There was no room for any more responsibility.

“I don’t have the time. I’m a Dominus, and you have no idea the duties that come with that.”

His shoulders fell.

I hated turning him down. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

“But Hunter is still a candidate, right? Once we find him…”

Eldrick smiled and nodded. “Of course. I’ll figure it out.”

Guilt was a fist in my gut. “I’ll help as much as I can with pack business. I just can’t take control. I physically don’t have the time.”

His smile was brighter as he took my hand and kissed it. “Enough. It’s fine. Come, let me take you out for dinner.”

And just like that, the heavy mood lifted, but as we left the penthouse, I couldn’t ignore the prickle of foreboding that skittered across my scalp.

Chapter Nineteen

I was showered and dressed, and it was barely six-thirty in the morning. I needed to leave for Deadside later but wanted to spend every moment I had with Grayson.

The days had gone by too quick, and this bed had seen some serious action, even with all the patrolling and the trip to Eldrick’s. So had the sofa, the shower, the floor, and basically every inch of the room.

Ah, good times.

The door opened, and Grayson entered, smelling of sunlight and dew. He’d gone for a predawn run, and now he was back, and I kind of wished I hadn’t showered already, but from the look in Grayson’s eyes, he didn’t give a fuck. He tugged his shirt over his head as he advanced, his beast visible beneath the surface, his arousal tenting his joggers.

Yeah, I could shower again in a bit.

We made love for an hour, hungry, insatiable, and when he kissed me softly afterward, I could taste the goodbye.

“No.” I sat up and pushed him onto his back. “We don’t do this. We don’t say goodbye. We say, see you later.”

His beautiful lips curved in a sad smile. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. I’ve never missed someone before they leave.”

I knew what he meant. I pressed a soft kiss to his lips and then pulled back to lock gazes with him.

“I’ll be back before you know it, and we still have the vamp situation to sort out.”

“You’ll patrol with us?”

I gave him a half-smile. “I’m sure I can fit you into my busy schedule.”

He pulled me to him, his arms secure bands around me. “And if I choose not to let you go?”

There was a flash of defiance in his eyes, a flash of the Loup that cared nothing for schedules or my demon half. But then he closed his eyes and loosened his grip. “I didn’t mean that.”

I stroked his bearded cheek. “Yes, you did, but that’s okay. I get it. I do. You’re pure Loup. This is your instinct, but I’m not.”

“I know.” He sighed. “It’ll take some getting used to, but I want this to work, Fee.”

“Me too.”

He touched my bottom lip with his index finger. “See you later?”

“See you later.”

Shower number two over, I was tugging on my boots when Cora appeared by the door. She stood with her eyes closed, her hands clutching several plastic bags.

“Cora?”

“Are you decent? No cocks or snatches on display?”

I snorted. “Nah, you just missed the show.”

She opened her eyes. “Shame. Nothing like watching a good pounding to get the circulation going.”

An image of Cora and Jasper flitted through my mind. No. Begone foul feature! “You need a porn channel subscription.”

“I just use Mal’s.”

Wait, what?

She dumped bags of clothes onto my bed. “I think that should do it.”

“What is all this?”

“Clothes for your alpha Loup wardrobe. Several pairs of sexy but comfy jeans, T-shirts and vests in all colors and sizes, sexy underwear and some nice cotton panties too, the kind that tear easily.” She winked. “And running boots.”

I pressed my hand to my chest, genuinely touched. “You went shopping for me?”

She waved a dismissive hand. “I know how much you hate it, and you know how much I love it; besides, anything to get away from blue boy for a few hours.”

Blue boy? A chill skittered up my spine. “Keon is here?”

Cora winced. “Did I neglect to mention?” She threw up her hands. “Okay, I totally deliberately forgot to mention it.”

Keon was here. Of course he was. Lilith had sent her Blade to spy on me in the guise of helping me at the Academy just like she’d promised in her note. He was probably ordered to keep tabs on me while Lilith looked for a loophole out of Eve’s curse.

Best of luck with that. Azazel had searched for a way out for centuries and failed, and my soulmate was nothing but thorough in everything he did.

“I didn’t want to ruin your honeymoon,” Cora continued.

Huh? “This is not a honeymoon.”

“It kinda is. I mean, isn’t mating like getting married.”

