“Nice work!” Wesley exclaimed as I tossed him the vials of blood. “Camera locations were all still correct then?”

“Sure were; spot on.” I watched as he dumped the contents down the sink then washed out the tubes with water.

“Vixen picked up something else on the way out though,” Cole prompted, pulling out a chair for me to sit at the dining table beside River while Wesley looked at me with surprise.

“Uh, yeah.” I unzipped my jacket and pulled out the plastic packet to hand to Wesley. “I’m pretty sure that’s the dress I was wearing when I healed Vali. Which means that”—I indicated the red-brown stains on the fabric as Wesley unfolded it—“is Vali’s blood.”

A large square had been cut from the section of the dress that had the thickest concentration of blood, and I stared, transfixed by it. The last time I’d seen that dress had been on the Omega jet after Jonathan and I had left Vali’s parking garage in a wash of blood. I’d cleaned up and changed in the bathroom, then tossed the dress in the trash. And yet, here it was.

“It’s not as bad as it seems,” Wes reassured me, refolding the fabric and replacing it into the bag.“If this blood was from his gunshot wound, then it’s pre-dragon blood. It shouldn’t show anything more than human, same as River’s. I wasn’t totally sure about mine and Caleb’s, but we knew for sure Cole’s wouldn’t register as human DNA anymore, so safer to switch them all rather than run the risk.”

My gaze flicked to Cole. “What about Vali’s mom? Would her DNA show as anything other than human?”

“Because she was Romani?” He scratched at the dark stubble on his cheek. “Maybe? Depends whether Romani are supernaturals in the same sense of the word, as in not human, or just...”

“Humans with foresight?” I finished, and he grunted.

“They clearly found something interesting, or why else keep the dress in the locked fridge?” Cole murmured, seeming to be thinking out loud. “Vali’s going to need to lay low.”

“Shouldn’t be hard for a lizard,” River commented, and a growl rumbled from Cole’s chest. “Kidding, mate! There’s not much to be done for it now. It’s late and Kitten starts school in the morning, so we should all get some sleep.”

“School.” I cringed. “Make me sound more like a little kid, why don’t you?”

“Vixen, you’re way too sexy to be a little kid.” Cole gave me a heated look and a wink that sent shivers coursing through me.

“Am I sleeping where my suitcase got put?” I asked River, indicating the bedroom I’d woken up in earlier in the day, when Wesley had been wrapped around me half-naked...

“Yes, that can be your room if you’d like. It’s a five-bedroom apartment, so until Austin gets back from San Fran, there is no real issue with rooming.” River cocked his head. “Unless you want to stay with one of us?”

“Tempting,” I murmured, licking my lower lip, running my eyes down the sharply dressed Englishman, and remembering his earlier promise of consequences. “But I think if I did, I wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight. With any of you.” I glanced over at Cole and Wesley, and Wes blushed.

Standing from my seat, I did an awkward little wave and head bob, then said, “Well, good night, then.”

The three of them watched me with what seemed to be a mix of amusement and confusion while I quickly retreated back to my bedroom and closed the door between us. Once alone, I leaned my back against the door and closed my eyes against the embarrassment of that moment.

What the hell was that, Kit? “Well, good night, then?”

Navigating the etiquette of dating multiple men was going to be the death of me. Or maybe we all needed to have an open discussion about it like adults? Hah, surely not.

If that had been just Cole and River, I had no doubt I would have kissed them both good night. Hell, I probably would have done more than that because my ability to say no around them was getting worse by the day. But throwing Wes into the mix had me off guard. Until just days ago, I hadn’t realized he was interested in me at all. I’d even thought maybe he was into Lucy for a while there, which was understandable seeing as she is awesome. Lucy also had a fluid sexuality, or so she liked to tell me.

Considering this afternoon was really the first time we had, ah, progressed things, I hadn’t really had a chance to speak with him and work out where he stood on the whole sharing aspect. Until we had that conversation or he made his feelings clear like River, Cole, and Caleb had, it didn’t feel right to go kissing the other guys in front of him. Or him in front of them.

Maybe that was a conversation we should have had before bed, but I was being an ostrich. So much bad shit had happened lately, I just wanted to bury my head in the sand for a bit.

My jaw dropped open in a long yawn, and I realized just how damn tired I was. I stripped quickly out of my stealth outfit, then crawled into bed wearing just my tank top and panties.

Who knew what day one of spy school would bring? Maybe I might even make a friend! Yeah, right.

Caleb’s soft voice in my ear woke me gently from sleep while he curled around me and I snuggled back into his embrace.

“How did your mission go?” he murmured. “Did you have fun?”

My lips curved in a sleepy smile, but I didn’t bother opening my eyes. “So much fun. The Fox misses her missions.”

