Page 114 of Mama Si's Paradise

“How well can you hear exactly? And is it all your senses?” I asked just to distract myself.

“I can hear your heartbeat from about ten feet away. The more I know someone, though, the better I hear them. I could hear my mother’s from about a mile,” he said, and my heart jumped. The words were at the tip of my tongue—and where is your mother now? Was she like me—a bride? Is she still alive?

“We hear and smell better than most Enchanted out there. We’re fast. We’re strong, stronger than the average Enchanted,” he continued. “We’re the male version of sirens, without the fins. That’s how they made us. Vampires can only be male, just like sirens can only be female, and when we’re older andmore powerful, we can harness the power of compulsion as well.”

“Well, fuck,” I choked because it wasn’t enough that they could do everything better than the rest of the world, no. They had to havemorepower over the mind as well.

The next second, two doors on the other side of the hallway opened. My heart began to pick up the beating instantly when I noticed the guards. They wore black clothing and they had swords strapped to their hips—actual swords I had never seen on anyone before. It took all I had not to reach for Valentine and wrap my arm around his just to feel some comfort, which was why I didn’t. Valentine was still one of them, despite how he talked to me. He was their brother, their own blood.

“The first tower,” he whispered as we went through, the guards looking ahead at the walls, not really focused on anything. “This is Romin’s home. We’re now on the way to his office.”

And we got there much too soon.

“Control your body,” Valentine reminded me as we neared the end of a wide hallway on the second floor of the tower, at the end of which stood another guard with another one of those swords strapped to his hips.

Control your body,I repeated to myself over and over again until the door was opened and I was staring at the inside, and those three little words no longer had any meaning to me. I kept going, still as numb, taking in the massive room and the round table at which sat the brothers on chairs that could be considered thrones, made out of metal and wood and velvet. They all had glasses in front of them, filled with red liquid that I was praying to any god who’d listen was wine.

“There she is, at last!”

I recognized all of them, and the eldest—Romin—was onhis feet with his arms wide open, smiling like he was the happiest guy in the world.

So fast.My heart beat so fast it was going to break my ribcage any second, yet I was somehow still walking. Somehow still going, taking in the other brother sitting at Romin’s left with Emil, while Tristian sat across from them, watching me intently from under his lashes.

Grey.

Finally, I was looking Grey Evernight in the face from closer up, and I recognized those almost white eyes as if I’d known him since the day I was born. The memory of him riding his dragon in the rainstorm flashed in my mind. He was looking at me the same way he did that day—like he knew me. Heknewme, and he either hated me with his entire being, or I was the love of his life. Probably the former.

A short stubble covered his square jaws, and his hair was all over the place like he hadn’t bothered to even run his fingers through it when he woke up. His charcoal-black shirt melted onto his wide shoulders, and his hands were fisted to his sides tightly. It took all of my will to unlock my eyes from his. So fuckingintenseI could hardly breathe, but I somehow managed, if only because my instincts were desperate for me to see where I was.

The room was painted a deep red here, but it looked almost black at the corners where the light didn’t quite reach. The animal heads mounted on them were fucking terrifying. A wolf with antlers. A bear with red eyes. A hog with horns on his head. A purple snake head twice as big as the one that almost ate me that morning.

I was sick to my stomach two seconds in.

“Autumn Hayes, allow me to officially welcome you to the Evernight Court of the Whispering Woods. It’s an honor to have you among us,” Romin said with a deep bow.

Valentine stopped us on the other side of the table, the top of which was engraved with a map.

“Good evening,” I barely choked out, all my focus onnotlooking at the animal heads framed in silver that someone had thought would make for a nice decoration—or at Grey.

“A very good evening, indeed. You’ve already had the pleasure of meeting Emil and Tristian, second and fourth. I am Romin, the eldest of my brothers, ruler of the Evernight Court, and this is Grey, the third.” My eyes moved to his face quickly, and—yep, he was still looking at me like that. “I believe you already know Valentine is our youngest.” Romin grinned, showing me perfectly white teeth, but in my mind I could have sworn he was wearing fangs.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” I lied, chin up and hands fisted behind me, determined to make it out of this room alive one way or the other, no matter that I was in the same space—sameclosedspace—as the world’s biggest predators.

“Glad to hear it,” said Romin, taking his seat again and crossing his legs. “I was a bit worried when I heard about the way you came to be in our midst, so when I was asked to give you some time to settle, I agreed.” He paused. “I’m a generous fella like that.” Again, he paused.

Was he waiting for athank you?

“Ha, ha, ha—I’m only kidding,” Romin finally said.

Was he, though? I couldn’t really tell.

Fuck, I was sweating. And I couldn’t believe Valentine had asked Romin to give me time. I mean, it was probably him—who else? I was thankful for it, of course, but I’d also been secretly hoping that the brothers simply lost interest in me.

“I gave you time. I decided that none of us would approach you for two days, which is a lot, don’t you think? And our brides made you feel welcome, didn’t they?” Romin continued, those piercing black eyes seeing right into my soul.

“They did, yes,” I said when Romin didn’t look like he’d continue speaking if I didn’t answer this time.

“Very well, then,” he said. “Come. Sit with me. Let me look at you.” He waved a hand at Grey, who never spoke a single word.

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