telling me about this project he’d been working on with his brother which was pretty cool and he set me up with everything I need to take part in it too.” Dante arched an eyebrow at me like I was being slow or something and my lips popped open as my brain suddenly clicked onto what he was talking about.
Pudding had said his brother could make a receiver to give Dante so that I could contact him with the transmitters he made out of the chips in the old pudding pots.
“Really?” I asked, my eyes shining with hope and Dante grinned at me as he nodded.
I had to fight not to start squealing with excitement and jumping up and down because that meant I’d be able to call him and speak to him plainly about my plans whenever I needed to from now on which would make everything a hundred times easier.
“Come on, Twelve. I can’t give you preferential treatment unless you wanna earn it,” Nixon drawled behind me with the barest suggestion to his tone.
It was there though and Dante shoved to his feet so fast that the chair he’d been sitting on crashed to the floor behind him.
“And how exactly do you intend for her to earn it, stronzo?” he demanded, rising up to his full height and looking every inch the Storm Dragon he was as electricity crackled through the air.
“I don’t know what you’re suggesting, son, but if you expect to be allowed to attend visitation again, you’ll treat me with the respect I’m owed,” Nixon replied, wetting his lips with his tongue and looking way too like the Heptian Toad Shifter he was.
“Forget it Dante,” I growled as I placed a hand on his chest, wondering what the fuck had possessed Nixon to try and talk down to the King of the Oscura Clan. “You know you don’t need to worry about me. This motherfucker isn’t even a blip on my radar.”
Dante gave Nixon a death glare over my head and then pulled me into his arms, crushing me close.
“Sei la Fae più forte che conosca, Rosalie. Ci vediamo presto,” he growled in my ear. You’re the strongest Fae I know, Rosalie. I’ll see you soon.
“Ti amo, Dante.” I squeezed him tight, wishing I didn’t have to let go, but all too soon he was releasing me and walking away while I was left to return to my cell once more. But I went with a spring in my step because now, everything seemed to be coming together again.
I ’d lost my fucking work assignment since I’d been found with the cuff key. All privileges stripped, so now I couldn’t even earn tokens for the commissary. My Wolves brought me whatever I wanted, but that wasn’t the point. Warden Pike had my balls in a vice and she was giving them a good fucking squeeze to drive the message home. But I was done being beat down like a naughty pup. I wanted my kitchen job back dammit.
As everyone filed out of the Mess Hall after breakfast and the guards split them up to be sent to their jobs or back to their cell blocks, I lingered in the doorway with my gaze locked on my target. I swept a hand through my blonde hair and hitched on a sideways grin that served me plenty of attention as the inmates walked past me. Girls were biting their lips and giggling, reduced to pools of melted butter at my feet. I could have had any of them. I used to have any of them. But then fate had decided to fuck me in the ass and mate me to a girl I could never really have.
Sometimes I wondered what I’d done to piss off the stars. Being a Lunar meant I’d done plenty of bad shit in my time, but nothing unjustified. And being brought up in a gang-run city, what was I supposed to do? Spread my legs like a whore and get fucked? It wasn’t in my nature. I’d been seeking glory my whole life. I was born to lead, born to fucking rule. But apparently the stars didn’t agree, because they just kept throwing me curveballs that knocked the wind out of me.
Officer Lyle approached and I gave him a smoulder that could have turned the straightest of men gay. And Lyle was definitely not the straightest of men.
“Officer,” I purred. “A word.”
A faint blush lined his freckled cheeks as he moved to