Someone chuckles.
“Bland? Try the most awesome sense of humor ever.”
“Most awesome sense of humor ever?” Legend laughs mockingly. “I think that’s the best joke you’ve ever told.”
“Laugh all you want, dead guy,” the werewolf quips. “But deep down, I know you missed my jokes.”
Legend chuckles. So does someone else. I want to peer over his shoulder to see what’s happening, but I can’t find the courage to do so.
“So, how was life in the Common Realm?” Mr. Sense of Humor asks. “Is it as boring as everyone says?”
“Mostly.” Legend pauses. “Although, it wasn’t entirely awful.”
“Aw, I see.” The wolf’s voice glitters with amusement. “And does that have anything to do with that lovely little thing hiding behind you?”
Shit. My time of hiding has come to an end.
“It might.” Legend tugs on my arm, moving me to his side. “Shade, I’d like you to meet Lake.” Legend gestures at the blond wolf sitting on the right side of the table.
Shades tenses as his gaze scrolls over me, then he sniffs the air. Confusion swirls in his eyes as he glances at the wolf sitting at the back of the table. They trade an indecipherable look, and then the sad wolf shakes his head, his disappointment and sorrow still evident.
Shade sighs, returning his attention back to me, and forces a smile.
So weird. Are all werewolves this strange?
“I heard rumors about the Common Realm that you clearly contradict,” Shade says, dazzling me with a charming smile. “You’re absolutely stunning, sweetheart.”
“Um, thanks.” I sneak Legend a is-this-guy-for-real look.
Legend sighs heavily. “Shade thinks he has to hit on anything with legs.”
“That’s not true at all.” Shade takes a sip of his drink. “And even if it was, I meant what I said. She’s absolutely stunning.”
“Yes, she is,” Legend agrees, earning him a nasty look from me. “What?” He shrugs innocently. “You are.”
I narrow my eyes at him. He knows how uncomfortable compliments make me.
Legend sighs. “Fine, I’ll stop with the compliments and continue on with introductions.” He gestures toward the guy sitting on the left side of the booth. “This is Rune. Rune, this is Lake.”
Rune sticks out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Lake.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” I shake his hand. Surprisingly, his skin is warm, the same temperature as mine.
When we let go of hands, Rune stands to his feet and collects an empty glass from off the table. “I’m going to get a refill. Anyone want anything?”
“I’ll have a silver vodka.” Legend digs some coins out from of his pocket, and Rune snatches them.
“You just had to go there, didn’t you?”
A smirk teases at Legend’s lips. “What? It’s my favorite drink.”
Rune stuffs the coins into his pocket. “A drink that’ll burn me if it so much as touches my skin. Seriously, are you trying to kill me?”
“No. I’m trying to enjoy my favorite drink that I haven’t been able to have in over a year.” Legend nods his head at me. “And while you’re at it, get this one a water.”
I crinkle my nose. “Hey, why the hell am I getting put on water tonight?”
Legend gives me a really look. “Do I need to remind you of the countertop incident last night?”
I flinch. “Oh yeah, I forgot about that.”
“Countertop incident?” Shade slants forward, resting his arms on the table. “Do tell?”
I fire a keep-your-trap-shut look at Legend. The last thing I want anyone to know is how I danced on the counter at a bar last night.
“She’s got some guts, giving a vampire like you a look like that,” Shade muses. “I like her.”
A trace of a smile touches my lips. Maybe Legend was right; they don’t seem anything like the werewolves who attacked me in the alley. But when Legend signals for me to sit down in the booth next to the guy whose eyes carry heartbreaking sorrow, a shiver rolls through me. Still, I plop my ass down into the booth, anyway, keeping some distance between us.
My fear alleviates a drop when Legend scoots in next to me. That all goes right out the window, though, as the stranger fastens his gaze on me.
I squirm, trying to avoid eye contact with him, even though every part of me begs to steal a peek at the beautiful guy sitting next to me.
Legend looks at the intense wolf sitting beside me. “Jules, this is Lake,” he says. “Lake, this is Jules, prince of the Violet Mountain pack.”
