Gypsy Moon (All The Pretty Monsters #4)(66)

“I’ll have to do that when I return.” His eyes grow serious. “I’ll need you to stay on the phone with Vance until then, though. By now, they’ve likely found Emit and the regional alpha. We crash landed just beyond their territory,” he goes on.

I don’t even argue that, or ask the reason why.

“I saw a portrait of you,” I tell him just as he picks his phone up again, and he grimaces. “Right down to the threads, you looked the exact same as when we first met…the night you were haunting Vance.”

“The night he painted your toes like a common, new-age teen girl,” he says with a shudder. “That portrait was done just after we’d turned immortal. I could explain the complicated details of astral projection—”

“Is that something you can do at will now?” I cut in, not needing the complicated details. “You only sort of explained once before.”

He gives me a tight, humorless smile. “It’s something I could do on a weaker scale, up until I had my first taste of human blood. A wall slammed into place after that. It’s firmly back in place since I fed that first day I finally reached the surface again.” He glances down at his phone.

“Whenever we can’t definitively explain something that was a direct result of those actions, we chalk it up to gypsy magic and blood magic causing a lot of side effects. The universe had to write new laws for us. As Damien calls it—the freaky shit. While starved for blood for so long, I suppose I was able to touch that side briefly once again.”

I nod like I understand, even though it just barely answers my question.

“I thought we’d be touching while you asked a spitfire round of questions,” he states idly, glancing up again.

At my look, he grins once more.

“I’m not asking for sex. I’m just a man who is truly starved for affection, even the smallest amount,” he assures me.

“You’re trying to sound pathetic again.”

“Is it working?” he asks hopefully.

Considering I want to give him a hug when he sounds pathetic—fake or not—I’d say it’s working.

“Not even a little,” I lie.

The triplets appear in the room, and I startle, but Arion just grins. “You girls come to cheerlead for me some more?”

They don’t answer before vanishing all at once again.

“They want something that’s going to take a lot of time, and more help,” I say on a long groan, as I stand and head toward the bedroom.

“Advancing to the bed already, are we?” Arion drawls.

“Shower, remember? I need a shower so hard right now. I don’t even know what time it is, or why it feels like it’s been dark for eighteen days, but I do know I need a shower. The less I sleep, the longer the days are starting to feel.”

I don’t even know what day it is anymore.





CHAPTER 20





ARION


I pull out my phone as I slip into the bathroom, certain Violet has stepped into the shower by now. The glass doors do nothing to hide her body from me yet, although the steam is hinting at the edges of the glass, warning me my view won’t be undisturbed for long.

Violet tips her head back, eyes closing, as she lets the water run over her.

My eyes run down her bare breasts, but my gaze quickly snaps back up when she angles her head in the shower, my favorite spot on her neck far too temptingly turning toward me. I step closer as she angles her head the other way, moaning a little, which suggests she enjoys the feel of the water.

I finally take the damn video, and I send it to Vance to let him know she’s perfectly safe.

He quickly fires back a text to me.



VANCE: I’ll be visiting House of Jessup within the next hour. Things are anxious with the wolves.



He can handle Jessup on his own. After seeing her in the shower, I’ve changed my mind about leaving.



ME: Have one of the others scavenge the plane. I’m not leaving Violet alone. She hasn’t even figured out I’m in here yet, so I’ve changed my mind and I’m staying. Damn girl is too much of an easy target.



I pocket my phone, because that’s all I have to say on the matter, and I’ve been generous enough not to loop. Though, he’ll be pissed once he finds out this vampire still has more tricks up his sleeve.

I wonder how she’d react if I climbed in there with her and took over caring for her body.

“Thought you were going to get our things,” Violet says as she opens her eyes on me, not even a little surprised, as she gives me her back.

My eyes dip to her equally tempting derriere with that movement.

“I decided you need more protection,” I answer, moving closer to the shower doors as they continue to steam up. “When I went under, hot water wasn’t so easily accessible,” I say by way of changing the subject. “It’s fast becoming a favorite of mine. I’d be happy to help you out in there. I’m very helpful.”

She says nothing as she starts massaging the small bottle of hair soap into her scalp, suds quickly forming as she does so. Her motions aren’t graceful or meant to seduce—more hurried than anything—but I still can’t help but wonder what it’d be like to have her do that for me, and wonder how to broach that topic.