Gypsy Rising

“I’m certainly not trying to be an alpha, and I do have alphas. Lots of them. Forty-eight Neopry Simpleton alphas and one Portocale alpha. Please stop talking for five minutes. Just five minutes. Wake me up after that,” I murmur as it all starts to dim.

He goes quiet, just drawing small circles on my back.

Then I jar awake when I hear Emit snapping, “For fuck’s sake, Shera, give her just a little while to sleep.”

“I would, but there’s a big development on Idun TV that she needs to be aware of,” Shera says in a bit of a panic.

“Why the hell would I care about Idun TV?” I groan.

“Because she’s reading the blue book at the park across the fucking street.”

My eyes open, and I glance at the TV near the end of the bed, just as Shera cuts it on. I heave out a breath as I swing my legs off the bed and stand.

“What the hell is the blue book?” Emit asks very insistently.

I see Damien on the screen, along with Arion and Vance, as they all stand in front of her.

“Relax, boys. I’m only here to talk to her about the newly registered shifter who didn’t bother registering until she could claim sanctuary. That’s it,” Idun says convincingly.

“You’ll bleed before you make it any farther than this,” Vance assures her.

She gestures to the book in her lap. “It’s in my legal right to address such things when I feel there’s foul play and smell someone gaming the system. This shifter started as your prisoner until she claimed sanctuary. It sets a bad precedent for all of us, including your girlfriend, if this isn’t handled.”

“You barely know her, Violet,” Shera says, as I start toward the door. “It’s not going to be the statement you want. She’s choosing the wrong victim. No one will want some pointless shifter to have sanctuary. I told you this from the beginning, and warned you to be prepared to compromise this once.”

“What the bloody hell are you two even talking about?” Emit asks as I pull on the shoes he must have taken off me.

How much sleep did I get?

“You’d know if you’d read the book, friend,” Anna says as she pops inside.

“You have a job. Stick to it,” I remind her very pointedly.

“Bobo came and got her and took her and Jasper into the walls with the others,” Anna says like she’s bored with me. “My job is done for now.”

“Violet, you’re not going anywhere,” Emit growls as I finger-comb my hair on the way down the stairs.

I hear Idun TV blasting everywhere, and not a soul is in sight, aside from Avery and his men, who are all waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs. The walls are probably really crowded right now.

“You can’t really stop this, Emit. You signed it. You made it law. I only need five of the six Houses. After all, it’s the rule: Five gypsies families for one sacrifice.”

“What the actual fuck are you talking about right now?” he goes on, as Idun continues explaining mostly the same thing to the other three.

“You all keep calling me na?ve, simply because you won’t open your eyes or listen or do anything besides sit and wait. You let Idun call the shots.”

“You’ve said Idun’s not your problem, Violet,” Emit says as he leaps over me and lands at the bottom of the stairs to block my path.

I pause as he just glares at me.

“Let us handle this. All she wants is one shifter,” he’s saying, as TV Idun says, “Step aside, lovers. I just want the shifter.”

“Do you hear yourself agreeing with her just because it’s easier to do?” I ask Emit, and then glance back at Shera, whose lips thin, as she holds her iPad to her chest.

“Idun’s not your problem, Violet,” Emit says again, as if he even knows what I’ve been trying to tell him.

“You’re right. She’s not,” I agree with him, leaning up to cup his cheek.

Then I duck under him before he realizes what’s going on. He reaches for me too late, because I hit the alert button that shoots up the security system bars, sealing off the entire area past the lobby.

Emit curses when he realizes just how strong those bars are.

“I thought you had a problem with bars,” he grinds out as the bars cover every single window as well.

“Those were fun to lie about/explain to my architect, but he’s recently worked on some very important bank vaults, and had a unique idea to weave them in. Glad you’re just now noticing,” I add before I turn and walk out the door. “Those are to keep everyone in here safe, so don’t fuck with them.”

“Vance, she’s coming out, and I’m currently unable to stop her,” Emit says very loudly.

I catch a glimpse of Idun’s subtle smile on the screen, before I step outside the doors.

Vance is there to block me next, eyes narrowed like he’s about to throw me over his shoulder and carry me back inside.

“I heard a rumor she broke up with all of you over a week ago,” Idun muses from somewhere behind Vance.

“Go inside, Violet,” Vance tells me with a humorless, tight smile, keeping his voice calm and gentle.

“She’s here to talk about my shifter, and—”

“Your shifter?” Idun asks on a small, condescending laugh. “How adorable. You’ve honestly coaxed the poor girl into thinking she has the brass to pull this out.”