you to have a life, boy. Enjoy it,” Satan said and then vanished in a silky black mist.
“Excuse me,” Levi said flatly as he stomped back into the Cressida House, smoldering like a wildfire.
“Please pardon me, as well,” Anastasia said, still looking shell-shocked by Mother Nature’s decrees. “I’ll be in my suite if I’m needed.”
“They like each other,” I told Ethan with a grin.
“There’s a very fine line between love and hate,” he said, watching his sister walk away and almost bash into a tree in her haste. “They’re walking on the edge of it at the moment.”
“It’s gonna be fun to watch both of them fall.”
Ethan grinned. “It will be a damned good time.”
The Elite Guard slowly cleared out, taking Walter the snitch back to the dungeon. But the reporters stayed behind.
“May I?” I asked Ethan, eyeing them as they eyed us back cautiously.
“Be my guest,” he replied.
I approached the five and they cowered, expecting retaliation for trashing me for years. They were mistaken. I no longer cared what they had to say about me. Sticks and stones might break my bones, but their words would never hurt me. Though, they might piss me off, but that came with the territory.
“I’m hiring. Are any of you available?” I queried.
“For what?” a worried-looking man asked.
“For a legit undead newspaper. One that doesn’t spread fake news or vicious gossip. I will not have any editorial oversight. That will be handled by a neutral Vampyre,” I said as their ears perked up. “My input would be a conflict of interest. I don’t give a damn if you like me or hate me. Opinions are like assholes. Everyone has them and most of them stink. What I’m looking for is a paper that informs our people and keeps us connected in a positive way, since we’re a rather violent species. You feel me?”
The worried man stood and extended his hand. “I would like a job, Your Royal Highness.”
“As would I,” came an identical chorus of assent from the rest.
“Fine,” I said with a curt nod. “You are all hired. Oh, and which one of you said my dress was boring?”
One of the two women reporters blanched and raised her hand. “It was me,” she whispered, terrified. “I was paid to write it by Walter. I honestly thought the Prada sheath was gorgeous. My apologies.”
“No more fake fucking news,” I called over my shoulder as I took Ethan’s hand and began the walk back into our home. “And don’t let people buy you. It’s gauche.”
“You might need a shower,” Ethan said with a chuckle as he pulled my dried-guts-covered, stinky body toward his.
“Shit,” I said with a laugh. “You think they’ll write about that?”
“It’s an undeniable fact,” he pointed out. “Not fake news at all.”
“Let them write it. I earned my stench and crusty look.”
Ethan threw his head back and laughed. “I’d still do you.”
“That is crazy hot,” I said, jumping on his back and tackling him to the ground with a squeal of laughter. “I love you so much it’s INSANE!”
As we rolled around in the grass making out, we ran into some large combat boots. Peering up at the owner, I grinned from ear to ear. He was beautiful beyond comprehension. His smile melted my heart, and his love was what I lived for. Ethan felt exactly the same way.
“Samuel,” I said, touching my son’s leg as I stared at him.
“You two need to get a room,” he said with a chuckle and an eye roll, pulling both of us to our feet.
“You should be happy that your parents have a healthy sex life,” I said, making him cringe.
“It’s delightful,” he said dryly. “However, it would be lovely not to witness it. You feel me?”
“You stole my line,” I accused as I linked arms with my two favorite men in the Universe.
“You’re my mom,” he said. “I’m allowed to.”
“Boy has a point,” Ethan said. “What’s ours is his.”
“Mom?”
“Yep?”
“You smell a little gamey,” he told me with a wince. “Wanna share the reason you’re wearing a crown while covered in blood and smelling like a sewer?”
“I smell like a sewer?” I shouted, shocked. I knew my aroma wasn’t exactly pleasant, but a fucking sewer?
“You do,” Ethan confirmed, sheepishly. “I’m getting used to it.”
“Don’t,” I said. “It will disappear shortly. Samuel, meet us in our suite in two hours. There are some people I want you to meet.”
“Will do,” Samuel said, poofing away with a grin.
I smacked Ethan’s arm. “You should have told me