House Van Helsing was a large mansion that stood behind high-security gates. It seemed to go on forever, with small houses spread out through the valley in which it was nestled. The house itself was larger than the building E.V.I.E. had over the underground bunker, and considering the power I felt moving beneath my feet, I was willing to bet Rhys had an underground network of tunnels beneath his house as well.
My things were taken through a side door, while we proceeded through the front of the mansion. I took in the sheer beauty of the entranceway lined in ancient paintings of what I assumed were other homes over their lifetimes. One was of a beautiful palace that had bubbling fountains covering a colorful courtyard.
“Cole called, demanding access to the guest wing. Any idea why he’d want to move home now?” a tall male asked, moving down the staircase that opened onto the upper level in the middle of the entranceway. Silverish-blue eyes landed on me with curiosity. “I thought we agreed not to bring whores home anymore?”
“She isn’t a whore. She’s also the reason Cole wants to move home,” Rhys stated in an exhausted tone. “Acyn Van Helsing, meet Remington Silversmith.”
“Fuck off,” Acyn chuckled, slowly coming down the stairs to stand in front of me. “If she’s a Silversmith, I’m the head alpha.”
“No, you’re not, and yes, she is. I’ll prove it,” Rhys stated, releasing my hand he’d held.
Swallowing hard, I stared around, wondering what would go horridly wrong, and then leaped back. The crystal chandelier above us crashed toward the floor, mere inches from where I’d jumped to keep from it crushing me. Glass shattered across the pristine tile, crunching beneath my feet the moment I moved. I lost my footing, sliding to the floor, and Nyx caught me seconds before Rhys reached over, grabbed my hand, yanking me toward him.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Acyn said, pushing his tattooed-fingers through his thick hair. “How did you manage that one?”
“She intervened against Cole and his watered-down Silversmith witch. I guess you could say she saved me, and now her curse is activated for the next few hours.”
“And now Cole wants to come home? Bloody brilliant,” Acyn snorted and then peered down at Nyx, touching his chest, examining him like she had a doctorate in male anatomy. Considering how many men she’d known and taken to bed, that was probably accurate.
A female, no older than twenty, swept into the room with a beaming smile on her cherry-red lips. “The room you requested is ready and the bath for your lady, Van Helsing. Food and a nightcap were left in the suite too. If you need me for anything, just ring.”
“Thank you, Corinne. That will be all, though. Your services aren’t needed tonight,” Rhys said softly, and she pouted. “The entrance will need sweeping, and a new light fixture ordered, immediately.”
My eyebrow hiked up to my hairline, slowly pulling my eyes back to where Acyn was now in a make-out session with Nyx. He grunted as he picked her up, starting up the stairs, leaving me standing with Rhys alone.
Traitor.
“They look entertained. Shall we retire?” Rhys asked, his lips curling into a mischievous smile. “Unless you wanted to tour the house and ensure your mother isn’t hiding in my dungeon?”
“You have an actual dungeon?” I countered curiously.
“I do. Some habits are hard to break.”
“A dungeon is a habit?”
“Building houses every few centuries to hide the fact that we are immortals, well, it becomes a habit, and each one has a state-of-the-art dungeon built within it.”
“I don’t know if that’s sad or cool,” I admitted.
“Indeed,” he replied, which I was learning was his canned response when he didn’t want to talk about something or needed to end a discussion. “Come, we will withdraw to your room for the night.”
Butterflies chose that exact moment to flurry in my belly. I swallowed past the sudden dryness of my mouth, letting Rhys lead me to the stairs, where he paused, turning to look at me as he hesitated. His dark head tilted to the side as his lips curled into a devastating smile.
“Do you prefer to be carried like your friend?”
“I can walk, but thanks?” I answered lamely, inwardly grimacing at my reply. Rhys shook his head, narrowing his eyes as he peered up the staircase where the loud moaning was now coming.