Page 119 of Halfblood Deceived

Mari gave Zeydan an approving nod.

Luce sighed with a world-weariness beyond her years.

Andreas narrowed his eyes at Zeydan. “Arsehole.”

“No, no,” Mari argued. “That’s your last name, Andreas.”

Evan coughed. “Room.”

Andreas flashed his fangs at him. “Don’t you fucking start again.”

“How would you like to have green hair, Evan?” Mari asked ever so kindly, eyes bright with contained magic, her smile wicked.

Evan squeaked. “Don’t you dare!”

Kerian laughed, arching a brow at Zeydan. “And I thought they were ever so well-behaved at first.”

Zeydan let out a long breath. “They are all absolutely fucking crazy.”

“Which is why we put up with your broody arse,” Mari pointed out.

“True,” Gabby agreed.

Zeydan gave her a faux scowl. “Traitor.”

The bickering didn’t cease during the whole ride. Kerian offered several comments that added fuel to the already fiery bickering between Mari and Andreas.

Zeydan interjected a few times, but mostly watched the lot of weirdos he’d collected over the last century. They drove him mad sometimes, but he would kill and die for them.

Still, he felt like someone was missing.

Someone whom he owed still having his family in one piece.

Someone he planned to befriend properly soon.

CHAPTER 28

Aella held onto Diana’s waist as she maneuvered her bike expertly on their way to Hecate.

She felt silly now for refusing her sister’s previous offers to go for a ride on the powerful, black bike. Diana obviously knew what she was doing. Also, now that Aella had traveled through the forest astride a giant wolf, she found the bike felt like child’s play.

She hadn’t mentioned that detail of the past night to Diana.

It felt… private.

Precious.

Aella’s mind was still spinning from the previous night’s events. She would forever remember that chilly night as simultaneously one of her worst and one of her best.

She had never felt more hopeless, more broken, and dead inside than when she’d been about to jump into the ocean. She had never felt more cherished and warm than when the wolf had hugged her and let her pour her pain all over him. She had never been more alive and awake than when she wrapped all her limbs around the wolf as he ran through the forest.

Aella feared her sister would think she wasn’t sane if she told her that.

Diana patted Aella’s hands, bringing her back to reality. “We’re here.”

Aella climbed off the bike and removed the helmet. Diana had parked in the back of Hecate, where the staff parking lot was. There were a few more bikes and two cars there. One of those was an elegant sedan that Aella was sure belonged to Kamilla.

She gulped, her heart beating harder.

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