Gypsy Moon (All The Pretty Monsters #4)(78)

“It smells like sex, but I’ve mistaken your bullshit for truth in the past. You and Idun played this game already once before on us,” Damien says, casually looking around as he steps farther into the room.

Vance pushes between us, furious as he shoves the wet hair out of his face, breathing heavily, as his jaw grinds, while the fresh storm rages on outside. Arion just continues to grin.

“How did you do it?” Vance growls.

“Make you think I was in one town instead of another? Simple, I never let on to Violet that we were anywhere else, and I moved too fast for you to truly track me beyond her own comprehension. I’ll keep the details to myself so that you don’t work on it,” Arion gloats, kissing the top of Violet’s head.

Vance’s fist forms, and he glances down at Violet. His gaze then darts to the shirt on the floor, taking in the room like he’s searching for proof she’s really Violet. I’ve been doing the same.

“You slipped out of the ground so conveniently close to Idun, and we’re all the fools for letting you walk off with the one girl we’re all trying to protect,” Damien drawls. “Got to admit, it was almost genius.”

“Couldn’t ever be, because Violet can’t be imitated,” Arion says almost distractedly, his eyes still on her.

Vance’s brow furrows, and I sniff the room, finding only one strange, nearly-muted scent that is likely human, since this hotel is filled with them. “Do you really think Idun would even pretend to lie on me like this?” Arion asks in a rhetorical tone, running his lips up her cheek. “I was the kicked puppy of the lot, in case you’ve forgotten. The loyal dog who wouldn’t stray was always treated the worst.”

Vance’s gaze flicks to mine, like he’s assessing if I’m buying into this or not, before we turn back to Arion. Damien is perched along the side of the wall now, studying Violet intently.

“While Idun was chasing you, trying to get your attention, and showing you all the affection when you finally gave in…”

The vampire just leaves that unfinished sentence suspended, as if he’s grown too distracted by Violet to bother with us right now.

“Damien,” Violet whispers around a moan in her sleep, her leg sliding higher on Arion’s waist.

When Violet makes a short little sound of pleasure and lightly grinds against Arion, the vampire shoots Damien a dubious look.

“It’s Violet,” Damien finally says, eyes blinking like he’s been trying to get inside her head, his entire body sagging in relief like he’s positive.

It puts me at ease…somewhat. I’ve spent the last four hours trekking through the woods behind Vance as we hunted the bastard vampire with yet another new trick up his sleeve. He seems to have more and more of those.

“She smells so powerfully sweet so much of the time, that we never really notice how subtle, soft and almost absent her scent gets when she’s aroused. The very opposite of how one would generally presume such to be,” Arion prattles on once again, back to sharing his sex-fueled insight as he lingers on the high.

As soon as Violet’s not on him anymore, I’m punching him in the face. Mostly because I haven’t ever noticed that until now, and I hate him for pointing it out. Also because the wolf is near the surface, since he’s left me in a frenzied whirlwind of dread and anger all fucking night.

His hand slides down her back, and we all get a view of him pushing inside her when the sheet slips up with his motions. He’s mostly inside her by the time Violet wakes up, and she makes a very pleased sound against his lips as her hips roll, already quickly adjusting to waking up.

“Insatiable vampire,” she murmurs against his mouth.

Vance turns and walks out much calmer, and Damien almost sighs in relief, as Arion forgets we’re even in the room. Arion’s no longer just Idun’s.

This is proof.

Violet has done the impossible, and she’s stolen Arion from Idun’s clutches. He’d never have a casual affair. It’s a line he’d never cross just to trick us.

Just as Damien starts undoing his shirt like all’s fucking forgiven and he’s about to join in, glass shatters, and Violet shrieks, as Arion flips her, coming down on top of her to shield her.

Damien drops to the ground, cursing, as an arrow stabs through his heart. I drop next, as four arrows simultaneously stick through my torso. A roar rattles out of me when I barely manage to get my body in front of Vance before the next barrage of them hit.

I lose sight of Violet, as Arion rolls to the floor, heaving for air, as Vance drops with two arrows sticking out of his heart. Blasted, I thought I’d saved the Van Helsing so he could handle this.

I feel the unknown poison burning through me, groaning as my limbs start to freeze. What new hell is this?

Just as one arrow comes right for my eyes, Violet’s body steps in front of me, and the taste of her blood splatters against my lips.

An arrow is jabbed through her leg, and the assault abruptly ends, silence descending immediately. The wolf inside me stirs, a growl forming in me, as I strain to move even one muscle. It takes me too long to realize the attack was never coming from outside. It was coming from inside the bathroom.

The door creaks open, sending light spilling through the crack. Violet remains the only one standing, while the rest of us continue to be frozen to the ground.

“Move, Violet,” someone grinds out.