“I just bet she does,” he chuckled, nuzzling the bend of my neck and gently biting the skin. “It’s a shame you made that deal with the director to join Omega. I could have been the Robin to your Batman.”

A laugh bubbled through me, and I turned over in his arms, snuggling into his chest and breathing in his vanilla-cinnamon smell. He was like a giant cookie or something; I constantly just wanted to run my tongue all over him.

“Why do you always smell so delicious, Cal?” I mumbled through a yawn, shuffling till I was comfortable and sighing with contentment as his strong arms closed around me.

“It’s just my built-in Kit-attractant.” His chest vibrated with a silent laugh.

“Where were you earlier? I was worried,” I asked sleepily, and his muscles tensed under me.

“I wanted to pick something up for you in town,” he replied, but there was something off about his tone. But that might have just been the sleep fuzzing my brain.

“For me? Can I have it now?” I yawned, pushing up a bit to blink at him in the dark room.

“No, Kitty Kat, now is for sleeping; you can have it in the morning.” He flashed a smile at me that I could only make out thanks to how close we were. “Back to sleep, please.”

He tugged me back down to lie on him once more, and I cuddled in until I was comfortable once more.

“Hey, Cal?” I murmured, on the edge of sleep once more. “Are you okay? After I healed you?”

“You’re worried you changed me?” he asked after a moment’s pause, his voice quiet and serious. “Don’t worry, Kitty Kat. I’m fine.”

“Good.” I planted a kiss on his bare chest and let my mind drift back to sleep. Dimly, somewhere in the back of my brain, I realized his answer of “I’m fine” didn’t answer my question about whether he’d been changed.

Getting dressed for my first day of spy school was a challenge all of its own. What the hell did one wear for espionage class? It was still cold out, so after standing in front of my mess of a suitcase for at least ten minutes while wrapped in the blanket from the bed, I decided on dark blue jeans and a black ribbed sweater with a low V-neck. The jeans would give me an opportunity to finally wear the new boots I’d been dying to try out.

They weren’t anything too flashy, but they were a gorgeous, soft black leather with a chunky heel and lacing up the front to mid-calf height. I’d first seen them in a store in Seattle when Cole had taken me out for a dinner date that turned into a cage fight, and he had gone back and bought them for me.

Much to my disappointment, they’d been left at the New York townhouse after Jonathan’s Thanksgiving party, and I hadn’t had a chance to retrieve them or wear them since.

Those boots alone made me aware of the fact that Jonathan, or one of his men, had packed up my things from the townhouse for me. Made me glad I really didn’t keep anything private in my bedroom there.

“Hey hot stuff!” Caleb called out as I joined the guys in the kitchen for what smelled like pancakes. Wesley was cooking once again while Cole set the table.

“Hey, guys,” I murmured, considerably less upbeat than Caleb was in the morning. He’d woken up a good hour or so earlier while I’d chosen to stay in bed and hug the blankets as long as possible. Mornings were not my friend.

“Here.” Caleb came around the kitchen island and handed me a mug of coffee. A giant mug of coffee in a cup that had the words “Oh for fox sake” printed on it, except instead of the word fox, there was a cute baby fox picture.

“I love it.” I grinned. “Is this what you went to get from town?”

He smiled back at me. “Yeah, well I knew how crazy-small the cups all are in these apartments, and I wanted your first day of Omega training to be something special.”

“Caleb.” I gaped. “That is so sweet of you.” I placed my huge mug of coffee down on the counter and stretched up on my toes to plant a kiss on his lips. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, Kitty Kat. Keeping you well caffeinated is a public service to your classmates.” He threw me a cheeky wink, then returned to the kitchen to help Wesley plate up the last of the pancakes and bring them out to the table.

“How did you sleep, Vixen?” Cole asked, holding out a chair for me to take.

“Surprisingly well, given all the crap that’s gone on lately,” I replied, taking the seat and trying not to drool over the glorious-smelling food. Wesley’s cooking skills were seriously impressing the pants off me. “Wes, I am in awe of your chef skills right now. You are all aware that I burn boiling water?”

“No worries, sweetheart.” Wes chuckled. “I enjoy cooking. Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”

No answer was needed as I moaned around a mouthful of pancake and maple syrup, and the guys all cracked grins. Dirty bastards.

“Eat up, love,” River ordered. “You’re due to class in less than thirty minutes. You too, Drake.” He nodded at Cole, who smiled wickedly.

“I get to be your keeper today,” he told me a little gleefully, and I squinted at him in suspicion.

“Why do we look so happy about this, Cutie? What am I missing here?”