Wait…she was right. Grayson was my Loup hubby, just like Azazel was my soulmate hubby. Cue heart tingles.

“Oh, babe, has it only just sunk in?”

I gave her a sheepish smile.

“So, where is the old man?”

“Pack business.” I perched on the edge of the mattress. “They’re still trying to catch one of these super vamps.”

“Super vamps?”

“Oh, shit, I forgot, you don’t know.” I filled her in on the vampy developments. “And so we can add that to our list of shit we need to resolve under Dread and hooded figures. Speaking of which…any news from this Elijah guy?”

“Actually, I’m supposed to be meeting him at Lumiers in an hour.”

“I’d come with you, but I feel like I’ve put off checking on Uriel long enough. I’m going to swing by Deadside to juice up, see Aunt Lara, and then Azazel’s picking me up to take me to the Beyond.”

“I’m sure Uriel’s okay,” Cora said.

“Yeah, you’re probably right, but I’ll feel better once I’ve seen him.”

“Uh-huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “After your romantic walk by the river?”

My neck grew warm. “He was showing me his favorite spot. Uriel and I…It’s not like that. We’re friends.”

“If you say so,” Cora said. “How about we meet up at the quarters for dinner and catch up afterward?”

“Pajama party?”

“I think Azazel and Mal will kill me if I try to monopolize you,” Cora said.

“Then they’ll have to go through me. I need some girl time with my bestie.”

Cora’s eyes lit up. “I’d like that, and don’t worry. Iza will keep blue boy at bay.”

“Iza?”

She smiled, and her eyes lit up with wicked glee. “Funny story…”

This was the first time I’d be entering Deadside via the actual entrance. It was late morning, and the streets were busy, but no one looked twice at me as I made my way toward the firmly locked gates. A ripple passed over my skin, almost pleasant except for the tiny prickling sensation at the end.

Dayna’s comm message instructed me to use the panel hidden beneath the ivy to the left of the gate. This was what the humans who were assigned here used. Their biometric data was in the system. Mine wasn’t, but there was also a speak option that I could use.

I shoved the ivy aside, looking for the panel, and paused to study the silver lines that were sprayed onto the wall. It was impossible to tell what the graffiti artist had been going for because the majority of the art was hidden beneath stubborn ivy. Strange place to tag. Ah, here it was. I pressed down on the button, ignoring the scanner, and waited.

“Cemetery maintenance,” Dayna said through the panel.

I suppressed a grin. “Nice cover.”

“I think so. Good to have you back, Fee. Step through.”

My gaze flicked to the gates, which were still closed. “Um, Dayna. If you expect me to walk through metal, we may have a problem.”

A low chuckle. “Sorry. The gates are an illusion. The wards are what keep people and entities out. I’m lifting them for you. Step through.”

I had an image of me slamming into metal and then Dayna and my reapers laughing their asses off at headquarters. But no. Dayna wouldn’t do that…would she? Sod it. Only one way to find out. I covered up the panel and then walked into the gates, arms out like a zombie, and then I was through. The world tilted, and I was standing on a gravel path with my voralex up ahead to my left and Deadside HQ to my right.

Dayna sauntered out to meet me. “Good to see you alive and well…again.”

I stopped to curtsy. “I do my best.”

“Maybe you could go a couple of weeks without your life being in peril?”

“Would be nice.”

We were a few meters apart now. Her grin was wide as she approached, and boy was it great to be back. I could already feel the power of this place sliding over my skin, and then a shadow fell over us.

My head whipped up to see a dark form hurtling toward us. I leaped back as it landed between us. Its huge, bat-like indigo wings flapped once, twice, and then vanished.

I crossed my arms under my breasts and glared at the intruder. “What are you doing here, Keon?”

Chapter Twenty

Keon glared at me as if his being at Deadside were my fault.

I arched a brow. “Well? Why are you here? We’re meant to be working at the Academy together. Deadside isn’t part of the deal.”

“I have no limitations,” Keon said. “I may go where I please, as evidenced by the fact your wards do not stop me.”

Of course, he had an all-access pass. He was Lilith’s bitch, after all, but he hadn’t answered my question. “Why are you here?”

“Looking for you,” he said. “We have work to do, and you’ve vacationed long enough.”