Gypsy Rising

I don’t even have to look to know exactly what part she’s referring to.

“She’ll eat you alive, little girl. The second she sees it, she’ll destroy you in ways you never imagined possible. Marta, for whatever reason that defies all logic, raised you far too soft for what’s on the horizon when Idun grows bored with her current game.”

After she finishes her warning, I turn and start walking away again, and Anna clears her throat.

“Idun’s not her problem,” she informs Nadine, before zapping to my side.

I feel Nadine’s eyes on me, but I don’t turn back around. Shera’s phone is still clutched tightly in her hand like she’s prepared to dial Arion if anything happens.

She’d be able to yell, if they hadn’t taken the padded room to enjoy Idun TV without hearing all the construction going on around them.

Shera visibly relaxes, and I turn back to see Nadine getting in the back seat of a car and riding off toward the horizon.

“Do you think you could not attract the attention of anything dangerous while I go deal with a thing?” Shera asks me.

“What thing?” I ask, considering this is the official move-in day.

“Just a thing I have to do because apparently today’s the due date for it,” she says with intentional vagueness, the thing she does when she wants me to know something Arion told her she couldn’t tell me.

“I was hoping it would be due any day but today; however, today marks the ninth or tenth month. Whatever it is,” Shera adds like this is her spoon-feeding me giant clues.

She rolls her eyes when I just wait patiently on the next giant clue that will hopefully sound more like a clue.

“Usually, I wouldn’t care, but in this particular case, there are extenuating circumstances that naturally cause concern for most monster women, who may find themselves in the same predicament. It’s not an area I’m comfortable—”

“Arion can’t touch you. He signed over his punishment rights months ago,” I say on a huff.

“I just worry this may be that straw-weighted tipping point that always does in the camel’s back, and if I cause turmoil, that immunity may just tumble off the mountainside…along with my dead body,” she tells me matter-of-factly. “And I don’t think they’ll allow this problem into our House, if you know what I mean…”

“Oh my damn,” Anna says as her eyes widen, and she snorts out a laugh. “You are so screwed, you poor vampire,” she tells Shera like Shera can hear her.

“What are you talking about?” I ask Anna.

“I have no idea. I just wanted to sound smart like I figured it out first,” Anna confesses on a sigh. “She makes no sense.”

“Shera, just tell me what—”

“Arion has a pregnant shifter about to give birth in a house full of vampires, who will have no choice but to smell her blood. And once that baby’s born, she’ll be torn to pieces because she’s unregistered and apparently has a secret she’s not allowed to share with even me,” she states in a quick, flat rush.

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought she’d say,” Anna states with a firm nod.

“What?” I ask incredulously.

“She’s unregistered, so it’s a clean kill on the books, and even if she wanted to register—like pureblood shifters are required to do—she couldn’t, because Vance needs the legality of the kill. But she wouldn’t register, even if someone walked her out of there, because then she’d be on Idun’s radar, and her baby would also be on Idun’s radar. I haven’t figured out the part of saving the baby from Idun.”

I just stare at her for a second, as it all gets a little heavier. There’s a reason omegas don’t try to contend with alphas. There’s a reason this has never been done before, even though it’s all perfectly legal. There’s a reason the Heads are all cold and vicious.

It’s really hard work. Especially when the first fight you’re going to have to fight is one against Idun. Apparently no one wins those battles.

“This could all be an elaborate scheme to pick this place apart from the inside,” Shera tells me, eyes seriously affixed to mine. “After all these months, she still seems genuine, but some people are older and cleverer than I am, Violet. It’s impossible to trust a shifter right now. Idun would risk the life of a pregnant woman just to get someone in here.”

This is what Idun does best—relies on her reputation to spread panic. Shera’s already frazzled, and we’re not even technically in business yet.

“I’ll get a form signed,” I say a little numbly, seriously too exhausted for this. “Take Avery with you. I’ll have it forwarded.”

She gives me a hesitant nod, and I hear Avery directing her from behind me, as I walk in, taking a fortifying breath as I lean against the wall.

“This is the part where I need to disappear for a bit, isn’t it?” Anna asks.

“Just stay down here,” I answer as I clear my throat and quickly get my emotions under control, not wanting to influence anyone else’s.

It’s never been harder to do than it is right now. This is the breaking point. The moment when it all feels too heavy is always the breaking point.

“You weren’t meant for this,” Anna says a little seriously. “Your part is over, Violet. You did what you were meant to. They need to pick up their own slack.”