Lovely. He’s werewolf royalty. No wonder he looks so confident. He’s probably above every other wolf in the club.
I turn and offer Jules’ my hand, though I’m scared shitless. “It’s nice to meet you, Jules.”
His gaze bores into me as he places his ring-less hand in mine. He doesn’t utter a word. Just stares at me with fire in his eyes. Again, he sniffs the air.
What the hell is up with all the sniffing?
Unsure what to do or say, I sputter the first words that pop into my mind. “How come you have silver on your fingers? I thought silver was poisonous to werewolves.”
Jules’ lip twitches with either amusement or irritation. My bet is the latter. “I have royal blood in my veins; therefore, I’m almost immune to silver.”
My brows dip as I withdraw my hand from his. “Almost?”
He removes one of the rings from his finger. The skin beneath the metal is scalded, but the burn immediately heals.
“So, you just, what?” I ask. “Wear the rings and let them burn you for kicks and giggles?”
“They barely burn me. And if I wasn’t royalty, wearing them would eventually kill me,” he clarifies. “And I don’t do it for kicks and giggles. I do it to warn other werewolves of what I am so they’ll know to respect me.”
“Sounds pretty stupid if you ask me.” I bite down on my tongue. What the heck just came over me? Usually, I’m not that rude.
Uncomfortable silence stretches between us, and then Shade snorts a laugh.
“Man, I think I might like her even more now.” He scoops up his drink and downs a long gulp before lowering the glass and wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. “Seriously, Legend, where did you find her?”
Legend stiffens from beside me, and I hold my breath, waiting for him to respond, to see if he’ll tell my story, but Jules speaks first.
“You’re right; it is pretty stupid,” he mumbles, putting the ring back on.
“Then why do you do it?” I ask as Rune slides into the booth next to Shade and sets a drink down in front of Legend then a glass of water in front of me.
Jules shrugs, lifting his drink toward his lips, his damn gaze never leaving me. “Because it’s a rule in our pack.”
“Well, it’s a stupid rule.”
You know what’s stupid, Lake? Saying stupid to a werewolf twice in less than a minute.
Jules studies me with his head angled to the side. “Yes, it kind of is, isn’t it? But I don’t make the rules. The king does. I can pass along your message to him if you want and let him know how much you don’t like his rules.” He leans forward, his eyes glittering with something that makes my heartrate quicken. “I’d advise, though, not to use the word stupid so much when you speak to him. I’d also advise that with other paranormals. They’re not fans of being insulted, especially by humans.”
I sink my teeth into my bottom lip, feeling kind of stupid but also irked. “I was only telling the truth. It’s stupid that you’re burning yourself just to show power and gain respect. I’m sure there are other less painful ways to do that.”
“You think so, huh? Then please, enlighten us with these other less painful ways?” He reclines back in the seat and raises his glass to take a drink.
“Um …” Great, I just had to open my mouth “You could, like, bite them or whatever it is you werewolves do.”
He chokes, nearly s
pitting his drink out all over the table. Shade and Rune erupt in laughter. Even Legend chuckles.
“What’s so funny?” I ask. “Isn’t that what werewolves do to each other?”
The three of them laugh harder, clutching their sides, while Jules continues to choke on his drink, pounding his chest.
“Oh, my werewolves, she’s a riot,” Shade says through his laughter. “Seriously, if this is how all humans are, then sign me up for the Common Realm.”
Feeling like an idiot, I look to Legend for help. “What did I say that’s so funny?”
“Werewolves bite each other to permanently link themselves to their soulmates after they find him or her. It’s an act of intimacy, not of violence.” He takes a sip of his silver laced vodka to hide his grin. “It’s kind of like foreplay."
My cheeks flood with heat. “Oh.”
Seeking relief from my discomfort, I reach for the glass in front of me, but then I remember that Legend told Rune to get me water.
I need something stronger.
“So, did you sneak her in from her realm because she’s so entertaining?” Jules asks Legend with his eyes still on me and a ghost of a smile on his lips.
