Gypsy Moon (All The Pretty Monsters #4)(59)

“I didn’t smell or see anything up there,” Arion says with clear confusion.

“What is that thing? A shapeshifter? Certainly not a wolf. Wolves don’t have yellow eyes or patchy bald spots around their massively long snouts,” Violet rambles on, still slightly winded, as she wildly gestures at the castle again, distracting me with so much skin.

I slink an arm around her, dragging her to me, and her hands immediately catch on my chest as she leans into me. Then…she starts climbing me like she needs more security that I’m happy to provide.

“What has yellow eyes?” she gripes as her eyes lift to meet mine.

It takes me an embarrassingly long second to look up from her very lacy underwear. She never wears sexy underwear, so this is a first.

“New underwear?” I ask her as my eyes remain fixed on the cleavage, something that has my head at an awkward angle just to view.

“I didn’t dress myself or pack for myself. Good times. Good times.” She glares at me as though she’s growing increasingly frustrated with each word out of her mouth.

“Yeah, we only found a few things for you, since we were in a hurry and your clothes were burned up with the lightning,” I tell her, still distracted.

“Stop talking about my clothes! Yellow. Eyes,” she states emphatically, staring at me like I’m the fool who has lost my mind.

“No creature has yellow eyes, love. You sure you’re not just seeing things?” Arion asks her absentmindedly, eyes dipping to where her legs are tightly wrapped around my waist. “Come hop on and we’ll go take a look,” he adds.

“I think I’ll be the ferry this time,” I say as I head to the mountainside, but Violet scrambles off me.

“I definitely want it over very quickly this time, and I’d also like all of you up there. It’s dark, creepy, and now I don’t have a—”

As if summoned, the flashlight I tucked in her pocket earlier falls right beside her feet, snapping into several pieces on impact. She simply stares at it.

“No need in finishing that sentence,” she says with an eye-roll, as she moves to Arion’s side too easily.

“I’m known to be quite fast at climbing,” I point out.

“Not as fast as I am, old chap,” Arion argues.

“Where’s Emit?” Violet asks, her gaze darting around.

“Dealing with the wolves. Three will have to suffice for the moment,” Damien tells her, gesturing toward himself. “I can keep you distracted all the way up, sweet monster.”

Violet is already climbing a very happy vampire, who wraps his arms around her, as she drops a quick kiss to his lips without being prompted, and tucks her face against his neck.

Arion never lets anyone that close to his neck, but the fucker just grins at us, because Violet trusts him far too much.

“I want it over as quickly as possible, and all of you gripe about his speed. Will Emit be okay by himself?” she asks, her words muffled by Arion’s neck, as he just continues to stand still, content to simply hold her.

“He’ll be just fine, love,” Arion assures her before Damien and I can speak, and the vampire runs his hand under the coat to grab her scantily lace-clad ass.

Damien and I both hear the groan he suppresses, though Violet remains oblivious.

“I’m guessing you bound the beast with your clothing?” I ask, as Arion leisurely walks toward the mountainside.

“Take a break if you need more time to recover from saving me and all,” Violet whispers so quietly to Arion, and then turns her head toward me, as his grin only spreads wider. “I missed,” she states like she’s in surprise. “I never miss. Not with that trick, but it was so dark, and that flashlight didn’t help my aim much while I was panicking. Animals scare me a little, hence the reason a cat can damn near give me cardiac arrest.”

How terrible is it that our ex happens to have dens full of animals she controls? Fucking hell.

“Ah, so that’s the real reason Emit’s struggling,” Arion chirps like this is the best day ever.

“I know Emit’s wolf. It doesn’t scare me,” Violet says dismissively.

Damien and I both sort of resist the urge to smile after that. Sweet, na?ve girl indeed.

Arion whispers to her, “Brace yourself, love.”

Violet’s arms and legs tighten around him, as he quickly, smoothly, and almost effortlessly, scales the side of the mountain with too much fucking speed.

“The vampire is keeping more secrets from us than I realized, and Violet isn’t trying to tell us those secrets any longer,” Damien points out, eyes narrowed above him.

I start climbing the damn wall, leaving him behind very quickly.

“He fucked with her head,” I remind him.

“Not to that extent. I’d see it if he had. Right now, there’s just one layer locked away inside her mind,” Damien tells me. “It’d be such a better life if I could read her thoughts when I penetrate her mind.”

“Are you almost here?” Violet’s voice calls down, and I glance up at the progress still left to make.

“Fucking fast vampire,” Damien mutters from just below me.





CHAPTER 17





VIOLET


“There’s nothing here, love,” Arion says as I continue to stay tucked against Vance’s side, standing at the top of the stairs with him, as Arion comes toward us.