Page 70 of Fangs for the Memories
“Yeah, right. I think you’ve brought more back from Hungary than just excess luggage,” she says, digging into her bathroom cabinet and handing me a box.
I wipe my mouth with a wad of toilet paper and take what she’s offering.
It’s a pregnancy test.
“Why do you have one of these?” I ask her.
Lucy makes an unimpressed face. “Stop deflecting and get on with it. I presume you were doing the horizontal mamba with Mr. Wolfy McWolf-face mafia boss? I can read between the linesin the group chat you know,” she grumbles. “In which case, you need one of these.”
She doesn’t need an answer from me as my cheeks flame.
“Thought so.”
I take the test from her, and she leaves the bathroom for me to do the deed. I look at it for a long time before I finally pee on the stick and then go back to her living room to wait.
“His name is Ferenc Kóbor and he’s the alpha of his pack,” I say, sitting down on the couch again and putting the test in front of me. “He bought the hotel I was staying in.”
“At least he’s a wealthy monster.” Lucy snorts.
“I didn’t go out there to fall in love or even have some fun.” I stare at the bay window across from me, the curtains closed against the early dark winter night.
“I know why you went. I didn’t want you to go,” Lucy says quietly.
“Because you thought I’d get into trouble?” I say angrily.
“Because I was worried you wouldn’t find the peace you were seeking. It seems, however, I was wrong.”
I furrow my brow as I search her face for answers. “How so?”
“You didn’t want to come back. That tells me everything,” she replies.
I wrap my arms around myself. “Ferenc sent me here. He said it was for my protection. There’s something going on between the werewolves and the vampires,” I rush out. “Something about a vault.”
Lucy sits up straighter. “What does your werewolf know about the vault?”
“His pack help protect it,” I reply. “Along with other monsters in Budapest.”
Lucy picks at her nails. “So, he won’t open it.”
“Not a chance. I thought he had everything under control, but...” I look around me “…here I am. Sent packing like a parcel he can just throw out whenever things get hard.”
“I doubt it was that,” Lucy says.
“I don’t need you on his side,” I grumble.
“I’m just saying the monsters in England, they don’t have to show themselves as much as those in Europe. Ours have the Yeavering,” she says, spreading her hands.
“I had no idea you werethatinto monsters.”
“I’m not, but you should pay attention.”
“Lucy, I didn’t even know the man I was supposed to be marrying was cheating on me with his secretary. How am I supposed to pay attention to an entire alternate world?” I spit out the words, tears springing to my eyes.
Lucy is out of her chair and on the couch beside me.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She puts her arm around me as I drop my head into my hands. “I didn’t mean it like that, I really didn’t. I know how much he put on your plate, the bastard.”
She gives me the best of hugs because Lucy has always been the best hugger and my best friend ever since I came to London and we ended up working in the same department store. Her financing her law degree and me gaining experience in fashion and retail.