“I didn’t sneak her in. I got her a twenty-four-hour traveling pass.” Legend rotates in the booth, bringing his knee up on the bench and forcing me to scoot over, closer to Jules. “And I brought her here because I wasn’t ready to let her go yet. Although, her entrainment level did play a part in that. My favorite is watching her get embarrassed.”
I playfully pinch Legend’s arm, and he laughs.
“You’re such a mean, old vampire.” I dazzle him with a sassy smirk.
“Well, will you look at that?” Shade muses while staring at Jules. “He’s actually smiling.” He looks at me. “You should be proud of yourself, sweetheart. Jules never smiles. Not since …” He trails off, wincing.
I glance at Jules just in time to see the smile dissolve from his face.
“I wasn’t smiling,” he bites out, his tone aching with guilt.
Rune smacks Shade upside the head. “Why’d you have to point it out?”
Shade slams his hands against Rune’s chest. “Because we haven’t seen him smile in over a decade.”
Rune glowers at Shade. “Yeah, so? Now he’s not smiling, is he?”
The two of them glance worriedly at Jules. My gaze drifts in his direction, too. Then I promptly shrink back at the hatred in his eyes.
Hatred just like those werewolves who attacked me.
Hatred directed at me.
Invisible fingers wrap around my throat as agonizing memories of being in that alleyway rip me apart from the inside out.
I turn to Legend to beg him to get me the hell out of here, but he’s chatting animatedly with a woman standing in front of our table. She has long auburn hair and cat-shaped eyes, her lips redder than vampire’s blood. I’m not sure what she is, but Legend seems elated to see her. Happier than I’ve ever seen him.
Not wanting to ruin his happy moment, I take a few measured breaths.
Get your shit together, Lake. You’re not in the alleyway. These werewolves aren’t them.
When my heart continues to thrash, though, I reach for Legend’s drink.
“I thought you were on a water ban?” Shade teases, attempting to lighten the mood.
I manage an awkwardly stiff smile. “What can I say? I guess I’m not very good at taking orders from the undead.”
If Legend heard me, he’d laugh, but he’s too engulfed in the conversation with the very pretty woman.
His lightness is the exact opposite of the rigid atmosphere hovering between the rest of us. I feel like I’ve done something wrong that pissed Jules off and made Shade and Rune tremendously uneasy, and that pisses me off.
I didn’t even do anything.
Raising the brim of the glass to my nose, I take a whiff of the silvery liquid, and my eyes immediately water.
“Too strong for you, huh?” Shade grins, but then casts an edgy glance at Jules.
Now what’d I do?
“No,” I lie. The drink smells like fire.
“It’s better if she doesn’t drink it. Humans are too weak for our drinks. They’re too weak period.” Jules’ pierced lips curl into a cruel smirk as his hard eyes set on me. “I don’t know why the rulers even let humans into our realms, other than to make us suffer through your boring visits and stupid, relentless questions. If you want to visit our realm, you should educate yourselves about us so we don’t have to deal with your stupidity.”
What a fucking asshole! I haven’t felt this irritated since I lived in foster care.
Heat flickers inside me, a fire I wasn’t aware existed, and I find myself lowering the glass from my lips. “Maybe humans are educated about your realm, but we have to ask stupid questions because your rules and traditions are so stupid that they make no sense at all. And yeah, we might be weak in terms of magical strength, but at least we don’t abuse our strength to hurt someone for no damn reason.” My fingers wander to the scars on my abdomen, remnants of the attack.
Jules’ smirk dwindles and his lips part. I don’t wait to hear whatever foul words are about to pass across those pretty lips of his, though.
“And if I’m so weak, then how come I can do this and you can’t?” I throw my head back and down a huge swallow. Then I smile smugly as I lower the glass from my lips, the liquid slipping down my throat. No, not slipping. Scalding.
Panic flares in my veins as a fire ignites in my lungs.
Oh, my God, I’m being burned alive from the inside, the drink tearing apart my esophagus and ripping the air from my lungs. I gasp for air, the glass falling from my hand, and the rest of drink spilling across the table.
“Fuck, don’t let it touch you.” Legend shoves me out of the way as the liquid trickles off the edge of the table and pools onto the bench.
