Page 68 of Blood

Heat flares in my body as I think about our time together last night. There were other things I should’ve been doing, should’ve been worrying about, but all of them dissipated into a cloud of vapor when Dimitri placed his hands on me and confessed his undying love. And then, after he showed me just how thoroughly he owned my heart, body, and soul, we had a repeat performance. And another one. And another one. And another one.

Technically, the second encore only happened because I insisted Dimitri play a game with me. I thought it would be fun to see how many cheese puffs he could balance on his erect penis before they toppled off. A girl needs to know her mate’s cock control. Dimitri simply growled something inarticulate, shoved my poor cheese puffs onto the floor, and then promised to show me just how much “control” he has over his cock.

I think I prefer his method over mine.

Now, we’re all here, in a conference room directly underneath Lucifer’s apartment, and we can’t seem to decide on our next course of action. Ares wants me to invite the monster council to our next meeting to determine how many numbers we have all together, but I don’t necessarily trust the monster council. Not after what I heard from Alex in regards to Cal. Refusing to invite the monster council, of course, led to another argument, with names being hurled in every direction and threats being made.

And then, there’s the issue of my parents. I seem to be the only one who wants to focus on a rescue operation. Athena’s people seem to believe it’s a waste of resources and that I’m being selfish. I insist that we need Lucifer’s, Hera’s, and Dracula’s powers if we have any hope of defeating Zeus. Then stupid Alex had to be the voice of reason and remind me that we didn’t have a location for the three of them.

So, the arguments continued.

I’ve had enough.

“Can everyone just shut the hell up?” I crack my neck from side to side as, all around me, conversations silence like a flame being snuffed out. I cast my gaze toward my mates first, who all appear on edge and one poke from exploding, then to Memphis, and finally to the Fomorians.

Athena, Balor, Ra, Ares, Thor, Iris, and Freya.

There are at least one hundred, if not more, Fomorians still in their prison-slash-exclusive resort, but these are the ones Athena trusts the most.

Once I’m sure I’ve garnered everyone’s attention, I blow out a breath, stirring the blonde curls that have somehow come loose of my braid, and work to modulate my breathing.

“It’s obvious that we’re going to get nowhere today.” I don’t snap the words, despite the unfettered irritation thrumming through me. I’m ashamed to admit that my voice sounds weary and exhausted. “Why don’t we regroup tomorrow morning?”

Ares bares his teeth at me. “Who are you to tell us what to do, you insolent child—?”

“Ares.” Athena places a delicate hand on his bicep. “Enough.”

Alex leans forward until he’s able to capture my gaze. “We need to come up with a plan, Violet,” he growls.

“We’re getting nowhere with all of this bickering.”

“Zeus could be devouring souls right the fuck now—”

“Alex, enough!” I bark.

Athena sighs dreamily and volleys her gaze between the two of us. “You two truly bicker like a brother and sister. Did you know that?”

Alex immediately rips his penetrating glare off of me to focus on Athena, his features scrunching together in disgust. “What?” he asks, horrified.

“Yeah, didn’t you hear?” Barret smiles giddily. “Alex joined the ‘Violet mate’ club.”

“You know that?” I blink at my guys in surprise. I had every intention of telling them what I discovered about Alex, but it’s never been the right time. Until I could have that conversation with them, I hadn’t allowed Alex to even hold my hand.

Vin rolls his golden-brown eyes. “We’re not dumb, Violet. We see the way he looks at you.”

One of Alex’s eyebrows quirks. “The way I look at her? Not the way she looks at me?”

“She looks as if she wants to stab you,” Barret pipes in helpfully, continuing to smile enigmatically when Alex tosses him a frosty glare.

“She never looks like she wants to stab me.” Cal brushes a hand through his ruffled, pink hair with a sigh. “I’m too pretty to be stabbed.”

“And too modest,” Dimitri mutters under his breath.

Cal waggles his finger in the headmaster’s face. “Don’t give me that shit. We all heard what you got up to with Violet last night.” A shit-eating grin unfurls on the cupid’s face. “I had no idea you made her call you ‘headmaster’ in bed.”

Flames enter my cheeks. “That was one time!”

“Why were you listening?” Dimitri barks. Unlike me, he seems utterly unconcerned with what the other guys may or may not have heard. Then again, I’m pretty sure nothing is capable of flustering the perpetually unruffled assassin.

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