Page 156 of Crave Me

I grinned. “If you want.”

He squeezed my hand. “I’d like that.”

“Then it’s a date.”

“Perfect.”

As we continued walking through the manor, he suddenly veered off away from the den.

“What’s going on?”

“You’ll see,” he said, leading me into the room that had the entrance to The Jackals Lair.

I was frowning up at him with him grinning back at me and not giving anything away as we slipped inside with me noting the door was already open.

As we made our way down the stairs, I caught sight of Caleb and Caspian standing in the middle of the space and holding out a shimmering silver rectangular box, the two of them smiling out at me.

“What’s… is that for me?” I asked, taken aback by the whole thing.

“Sure is,” Caleb said brimming with barely contained excitement.

Caspian held it out to me as Bastian joined them, standing beside Caleb and looking on as I took it.

I peered at them curiously, then sucked in a breath and opened the box.

“Oh my God,” I gasped as I took in what was nestled inside.

An intricate gold and black masquerade mask.

Just like their Jackals masks.

“You like?” Caleb asked as I took it out reverentially and studied it.

“I love it. So much.” I smiled out at them. “And I love the three of you.”

“So hard,” they all chimed in unison, making me grin.

“So hard,” I confirmed.

“You really are one of us, beautiful. In every way.”

Caspian told me, “This will come in handy after our much-needed vacation when we head back out into the city as The Jackals.” He gestured at the mannequins in the far corner and I noticed that there were four now.

Not just that.

I walked over there in somewhat of a trance and saw a hooded leather coat in my size with the Kevlar vest beneath. I peered at the back and saw the striking embroidered red silhouette of a jackal, teeth gnashing. The uniform of The Jackals.

“Wow. I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it, darling.”

I gasped at the sound of Caleb’s voice now right behind me and as I spun around I got more of a surprise as all three of them were there now wearing their masks.

Devilish grins spread over their lips, their eyes darkening, looking all the more eerie and intense with the masks. Mmm.

I got the message and put mine on.

The moment I settled it into place, the three of them surrounded me.

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