Gypsy Freak (All The Pretty Monsters #2)(59)

“No,” Damien answers in his bored, barely-here tone, as though last night broke the spell, and the tension in the air doubles each time he speaks to me. “Other omegas from other packs were also killed.”

“Is Fay’s father a beta?” I ask.

Emit frowns as he looks over at me. “Fay’s father? I think he died as a mortal hundreds of years ago.”

I say nothing, since I don’t know any of the omegas’ back stories. But Fay didn’t talk like she was bringing up an old wound that first night I vomited up my own daddy issues. Out of everyone, she was the most empathetic.

Emit’s head jerks up, and his lips tense as he sniffs the air.

“Stay put,” he tells me as he walks out of the room.

Damien tenses, groans, and glances down at his watch. “Stay here,” he says on a sigh, echoing Emit’s command as he goes too.

I glance out the window, seeing Shera’s car, and I quietly stand, deciding Fay was certainly important enough to spy for.

When I hear Arion’s voice instead of Shera’s, I tense and very quietly peer around the corner, seeing Emit’s back.

“Violet’s here. I can smell her,” Arion chirps. “Finally quit dallying after you saw the dopey fucking look on Damien’s face?”

“I had to inform her about Fay, and she’s waiting for us in the common area. You shouldn’t be here,” Emit grinds out.

“Ah, so Violet is vulnerable, due to yet another tragic loss. I don’t hear any sobbing, so that means she’s just vulnerable enough. Figures you’d wait for the easiest moment. Heaven forbid you put forth any real effort. I’m proud of Damien. At least he’s killing himself to take just a little pleasure,” Arion goes on, causing my fists to form.

Is he really this cruel?

This cold?

“The snow is falling again in heavy clumps. Just how bad is the spirit infestation of this diabolical little town gotten?” Arion asks. “And how long until you two dalliers get yours so I can charm Violet to me, and we can start the new good times?”

I swallow the words I want to scream, as tears waver on my lids.

“Now is not the time for this,” Damien tells him in a tired tone, like this isn’t even an emotional time for him in the least, and he’s been around Fay as much as I have lately.

“It won’t ever be the time for it. There’ll always be a problem on the horizon, but the fact you’re sensibly discussing a setup is improvement already. Now, go charm her. I’ve told you time and time again how easily charmed she is. Just let the girl know she’s pretty, give her some attention, keep her from being lonely, and you’ll be in there as tightly as Damien is,” Arion says to Emit. “Then I can finally have my turn.”

I turn and walk away, moving as silently and quickly as possible, throat burning and tears leaking as I go.

When will I stop being so gullible?





Chapter 22





VIOLET


Walking into my house, I’m not sure what I expect, but it’s certainly not a lot of bags. Bags that have Diva or Juicy or something similar scrawled across them in rhinestones, glitter, and other bedazzling things.

The chatter I hear coming from upstairs has me quickly drying my eyes, just as the patter of feet start down the stairs.

“It’ll be big enough if we put all our clothes in that other room—like a huge closet,” Lemon is animatedly telling Leiza.

All of them have reddened eyes, so I know they know about Fay.

“But that will be all her guest rooms. Where will her father stay when he drops in unannounced?” Mary asks as she pushes her blonde hair out of her face.

I have no idea what they’re talking about, or how they’re so cold about Fay. I don’t really get to ponder it long, because they all swing their gazes to me at once.

Lemon’s eyes soften when she sees me.

“You poor dear,” she says before hurrying over to hug me.

I’m not used to people hugging me, so I just sort of stand still and soak it in, weirdly comforted by a simple embrace.

“How are all of you?” I ask as I finally hug her back, certain she could use some comfort too, since they were pack—family.

“Our hearts are broken, but we’ve unfortunately felt this so many times. We’re not as young and soft as you,” Leiza says as she comes over and cups my cheek.

“We’re moving in,” Tiara grunts as she starts hauling bags up the stairs.

I blink a few times.

“Say what now?” I ask Leiza.

“We were going to cook you dinner and romance you a bit before that announcement,” she says in an annoyed tone, glaring at Tiara’s back as the she-wolf strains her biceps.

“We’re not safe with just Emit anymore. Someone is too ballsy. Omegas die first in the wars if they don’t find the strongest homes to stay in. Even in this era, obviously,” Mary says, sniffling as she wipes her eyes.

“Yeah, but I can assure you that my home is—”

“Free of all vampire invitation,” Tiara says from upstairs.

“Well, yeah, but I’m—”

“Protected by not one, but three alphas,” Lemon points out.

“It’s four. You’re forgetting Damien,” Mary says as she reads from a list.