Cole held my gaze steady, but I heard Caleb stifle a snort at my new nickname for the tattooed bad boy of their team.

“Cole didn’t get along very well with the Omega trainers,” River filled me in. “I have no doubt he plans on being a pest for them today.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Cole practically purred in a distinctly dragon-like tone.

“Uh-huh. Sure.” I raised a brow at him. “Just don’t drag me into whatever you have planned, please. I don’t need any more attention than I’ll already have for starting late and bringing a damn babysitter with me.”

“Don’t you worry, Vix. This will be fun.” Cole pushed back from the table and carried his empty plate to the kitchen to stack in the dishwasher. “Ready to go?”

“I wish I could come too.” Caleb snickered. “Cole’s torture of the trainers was still being talked about when Aus and I completed training. He’s a legend.”

Chewing my lip nervously, I handed my empty plate to Cole and went to grab my bag out of my room. Not that there was much in it, just a notebook and some pens, but I wasn’t sure if there would be notes or textbooks to collect so figured better safe than sorry.

“Nice boots,” Cole commented as the two of us made our way out of the apartment block and across the property to the training wing.

“Thanks.” I grinned. “My boyfriend got them for me.” Cole’s hand tightened around mine, and I froze midstep.

Oh fuck. What the fuck did I just say?

“Boyfriend, huh?” He raised an eyebrow, turning me to face him. “I think I like that.”

Tilting my face up to his with one huge palm against my cheek, he laid a tender sort of kiss against my lips, and relief flooded through me with a force that left me shaking. Or maybe it was kissing Cole that left me shaking. Hard to tell these days.

I said nothing but couldn’t help the girly smile pasted across my face as we continued on to the training wing.

What the hell had I been thinking, blurting out labels like that?

So lost in my own thoughts, I didn’t even notice the person who dove at me until it was too late, and my back hit the cold concrete hard. My breath whooshed out of me, and I panicked a tiny bit before realizing who it was on top of me.

“Lucy?” I wheezed out. “What the fuck?”

“Kit, I am so bloody happy to see you, girl! I have been so hella worried for you it’s not even funny! What took you so long to get here?” She was babbling at a million miles per hour, but I was just so pleased to see her I wrapped her in a massive hug and squeezed.

“Me? What the hell? Luce, you’re supposed to be in rehab for your arm!” I scrambled out from under her and grabbed her damaged hand. Gently, of course.

“I got discharged! They were supposed to do one more surgery, but when they X-rayed it the other day, it came back showing the bones had realigned themselves. I still need to do therapy to get it all working right, but I can do that and join you in spy school!” She beamed at me, waving her wrist in my face. The plaster cast was gone, and in its place was one of those Velcro strap-on wrist brace things.

“Luce, that’s awesome! I’m kinda so relieved you’re not around Finn anymore too. Major weight off my mind, girl.” I hugged her properly this time but pulled back when she said nothing in return. “Lucy...”

“What? He said he was looking at taking a job in Seattle anyway!” She ducked out of my scolding glare and threw herself on Cole instead. “Hey, big man! Feels like forever since I’ve seen you. Scary as ever, I see.”

“As always,” Cole rumbled back, but a small smile pulled at his lips. “Good to see you well, Lucy.”

“Miss Davenport, Miss Jones,” a stern man called out to us from the doorway to the training facility. “Do you have any intention of joining us today? You’re only two weeks late.”

“Morning, Roger!” Cole called out and gave a sarcastic wave. “We will be with you in a minute.”

Roger, I dimly recognized, was one of the instructors I’d met the day before with Caleb, but I couldn’t place my finger on what his surname was. Whatever it was, he clearly didn’t appreciate being called by his first name, as his face boiled an angry shade of red.

“Mr. Bennett. I thought I’d never have the pleasure again.” The way he emphasised the word pleasure left no doubt that what he really meant was he’d rather stick needles in his eyes than teach Cole again.

“Always stay alert, Roger. Prepare for anything.” Cole gave a wicked grin, and the red-faced trainer stormed back inside the building.

“Cole,” I groaned. “You’re getting us in trouble before we even start!”

“Nonsense, Vixen.” He smiled down at me. “Just a little friendly banter between colleagues. Roger and the other trainers sometimes forget that they’re not the top of the pyramid around here.”

“Anything to be worried about?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“They know better than to mess with Alpha team. Keep an eye out for the other recruits though. Trainers can be vindictive bastards and are not above deliberately sabotaging trainees. They call it weeding.” He cracked his knuckles, then took my hand in his huge one. “Let’s get inside before Roger tries to pull anything dickish.”

Lucy glanced at me nervously, and I shrugged. Sounded like we were in for an interesting couple of months in Omega training. If we lasted that long before someone tried to kill us again.