My shoulder bumps into Jules and a whimper fumbles from my lips as I struggle to get oxygen into my singed lungs.
“I thought you said she was human,” Jules growls at Legend as he grabs my hips and drags me onto his lap.
“I never said that,” Legend snaps, wiping up the spilled drink with a cloth napkin. “You just assumed.”
Legend is panicking, which makes me panic even more.
I can’t breathe. I’m on fire. Because I drank a silver vodka drink. I think I might even be dying. Why? Silver isn’t bad for humans. Only werewolves.
Am I …? Am I a werewolf?
No, there’s no way that can be true! I’m from the Common Realm.
Aren’t I?
Oh, my God, if I’m a werewolf and just drank silver, I’m going to die!
“Shade, Rune, go see if you can find some Lily Kiss to give her,” Jules barks out. Then his wide eyes land on me. He grips my waist and turns me toward him, smelling my neck. “Why don’t you have a scent?” He tears his eyes off me and glances at Legend. “I thought she looked familiar when I first saw her … And her eyes …” He’s struggling to breathe evenly. “But her name doesn’t match up, and she doesn’t have a scent.”
“I know that. That’s why I brought her here.” Legend scoots closer to us, his words rushing out of him. “She doesn’t remember much of her life, but I sensed something was different about her the moment I met her. After spending some time with her, I started questioning if she was a werewolf and someone was hunting her, so that only upped my suspicions. Tonight, when I finally got let out of that hellhole of a realm, I brought her here to see if you knew who she belonged to … to find out if I was right … that she is a werewolf.” He yanks his fingers through his hair as he stares at me with remorse. “Fuck, please tell me that this Lily Kiss stuff will reverse whatever that drink’s doing to her.”
“It might if they can find some in time.” Jules’ fingers dig into my hips, the muscles in his lean arms bulging as he stares into my eyes. “I’m so sorry. I know it hurts.” He seems so torn up, so haunted.
I want to hug
him and tell him everything will be okay. A strange reaction considering I barely know him and was pissed off at him moments ago. And because he’s also trying to say I’m a werewolf.
No, it can’t be true.
The drink was just too strong. I just need to breathe through it.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale … Oxygen abruptly rushes into my lungs, the fiery ache in my chest subsiding. The pain in my throat diminishes, too.
“Thank God,” I breathe in relief, relaxing back against the table. “I’m not a wolf.”
A pucker forms between Jules’ brows. “No, you are.”
“B-but the pain is gone,” I sputter. “And I can breathe now.”
“Thank the fucking vampires you’re all right.” Legend sighs, flopping back in the seat.
I shoot him a pissed off look, warning him that I’m mad and that he has a lot of questions to answer.
He swallows hard then nods, understanding.
“The pain is gone because …” Jules’ nostrils flare as he breathes in, his eyes widening in awe. “You’re royalty.”
Rune and Shade return to the table just in time to hear him say that. They don’t have anything in their hands, so I’m guessing they didn’t find any of that Lily Kiss stuff.
“You have got to be shitting me.” Shade gapes at me. “Is she …? Do you think—”
“I don’t know.” Jules stares at me like I’m a complicated puzzle he desperately wants to solve. “Legend said you couldn’t remember a lot about your life?”
I shake my head. “Not anything before I was eight.”
Jules swallows, his fingers delving into my hips.
“Fuck me.” Rune blows out a deafening exhale. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
Reality threatens to creep up on me, that I am a werewolf and these wolves seem to know me. But I’m not ready to face the truth yet, so I latch on to denial.
“I’m from the Common Realm. I’m human,” I insist. But deep down, my blank past haunts me. Before the age of eight, I can’t remember anything, so who’s to say where I came from and what I am. Why have I never thought about this before? “I’m not royalty … I’m not a werewolf … I’m not anything.”
“Yes, you are.” Jules traces circles on my hips, a move that reminds me of the dream I had about the werewolf with the glowing violet eyes. “The only creatures that reacts to silver the way you just did are werewolves. And the only werewolves who can self-heal from silver wounds are those with royal blood.”