“Dorian slaughtered a houseful of omega succubae just outside of town during the time he issued that challenge. I’m about to deliver my own punishment for that, because there was no justifiable cause for extermination, even if they are his own people,” Vance says, his voice echoing.

I realize he’s walking toward me, and I hang up my phone, really confused by this day’s turn of events.

“Violet’s not going to be happy to hear that,” I say on a groan. “She’s very much too soft for our world. Make sure to leave him in a bloody heap and do some major punishment or something. I don’t want her so outraged that she can’t focus on the four of us. Not when we’re finally making progress.”

Vance gives me a dry look.

“I have to challenge Dorian Gray after a massacre, and that’s what you have to say?” he asks, slowly exhaling.

“Good luck with that. He’s one major pain the ass to spar with,” I tell him, clapping him on the shoulder as I grin. “This is why I made an effort to be at peace with him. Not even I like tangling with that mind-fucker.”

Emit comes jogging up, brushing his hair out of his face. “I’m not missing this fight. If he kicks your ass, it’ll be one hell of a reckoning. Are you sure you can take him?” he asks Vance.

“He’s Vancetto Van Helsing. Even off his game, he can still rock Dorian’s world,” I state, championing the slacker Van Helsing.

He’s going to need the confidence boost.

Dorian really is one hell of a—

My thoughts shut down when Damien comes walking back out, a challenge card in his hand. My brow furrows, and Vance sucks in a surprised breath.

“You can’t seriously decide today is the day you’re finally going to tackle the Dorian issue,” Vance growls. “You haven’t properly fed in far too long. You’re no match. I’ll handle today’s problems. You feed and rest up so you can handle him for the long term, if you finally want to do your part.”

Damien’s eyes lift, and I swear I see the devil in their depths, as he levels Vance with a stoic, yet chilling, look.

“Dorian’s my problem. Not yours,” he tells him in a dead tone. “Keep the vampire and wolf at bay.”

He turns and stalks back inside, only blowing my bloody mind.

“He’s insane if he thinks today is the day to finally deal with this. He fed from Violet today, but he’d need at least a few months of regular, proper feedings to get himself in shape enough for this battle,” I say, running a hand through my hair.

Idiots.

I’m constantly surrounded by idiots.

Why can’t everyone be as smart as I am?

“He fed from Violet today? When?” Vance asks.

“Never mind that. It’s not enough. Go be a Van Helsing and talk some sense into him like the golden boy you are,” I tell him, shoving him toward the door.

Vance turns and glares at me, before dusting the wrinkles off his sleeves, and then he walks in.

I hurriedly follow, because this shit is just too bizarre.

Damien hasn’t allowed Dorian to provoke him in ages, even though he should have taken action numerous times against his bastard brother. What bug flew up his ass today?

“What brought this on so suddenly?” Emit asks, clearly as suspicious and bothered by this as I am.

I slink past him and Vance as they chat, and I move through the hallways, toward the foyer, spotting Damien, as he eyes himself in the mirror.

Just before I can form words, Violet comes rushing toward him, her body clad in a shirt two sizes too big and a pair of sweatpants.

“Damien, you can’t do this,” she tells him on a choked sound. “You need to feed more. I can’t let you—”

He suddenly grabs her by the throat and slams her into the wall, and her eyes widen in horror. My fist is flying toward his face in the next instant, but I crash to the ground when I suddenly hear a violent foghorn blaring in my ears and see a race car speeding toward me.

It takes me a long second to realize that son of a bitch just somehow invaded my mind and sent me to the ground. It’s been a long time since he was able to attack my mind with anything less than something mild and subtle.

I push myself up, feeling dizzy from the onslaught of the abrupt, violent illusions.

“This isn’t Violet. Learn to tell the difference, Vampyre, or she’ll have you between her legs too easily,” Damien says as he drops Violet to the ground.

The woman before us morphs into the bitch I really am starting to hate. After this many years of loving her so faithfully, I’m starting to wonder if it truly was all a waste.

She smirks over at him. Not that he notices. He hasn’t glanced at her even once.

How could he have possibly known that was Idun so easily?

“I was trying to do you a favor, lover. Without you feeling as though you betrayed your precious girlfriend, since you’ve apparently grown monogamous in your old age. In case you haven’t noticed, I freed you from your curse so you could feed. Dorian is a dangerous problem you never would address. You can’t face him as you are. You need—”

“You called a meeting today,” he says without looking at her, his eyes staying focused on the mirror before him. “Amos’s House had emergency problems to deal with that took up almost thirty-six hours of his time and focus.”

Again, why is he bringing that up?

Why does Idun bristle?

He cuts his eyes to her at last, and the cruel smile he gives her is unsettling. I almost question if this is really Damien or not, which is a whole new cause for alarm.

“One of these days, you’re going to learn to stop underestimating me. In the meantime, sit down, shut up, and look pretty,” he tells her, before turning and walking off, eyeing the challenge card in his hand.

I’m genuinely baffled.

I’m also mildly confused by the distinct absence of any feelings toward Idun. There was a time that just looking at her set my blood ablaze. Now, I can’t stand the fucking sight of her.

“What’d you go and do to piss him off?” I ask her, my eyes narrowing with new suspicions.

She gives me a cold look, as a dark smile curves her lips.

“Doesn’t matter how many times you boys reject me. I’ll always be here, Arion. Eventually, Violet will grow tired of all the trouble you bring her. Surely you see that by now. Don’t get too attached, pet. And you may have to get used to sharing your House seats with Dorian, since Damien is going to be a fool who only feeds off the weak. Without me, he’s no match for Dorian. Consider that.”

She turns and walks away, laughing, as she starts stripping out of the baggy clothes. I cut my gaze away, jaw ticking, because I rather hate not knowing what’s going on.

She finally disguised herself as Violet. We knew it was coming and have been handling the paranoia.

She finally, finally did it, and Damien effortlessly made it a nonissue. How did he know that quickly?

Annoyed with this entire thing, I hurriedly go to join Vance and Emit, who’ve already taken a seat in the growing audience.

Damien’s father is here. What the hell is he—

Amos rushes in, taking a seat near the back, as though he also knew this was coming. How in the hell did he get here so fast? That’s at least a two or three-hour trip, even on the fastest jet he has at his disposal.