I was, for a time." He walked past her and dropped her bike in front of the house's door.
Diana noticed the noise inside. There were at least a couple dozen people in there—dancing, singing out of tune, and drinking, by the smell of it.
She focused on Mikar. She really wouldn't have taken him for a slayer. Generally, Diana could tell the difference between a turned vampire and a child of the seven houses, born into this life. She would have sworn he was the latter.
"Who do you work for now, then? Alexius?"
Her brother howled like it was the best joke he'd heard in years, before walking in the house. "I'll leave you two to it."
"I'm one of the De Villier slayers," Mikar told her. "Levi and I go way back. He doesn't get on my nerves."
Diana narrowed her eyes, trying to understand him. "And you're content serving someone else?" She didn't get it. "Men like you generally don't follow well."
His answering grin was downright panty melting. And dangerous. "You think you know many men like me, little Helsing?"
She didn't, actually.
"Whatever. Thanks for carrying my bike." Her tone seemed to say you can go now. Naturally, he ignored the dismissal, and gallantly held the door of her own house open. "You realize that no amount of groveling is going to make me forgive you for threatening to bite me, right?"
"I don't grovel," he countered.
She tittered. "You could have fooled me."
Hunter or Prey
Seeing her home after all this time was a little surreal. It had changed in places, been renovated a few times over the centuries in varying styles, but the bones of the manor were still the same. The original house had been old, but a few years before Alexius and Diana were born, their grandfather had it rebuilt in the image of Windsor Castle. Seeing lighting, an AGA range in the kitchen, and modern plumbing was as strange as it was reassuring.
"Tell me you modernized the apartments upstairs, too," she begged.
Alexius laughed. "A little. Your room's decent, though. I had decorators convert the top floor into an apartment for me. They took care of your room, too."
She blinked, taken aback. "You kept my room free?"
Alexius looked at her like she was slow. "Well, what would I have done with it?"
Turned it into a game room. Set it ablaze. Maybe even just let it be overtaken by cockroaches. She wouldn't have guessed he would have had it redesigned.
"Thank you."
He shrugged, as though he thought nothing of it.
"We'll take your bags up later. I want you to meet Avani."
He led her to one of the many drawing rooms, where the party was in full swing.
The blue and silver room had been decorated with balloons, candles, and a handmade banner that read “Avani and Alexius.” Both A’s had been fashioned into a pretty intertwining monogram.
Alexius's mate wrapped her arms around her like they'd known each other their entire lives. Diana couldn't say she disliked it. Never one to ignore first impression, she had to admit liking the she-wolf on the spot. Avani seemed equal parts fierce and endearing.
"You look exactly like I pictured you," she told Diana. "And the boots. I love them!"
They were going to get along just fine.
Diana grinned. "I'm sorry I missed the wedding. It's lovely meeting you."
And it was, though she was getting tired.
Diana was all for a party, in general, but she would have much preferred being able to crawl into bed, after everything.
Avani introduced her to their friends—some vampires, plenty of witches, and surprisingly, even a fair number of huntsmen. She was too tired to make her mind up about any of them. They were welcoming enough. Diana's eyes narrowed when Avani stood in front of a charming thing with a pretty smile, and told her she was Chloe Eirikrson.
Diana would never, in a million years, have picked her out in this crowd. She seemed too sweet, too young, and above all, not adequately frightening. If pressed, Diana would have guessed the girl introduced as Cat Stormhale was the Eirikrson. Taller, more imposing and remote, she had the right aura, the right majestic air. Now that she paid attention, Chloe did have the telltale Eirikrson eyes and hair, but there the similarities stopped.
Diana remained stiff, not wanting to fall in the spider's web. She wasn't one to judge people for who their parents were, but she'd heard enough about her to be on her guard. She'd observe, and then make her mind up.
Thankfully, the celebration was dying