supposed to be with Jack and Pearl. Not…I blinked…sticking his tongue down a Vampire floozy’s throat.

My fists clenched, and I quickly stuck them into my pockets and began regulating my breathing and heartbeat so none of the Vampires talking behind me would notice. Especially since, as we rounded the area and grew nearer to where they were, Ezra’s lips were still glued to the beauty’s. He was obviously leaving her place, done having his fun, so it seemed he was giving her one hell of a goodbye kiss, the woman appearing damn near ready to faint.

I checked my anger, since I didn’t want the Vamps scenting it, and rolled my shoulders just as Vivian mumbled from behind me, “Isn’t that…” She was quiet for an extended moment, and then she stated heatedly, “Dear, you are going to have a talk with your son about circumspection.”

It sounded like Cahal chuckled quietly.

“Cahal,” Vivian grumbled in a warning tone.

“Let him have his fun,” Cahal murmured softly. “He’s only young once.”

Vivian sniffed, but didn’t argue that point.

I, on the other hand, stopped eavesdropping and plastered a blank expression on my face when King Kincaid glanced my way. His damn grin was still in place. He stated, “It looks like King Cave is treating our Prodigies well.”

Respectfully, I managed a decent nod.

Almost as before, except that this time it was with Ezra and his King, King Venclaire stepped forward, brushing passed King Kincaid and me, and called loudly, “Ezra!”

Ezra’s head snapped back from the woman, who blinked open slow lids, as his attention swung in our direction. His lips were swollen, his cheeks flushed, and his spikes mussed. He even had a few red marks on his arms and back where she had obviously dug her nails in. His gaze probably appeared much as mine had earlier as he caught sight of King Venclaire: his eyes widening marginally, and a look of barely masked frustration beginning to harden his jaw. It was only then that he seemed to notice everyone else behind his King, his spring green gaze swinging to each person.

Ezra wasn’t doing a fabulous job hiding his emotions. King Kincaid got contempt mixed with respect. Antonio received watchfulness. His mom, embarrassment. His dad, acquiescence. A passer-by moved directly in front of me a second later, and Ezra didn’t notice me.

“King Venclaire,” I heard him murmur evenly as I moved from behind another individual walking in front of me. That’s when Ezra saw me. His gaze stilled for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between mine and his nostrils flaring, before he turned his attention back to his King. “Is there something you need?”

King Venclaire rocked back on his heels, placing his hand in his pant pockets. “Since we’re heading to lunch, and you appear to be almost free, we thought you might join us.”

I watched, my anger slowly building again — which I could hardly keep banked and appear peaceful at the same time — as Ezra extracted himself from the woman with the remarkable dark eyes. He yanked his shirt over his head when the woman appeared steady on her feet, then…good God…began zipping his fucking jeans and fixing his belt. Nostrils flaring, I glanced away and stared across the cave’s abyss, more than pissed. He had let me down. Even if he needed to let off sexual tension, he could have fucking waited until I came back to watch over Jack and Pearl.

Not to mention, the damn woman. My nose crinkled. Her scent was cloying, and it was mixed with him. The two scents didn’t mingle together well. I wiggled my nose, then rubbed it as my wrath bubbled. Pretty sure I was interrupting them — and not giving a shit — I stated, “I’ve got to go.” I glanced at Ezra from under my lids as everyone went mute. “Jack and Pearl might need something.”

Ezra’s lips only lifted at my covert, cross glance. “Their parents hijacked them.”

My foot literally stopped in midair as I froze. “Oh.” Said foot lowered to the ground, but bizarrely my temper didn’t lower any. Turning to everyone who was staring, I tried to push the attention from myself, asking Ezra, “Who’s your friend?” Honestly, I was a little curious. I had never seen him kiss a woman like he had been doing her. Normally, he immediately left them after fucking them, not lingering as he had been doing.

Adjusting his belt so it was straight, he stated absently, “This is Jessica.”

I blinked, my attention swinging to the woman, her own natural scent bugging the hell out of me. My gaze roamed over her, taking in her disheveled appearance, which did nothing to distract from how gorgeous she was: her large dark eyes, her skin tone close to Ezra’s, her plump lips swollen like his, her cheeks still flushed, the fitted navy silk robe she wore that accentuated her large, full breasts and perfectly shaped hips. One of her long, shapely legs was showing through the slit of her robe while she rested against her doorframe. My gaze went beyond her into her room, where candles were lit and her bed, like Finn’s, in perfect view, the red satin sheets rumpled, not torn to bits as ours had been. Unlike Finn, she didn’t shut the door to hide the evidence of their time together. My gaze met hers, and I already knew what I would see there: confidence that she had screwed him and screwed him well.

I wasn’t wrong.

I sniffed, turning my attention to Ezra’s green gaze, keeping my voice cool. “Same woman as yesterday.” My eyes flitted to the healing marks I could still see on his arms that peeked out from beneath his shirt’s sleeves. “Impressive.”

I felt satisfaction seeing Jessica bristle next to him.

“Yes, it was,” Ezra murmured, cocking his head.

Scenting the air without making a production of it told me he was telling truth. “Good for you.” I couldn’t have meant it less at that moment. Rolling my shoulders, I turned and brushed past King Venclaire. “I’m going for a run if Jack and Pearl are fine.”

“What?” Ezra drawled lazily from behind me. “Finn didn’t wear you out?”

I flipped him off over my shoulder, not even bothering to glance back.

“Really fucking mature, sweetheart,” Ezra called loudly after me, his voice rising the farther I moved away. “Maybe one day you’ll learn to count past one on your hands.”

I pivoted, walking backward. “Look at that,” I yelled, throwing up both middle fingers, staring at them in mock shock, and then glaring at him. “I can count to two.”

His cheeks flushed in irritation, just as I knew they would. “I didn’t realize you turned into a bitch after a bad lay!”

I snorted and shouted, “That’s fucking priceless coming from the man who puts gigolos to shame and wouldn’t know a bad lay if his cock was buried balls deep in it.” Getting a great view of his infuriated expression, I turned on my heel and continued to march away.

“Lily!” he bellowed. “Get back here, goddamn it!”

By now, everyone was mute and watching the scene unfold.

I continued marching at a fast clip, perverse righteous anger making my eyes glow.

“We are not done with this conversation!” Ezra roared, sounding like he was about ready to pop a blood vessel, he was so livid. “Lily, I know you can hear me!”

“All I hear is the gibbering of a pompous asshole,” I screamed over my shoulder.

We had definitely caught not only this level’s attention, but also the few floors above and below, everyone peering over the railings to see who was making the racket.

Wonderful.

My eyes still glowed as my gaze shot to him across the expanse, keeping my pace forward, now having rapidly made it across from him. His eyes were glowing too, and he appeared so pissed he wanted to pummel me. I grinned, more of a baring of teeth, and waggled my fingers in goodbye when I saw his own teeth bare, before taking off at a light jog, more than ready to strip down and race through the forested area. I wasn’t really surprised when everyone moved out of my way, even those on the upper floors, who hadn’t heard our argument.