Gypsy Rising

“Violet brought a ghost back from final decay, and none of us bothered to ask too many questions, because she really doesn’t think we deserve any answers,” Vance states almost idly. “We have no idea how empathic she is if we don’t even know how Anna came back from a second death.”

“Because we don’t actually give a shit about an irrelevant ghost,” Arion points out.

“I think Talbot’s entire point is that we allow impossible things such as that to go unexplained, because we’re too distracted by all the female chaos surrounding us,” I dutifully point out.

Talbot taps the side of his nose and winks up at us in a quick motion that Violet misses, when her head dips to check her incoming text.

A thought occurs to me. “Talbot, if you convince Ms. Carmine to let me feed from her regularly, I’ll take you on as my beta with full title to my House,” I tell the seasoned incubus. “It’s the only way I’ll take you on.”

His eyes swing back to mine again, staring through the glass as though he can’t believe I’m tasking him with this.

“You’re a dick,” Vance states flippantly.

I’m not so sure I like it when Talbot smirks.

His hand goes to Violet’s in the next instant, and I grab Arion’s arm, pulling at him to keep him from being too impulsive. He’s seconds away from interceding.

This is my possible beta.

“Stand the fuck down,” I tell him coldly, swinging my gaze to level the vampire with a glare. “I’m every bit a monster too, and she’s just as much mine as she is yours. I’ll be the judge of what I will and won’t allow here,” I add.

His lips twitch. “If he uses this to his advantage instead of yours, all bets are off,” Arion informs me.

“Fair enough,” I say with an indifferent shrug.

I’ll have no use for him if that’s the case, and Arion can have something new to stab full of holes.

Talbot bristles uneasily, as Violet…continues giving him a very unimpressed stare.

“Are you trying to read my palm or something?” she asks on a confused breath.

“Is he impotent?” Arion asks me in a genuine, inquisitive manner.

Talbot’s jaw grinds. It’s the most insulting thing one can say to our kind, and all other monsters are always assholes about it.

“Just curious, does Damien’s pheromones work on you?” Talbot asks in a nonchalant way, as he slowly releases her hand.

“Are you trying to turn me on right now?” Violet says on an indignant hiss, eyes wide and horrified. “Against my will?”

Talbot blinks rapidly, mouth opening and closing a few times. “I was testing your ability to withstand our kind. It’s important to know, since I’ll be his beta. I need to know your strengths and weaknesses with our kind,” he says in an easy, believable way.

Violet immediately drops her guard, and even gives the little creep an apologetic, oopsy sort of smile. “Oh. Yeah, Damien definitely gets to me with those. Or did. He won’t be getting to me anymore, and if you let him, I’ll let my Van Helsing knight stab you. He constantly begs me for something to stab when Leiza wears her new perfume she’s designed herself.”

Vance’s lips turn up in an immediate grin.

Talbot once again gives her an uneasy grin. “I knew I was stepping into a ring of barbarians. I still feel unprepared,” he says on a tired breath.

“What?” she asks in a confused tone.

“Ms. Carmine, I’m going to ask of you, very nicely, to consider my…Alpha,” he says, clearing his throat a few times as he looks away.

“Is the fucker crying right now?” Arion asks in disbelief.

Talbot indeed wipes his eyes. “Think of how long he’s gone without feeding, and remember all he’s had to endure at the hands of Idun. He’s paranoid right now. Uncertain. Don’t hold it against—”

“Shut the fuck up and quit guilt-tripping the damn girl,” Emit’s voice cuts in, just as Talbot was selling the hell out of me.

I glance down, realizing I’m clutching Arion’s hand like we’re two teen girls watching our crush get worked up.

We both immediately shove the other’s hand away, and I mutter a few curses toward the wolf, who I never sensed getting closer, as Vance rolls his eyes at us.

“You’re so fucking pathetic, and your beta is a cunt who is just going to sell the hell out of it. Kudos to you for not having an ounce of pride,” Arion mutters, as he huffs in frustration. “I’ve been set back farther than all of you just for being a loyal fucking man to the first woman. Me giving Idun too much attention is the worst thing I could do to Violet. I see that now. She needs my attention on her at all times,” the lunatic prattles on, as if I care.

I have a damn good candidate for beta, who is going to do the hard work for me, and drag Violet back to my arms in no time if he keeps this shit up.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Morrigan,” Talbot states with charm rolling about him in spades, as the wolf towers over their table. “I was simply trying to do for my alpha what your omegas do for you…in place of your absent betas.”

“Oooo,” Arion says into his hand while giving a small fist-pump to the air. “I vote he can be your beta if he hates the mongrel.”