“What?”
“Smoky—I mean, Shadow—is going to be really mad at me. I kept him out all night.” He sighed.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“Will you?” He knew it sounded goofy, but Shadow understood him. The little cat had been his companion for the last few months, a balm to his lonely nights feeling apart from his kin. “He’ll like you.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I should be saying that to you.” He hugged her. “The white hair is sexy. It’s the new you. Accept it.”
“I need to see my dad.”’
“Okay. We’ll go together.”
She paused.
“What?”
“What happens now? My mom still wants to sacrifice you. She tried to kidnap me.” Kaia paused. “And I think I might be turning into her.”
He hugged her. “No, agapi mou. You’re you. You’re just getting new power. You said it’s a thing that happens to mages, right? Let’s go talk to Mormo. He’ll know more.”
She blinked at him with a shy smile. “What does agapi mou mean?”
He hadn’t realized he’d said it. “Ah, it’s an endearment.” It meant my love, but he felt it too soon to admit how he felt.
They cleaned up and dressed, Kaia having clothing in his armoire, because apparently that thing was magic too. Orion shook his head but couldn’t complain about Kaia in tight jeans and a cute top that showed off her slender curves. She put her hair back in ponytail, and it accented her oval face and ruby lips.
He frowned. “Are you wearing makeup?”
“What? No.”
He hated to say it, but he had to. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m an expert on Disney movies. And you are rockin’ the Snow White look minus the dark hair. You’re pale, with white hair, blue-black eyes that have a blue glint in the light, and those red, ripe lips.” He had to kiss her and would have gone for a second round of lovemaking had Kaia not pushed him back.
“Mormo first.”
He sighed. “Yeah. And Shadow. Then I fuck you some more.” He sighed again. “When you blush, you look like a straight-up princess. My princess,” he growled, feeling possessive.
After a quick kiss, because Orion had no discipline when it came to his mate, he thought with satisfaction, they searched for Mormo and found him in the kitchen pacing.
He wore normal clothes for once, jeans and a long-sleeved tee-shirt like the rest of them, looking almost human.
Mormo took one look at Kaia and stopped. “Well, well. What have we here?”
Kaia blushed.
“A true beauty.” Mormo bowed, and Orion growled, not liking Mormo playing the gentleman.
“Flirt on your own time, Mormo.”
“Ah, the gentle bridegroom. I hope you were gentle with him, Kaia.”
She laughed, her cheeks pink, so incredibly pretty. Orion’s heart beat just for her.
“A good match,” Hecate said, appearing out of nowhere. “A sea witch for a vrykolakas.” She smiled. “Do you see, Orion? The heart is more powerful than the brain or the body.”
“Whatever, Hecate.”
Kaia’s eyes widened. “H-hello, um, Goddess Hecate.”
Hecate’s smile was full as she put a hand on Kaia’s head. “You have some growing to do, young nymph. But you’ll get there.” She glanced at Orion. “With any luck, you’ll have a positive influence on your mate.”
“Hecate,” he growled.
Kaia’s smile faded. “Am I nymph or a witch? Am I going to turn evil?”
Mormo blinked. “What?”
“I’m like Sabine now. I can feel myself getting stronger, more powerful. Will I do bad things to people?”
Orion would have laughed, but Kaia looked serious. “What? No.” He could feel the truth of her in his bloode, and though yes, she had become more powerful, she was nothing like Sabine.
“We have need of your father, I think.” Mormo shared a look with Hecate.
She vanished.
Mormo turned to Kaia. “Can you call him and ask if he’d meet us somewhere?”
She nodded. “I need a phone.” Mormo handed her one out of thin air, and she dialed. “Hello. Dad? I’m fine. I’m okay.” She paused and turned pink. “I’m sorry. But, well, I need your help. Can I—can we meet you somewhere?”
Orion heard her father more clearly and smirked.
“Yes, and the damn vryko. Mormo wants to meet you too.”
Over the phone, Will Dunwich sighed. “Fine. Swing by the house. I’ll be here all night.”
Mormo nodded. “Let’s take the express lane.”
Kaia had no idea Mormo could open a gateway right in front of her father’s house. Wow. She trembled, trying to stop the dizziness as she stepped out of that funky void he’d produced in the kitchen back in Mercer Island.
“You okay?” her gruff mate asked, looking concerned.
The affection inside him flared bright for her, and she knew that no matter what came next, she could honestly say she’d known a perfect night. It had started with tears and ended with a connection that went soul deep—for both of them.
He frowned then slowly smiled, reading her mind. “Pretty perfect, yeah.”
“Kaia?” Her dad left the front porch and met them halfway across his front lawn.
She couldn’t read his face as he took in her new hair color, but he swept her into a tight hug without hesitation. Grateful for that acceptance, she hugged him back until a familiar growl made her smile.
She pulled back. “Dad, you know Orion.”
“Honestly. I’m a good person. I’m not sure how I keep getting involved with blood-suckers,” he muttered.
“Dad.”
Her father reluctantly released her and gave Orion a sweeping onceover. “The vryko. I’m not surprised.”
Orion yanked her close, glaring at her father until she cleared her throat and subtly stepped on his foot to get his attention.
“What?”
She frowned. “Be nice, please.”
He gave an exasperated breath but nodded to her dad. “Mage.”
“Vamp.” Then her father turned to Mormo and smiled. “Magician, welcome to my home.”
Mormo shook her dad’s hand and pounded him on the back. “Good to see you, Will. How’s Diana?” The two turned and swept into the house, leaving Kaia looking at Orion in surprise.
“They seem pretty friendly,” he said as they followed.
“I know. That’s weird.”
“Not weird,” her dad said and closed the door behind them. He gestured to the dining room, where he’d laid out some food. “After we fought with Mormo in the Chaos Coliseum, and Macy joined his cult” —Mormo’s raised a brow, and her father amended— “I mean, clan, it made sense to keep tabs on the new power vampires in the city. But I found that Mormo’s a pretty sensible guy. And Diana got to meet Hecate, which checked off one of her bucket list items. She had a thing at work or she’d be here, Kaia.”
“I know.” She did. Diana had always been there for her, and Kaia loved her unreservedly.