“As much as I would love losing myself in you, especially after the rough few days, I’m afraid I have to escort some wolves to the running lands. Also, there’s a stamp on your forehead that spells ‘LOSER,’ and I’m finding it terribly distracting during this really intense moment.”

I jerk my head to the right to where a mirror is hanging on the wall, and my eyes widen in horror. Shera, that bitch, said nothing.

The ghosts who haunt my life in an attempt to make me miserable? Unsurprisingly, they said nothing at all either.

“I’m not even sure what that came from, but—”

Anna snorts, and I turn to where she’s shaking with silent laughter in the corner. When I narrow my eyes, she disappears, her seemingly distant laughter echoing in her wake.

“If you’re awake when I return,” Emit starts, reminding me there’s a semi-serious conversation to resume, “I’ll pick things up where we left off.”

It’s a big day tomorrow, but I’ve gone much longer without sleep and been fine.

“I’ll be up,” I tell him, feeling my lips tug in a small grin.

I may hate Idun more than ever, and I hate that he’s so numb to this that it’s only taken two days for him to open up about it. However, I’m relieved to see it hasn’t shaken him as bad as I worried it would.

She doesn’t win.

How much more did she do?

How long was she really above ground?

How elaborate is she?

His lips tug up on one side, and I stop worrying about what else is waiting to be discovered.

“I’ll see you later, sweet monster,” he says, teasing me with a ghosted kiss once more before his touch disappears completely.

Swaying forward, I blink my eyes open to find myself alone in the room. Sighing, I sag to a chair, and pull the tiger head in my lap.

It still feels wrong to celebrate, but Idun can’t suspect anything is wrong. The more we know about what she’s been up to, the better. The less she knows about our new discoveries, the better.

Shutting the door to my office, I decide to read over the Monster Olympics program.

 

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Salt Wheeler tournament

Archery tournament

Crystal ball reading tournament

 

Salt Wheeler tournament? What’s a Salt Wheeler?

They can read fucking crystal balls? As in they can tell the future?

Maybe I should have looked over this sooner.

 

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

 

Tag

Hide and Seek

Tug of War

 

Really? Did he also plan a kiddie Olympics or something?

I’m not sure what to say to that.

That’s all the information the program allows. There’s apparently a big meeting going on tonight about the big day, but Arion wants to keep most of the day’s festivities a surprise. Well, a surprise where I’m concerned. Everyone else gets to know more details.

“Think you’ll actually be able to have fun?” Anna asks me as she pops back in with a devilish grin. “Compared to Idun, you’re no fun at all, and that makes for a terrible main character. Loan me your body, and I’ll liven your story up.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I exhale a tired breath. “I’m the girl who loves to dance like an idiot, sing in the car, dance on a bar, and play with toys. I’m a lot of fun. Usually. It’s just that there’s so much—”

“I’ll stop you there. You’re in love with four alphas, who are all weighted down with some pretty major responsibilities. There’s always going to be something serious going on, Violet. Maybe you’re just not cut out for it,” Anna tells me.

Without a backward glance, I pull some salt out of my pocket and toss it over my shoulder.

“Motherfucke—”

Her hissed word is cut off when the salt connects, and I smirk to myself.

“You only get to stay when you’re being supportive,” I say to the empty room.

My gaze moves back to my tiger costume. I have no idea why it’s a tiger, but a small smile does curve my lips, and I allow myself a moment to enjoy a gift from a very oddly romantic, somewhat scary vampire.

 

 

Chapter 27

 

VANCE

 

“How’s the wolf?” I ask the deviant, my eyes on the sideline, where Violet is holding her head in her hands.

Well, her tiger head.

She’s talking to Arion. Actually, she’s laughing very freely at whatever Arion has said.

I can’t hear over the obnoxious music blaring from the vampire tent, where all the alphas are slathering on heaps of sunblock, all while wearing their designer glasses. They’re also demonstrating an alarming amount of excitement.

“Fucking vampires,” Damien mutters under his breath, staring with me, as the vampires all grin with giddy excitement over the day’s gruesome lineup.

Arion’s a fool if he thinks this day is going to work out in his favor. But he won’t listen to reason. Also, he may love Violet, but he doesn’t know the first thing about appropriately wooing her.

The odds are that she’ll knee him in the bollocks before this day ends.

Violet laughs harder, drawing my attention back to her. Her head is tipped back, and she’s laughing almost hysterically, as Arion dances while wearing that damn tiger head.

Then my gaze drifts a little behind them, where I spot Idun in her very tight, short, barely-there red shorts and red sports bra. Her gaze is trained on Arion and Violet, as the vampire puts his hands on our little monster’s hips and forces her furry body to move to the music.

When she starts attempting to dance with him, they end up head-butting, which only leads to bouts of refreshed laughter.

The moment Idun’s eyes land on ours, and she realizes we’re witnessing her visible moment of ire, she gives us a cruel smile and walks away.

“That’s not ominous at all. I bet he regrets the rules of his ‘games’ when she punishes him for being that fucking happy in public,” Damien says on a sigh.

“He’s been brazen in making his intentions known,” I add. “He’s told almost everyone this is the day he’ll ask her to be his bride.”

“She held her composure when Emit mated Violet,” Damien says, feigning a hopeful tone in a dismissive sort of manner.

“Only because she knows the mark can be removed,” I quietly argue, watching as Idun moves through the crowd until it swallows her path, blocking her from sight.

My gaze drifts back to Violet and the vampire. Arion pulls the tiger’s head off, as someone’s beta begins speaking over a megaphone, announcing the introductory speeches.

With some admitted envy, I watch as Violet pulls him down by the back of his neck, and he greedily presses his lips to her, taking advantage of the moment.

“He better enjoy it while it lasts,” I note aloud.

“After she sees the first event, she’s not going to be in such a good mood,” Damien adds in agreement, as the vampire goes so far as to press her against the side of the concession stand, essentially devouring her.

The tiger head drops to the ground, while the two of them presumably forget they’re in a crowd, given the show they’ve put on. The vampire tent all turn to give their attention to the show at hand.