Bobo comes running around the corner, smiling from ear to ear, and I find it easier to push back the emotions when he lifts me from the ground and squeezes me in a hug.

When he pulls back, tears are in his eyes, and his smile is just as bright. I mentally prepare to continue the really hard work, because they really are fucking amazing.

“You’re welcome,” I tell him, knowing this is about the new bed.

He holds his hand over his heart, nodding once at me, as the tears grow more prominent in his eyes, and his smile starts to waver. Then he gestures to Anna, and he nods again.

“He’s saying he heard, and he agrees that you’ve done your part,” she states like she can read his mind.

“No, he’s thanking me for the bed, and acknowledging you exist, because he’s nice like that,” I tell her as Bobo releases me completely, and I turn to head up the stairs, snatching a tablet from Leiza’s hands as I go.

Predictably, Shera has the file already filled out and marked urgent under my folder, and I pull it up as I head up to the padded room and push through the door.

Shera was right. This place needed that padded room built first thing. I’m glad I listened.

“This is the worst acting I’ve ever seen,” Damien groans, throwing popcorn at the TV that I don’t even bother glancing at.

“Demetria is a mischievous devil, even when she’s in a good mood. She’s not this robotic bullshit Idun is trying to sell us,” Emit chimes in, gesturing to the woman on TV. “Either Demetria is reading a script, or they’ve got one of the other skin-walkers posing as her.”

I make my way to Arion first.

“Hey, love. How’s the hotel coming?” the distracted vampire asks me absently, as I try to hand him the tablet.

He uses my arm to jerk me onto his lap, kissing the side of my throat.

I shove at his chest, making a frustrated sound for a number of reasons, but mostly still trying to put a big-ass pin in all the emotions.

With a lot of effort, I manage to force my way out of Arion’s lap.

“I have a form you need to read and sign,” I tell him, putting the tablet right in front of his face this time.

“Another beta thing?” he asks as he takes it.

“No, an omega thing.”

He snorts and runs his finger over the line, signing it for me without even glancing over the words. Predictably.

His eyes move back to the TV, already distracted by whatever is going on. I just turn to Vance. “You too. I suggest reading it first.”

He simply signs it without even a glance, eyes forward, as Idun laughs at something.

It’s like I’m not even in the room at all right now.

I forward the signed form to Shera, before I put down the tablet and calmly walk over to the TV. Then I jerk the fucking cord out of it, causing all of them to sputter sounds of surprise.

“What the hell just happened?” Vance snaps as he stands.

“Now that I have your attention,” I state as I circle around the TV and toss the cord into the fire, “I have something really important to say.”

I’m too tired to even have the energy to be as mad as I probably should be right now.

“I apologize for interrupting the binge-a-thon so abruptly, but this is the last airing Idun TV will have in this House. As of now, you can watch it in all your own homes,” I state very calmly.

Damien gives me a lazy grin. “Are you jealous, sweet gypsy? Because it’s very sexy to think of you as jealous,” he says to me like he’s thrilled with the prospect.

“Jealous,” I echo, nodding just once as it gets a little easier to hold in my emotions with that freaking accusation.

“I don’t think she’s jealous,” Arion points out, while he eyes me like he’s a little worried.

Taking a deep, steeling breath, I shake my head. “No, I’m not jealous.”

Emit stays seated, a finger running over his lips, as he observes me quietly.

“Surely, it looks that way. Clearly that’s the only reason I’d take issue with you almost literally watching your ex-girlfriend’s every move on a channel she made specifically for you to do just that, while you all scheme to figure out a way to keep from doing exactly what she wants,” I say in a flat, dry tone.

The smile is sucked off Damien’s face slowly, and they all move like they’re going to surround me. I back to the wall immediately, so they can’t do their stupid, predatory circling thing.

Arion narrows his eyes, as Vance rakes his gaze over me like I’m once again new and fascinating. Damien disappears, probably already within touching distance, if I had to hazard a guess.

“I get angry, and you prepare to chase,” I say, pointing out what they’re doing. “Then you all say I’m the one who loves the chase, when it’s just you who loves it so much.”

Emit’s brow furrows as I gesture to the TV and me.

“Like in the game of survival, I rarely even know I’m being chased, unless someone makes it obvious. Everything starts for me when I finally get caught. And that’s exactly when you all seemed to check out. Now you’re giving me stolen kisses on your way to this box. Not one compliment or comment on the hotel you’ve lived in. Not one offer of help while we killed ourselves to make this happen—”

“Violet, I offered to help you in any way necessary,” Vance quickly interrupts.