“How did your thesis meeting go?” she asked when I’d sat silent for too long, the weight of all the truths I couldn’t spill heavy on my chest.
“Good,” I said, taking an easy breath. In this, at least, I was telling the truth. “My advisor has been so gracious about my missed meetings. I think all the new research I’ve done has really sweetened the deal.”
“So, you’re almost finished with the thesis?” she asked, her eyes slightly narrowed as she studied me.
I nodded, raising the mug to my lips to finally take a much needed drink. The hot liquid hit my tongue, the flavor closer to spoiled milk than a fresh latte. I scrunched my face, swallowed quickly. “How’s your coffee?” I asked, eying her mug.
“Delicious,” she said, taking a long drink. “I need the boost. Father dearest wants me pulling an all-nighter at the office tonight. Learning the ropes and all that.”
I set down my mug, pushing it away from me slightly. My stomach churned. Maybe it was because it had been a while since we’d visited here. Maybe the milk was off. Either way, I had no desire to finish it.
“Have you worked on your book at all? Or did the flu keep you from it?”
Flu. That’s the excuse I’d given both her and my advisor those first weeks with Alek. So much had changed—like a lifetime had passed instead of mere weeks. Heat flushed my skin at the thought of Alek, my husband, my mate. Fire licked every inch of my body at the memories of his lips on my flesh, his hands on my thighs—
“Lyric?” Valor yanked me from my racing thoughts, and I blew out a breath. That had happened several times lately, my mind spinning from one thought to the next so fast I lost track of what was happening right in front of me.
“Sorry,” I said, my shoulders dropping. I hated keeping secrets from her. “No,” I said. “I haven’t been able to work on the book yet, but I’ve been researching like crazy. When I go to write it? It’s all going to be there. The sources I need, the information, the history.” A smile shaped my lips. Without Alek, I’d never discovered as much as I had.
Valor took another drink of her coffee. “That’s fantastic news,” she said. “I know you were having trouble finding credible and reliable information on the Skull and Bones society—”
“Actually,” I said, cutting her off. “I’ve switched gears a bit.”
Valor pursed her lips, and I leaned closer over the table. Excitement and anticipation flooded my veins, almost as thrilling as when Alek caught my gaze from across a crowded room. History and research were my ultimate jam and the new intel I’d dug up? It was rich.
“I’ve unearthed the dwellings of another secret society that has somehow nearly gone unnoticed throughout our history, despite having their fingers in literally everything of political significance since the revolution.”
Valor went very still for a few seconds before tilting her head. “Really? I thought Skull and Bones was your obsession.”
“It was, until I found this other society. I wouldn’t have ever even noticed if not for the rare texts Alek gave me access to. This group goes beyond Skull and Bones secrecy. I mean, like way, way beyond. They take ‘new world order’ to a whole new level. They plotted and positioned themselves with all the major players back when the nation was new. Had a whole ‘ultimate race’ vibe going on. Some may have even been linked to influencers today, but I haven’t gotten to dig into the leader’s ancestry yet. It’s like unraveling a spider web,” I said, chuckling as I shook my head. It would be so much fun relaying that history in novel form and hopefully getting it published someday. For history buffs like me, this stuff was gold.
“What are they called?”
“Were,” I corrected her. “Sons of Honor,” I said. “Unlike the Skull and Bones group and the Freemasons they aren’t operational anymore. It’s weird. The texts Alek loaned me just stop around seventy-five years ago. As if they removed themselves from the game.”
“Or someone else did,” Valor said, her eyes going distant for a moment before she blinked and arched a brow at me. “You keep mentioning this Alek…” She grinned, and I couldn’t help but mirror her. “And every time I’ve texted for specifics you vague-book the ef out of it.”
“I know,” I said, my heart racing. “That’s one of the main reasons I wanted to see you, beyond missing you like crazy.” I took a steadying breath. At least in this one thing, I could be honest. I’d just have to leave out all supernatural details. “I met someone. Like, totally, amazingly met someone. And it’s fast and crazy, but I love him. And we may have, sort of, gotten married.”
Valor’s jaw about hit the coffee table. “Wait, what?”
I nodded, unable to keep the happiness from shining on my face. Sure, there were questions and unknowns that still terrified me. Like what made me so different that the demons had thought they had some claim on me. Why I couldn’t be glamoured. What I would and could do to convince Alek to continue to live when I eventually withered away and died from old age. The thought of him choosing to leave the world when I did? It turned my stomach and cracked my heart at the same time. The idea of him not living at all was enough to curdle my blood. Luckily, I had time. Time to convince him to live. To love me while he could and then move on—
“Are you crazy?”
I reached across the table to squeeze her hand. “No—”
“People only get married that fast because—” Valor’s words died in her throat, her eyes widening at the ink on my wrist, the hand I’d squeezed her with. “They get pregnant,” she hurried to add. “You got a tattoo, too?”
“I’m not pregnant,” I said, and I honestly didn’t know the technicalities around vampire/human mating, or what incredibly rare meant. He’d said I wasn’t fertile, but not that I could never be fertile. And I’d never thought of having children, but having his babies? My mate’s? I couldn’t think of anything more wonderful, except maybe spending my forever with him. God, how my world had changed. Not only because of the supernatural creatures I’d learned about, but the love in my heart. So much of it. So much of it I never knew existed until him.
“And the tat?” she asked. “Should I be worried? Have you fallen into a modern-day-cult?” She forced a laugh, and I shook my head.
“You have nothing to worry about,” I assured her. “This tattoo was a spur-of-the-moment thing.”
“An Alek thing,” she said.
“Well, yes,” I admitted. “I fell in love, Valor. I can’t explain it. But I’m happy. Like, seeing stars happy.”
Valor leaned back in her chair, arms folded over her chest. I know I must look crazy, sound crazy, but if she knew the whole truth? God, she’d likely have me committed. “I can’t believe I wasn’t invited to the wedding.”
I laughed, the tension in my chest easing. “It was fast,” I lied. It wasn’t like I could’ve invited her, a human, into a ballroom full of hungry vampires. I’m sure Alek would protect her, maybe even assign someone like Lachlan or Hawke to watch over her, but I wasn’t going to risk her life. Not now. Not ever. She meant too much to me. “If we ever renew our vows in the future, you’re going to be right by my side, I promise.” And I’m sure we could make that happen. A night wedding, with only the trusted Assassins, Avi, and Valor in attendance. Something solid slipped into my blood—Valor had been the first true friend I’d ever had. The only human I actually cared about. And Alek? He’d given me an entire family in the span of a few breaths. Expanding my world and my heart so much I thought I could shatter from all the love flying around in there.