Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,176

more attention to her face than Idun’s. In fact, I make a pointed effort to avoid looking at Idun at all, because…I can’t deal with all this at once.

“You were going to bury them for a thousand years and force them to be with you. I suppose the universe has a sick sense of humor. All that wasted scheming. All that wasted effort. All that wasted time.”

Anna makes a tsking sound, as Violet casually taunts Idun.

Arion adjusts himself in his trousers, clearly more in love with Violet with each passing second. He looks positively star-struck.

Vance swallows thickly, turning his head away, since he was presumably staring too long at Idun’s head.

Damien hops up on the counter, eyes shrewdly assessing Violet.

“You never tried claiming me,” Damien says as though this is the moment for that discussion.

“Bloody hell, he’s already moved on from all this and has found the one stupid insult to his ego to focus on,” Talbot mutters from somewhere in the room. “January Violet Carmine, does this mean I now get to be your beta? I can’t continue being a beta for that selfish man,” says the fool who got drunk, created a monster on a whim, and flip-flops with effortless ease on what’s definitive.

He’s a motherfucking powerhouse with too much whimsy and a laughable amount of conviction.

And we had no idea he even existed.

The wolf inside me has been stirred all night, because there have been two very large threats right under our noses, and we only saw Idun. The world is truly different, and has been, but we haven’t bothered to pay attention.

I thought only Damien was truly out of touch.

I hate how fucking stupid I feel right now.

“The world is a little different these days,” Violet tells Idun, ignoring Talbot.

“January Violet Carmine, I need to feel certain your monster is—”

“Stop using all my names. And stop acting like you haven’t always desperately wanted to be Damien’s beta. It’s obvious by now. Even to me,” Violet tells him, while the world continues to leave us behind, moving forward too fast for us to keep up.

Well, two of us, that is.

Arion and Damien are striding alongside Violet and Talbot as though this is a typical Wednesday afternoon.

The triplets pop up, and grin at Idun’s head, as they start singing, “Ring around the rosie!”

“There will be no more of that tonight. Seriously, I’m at my limit,” Violet cuts in, jabbing a finger at them.

She cuts a tired, almost sad look to me.

“I’m in control. Mostly. But I don’t know how to make them shut up. It’s embarrassing, because people won’t understand she’s not telling the whole truth about what’s in my head. Sometimes, she just fuses idle, petty, subconscious thoughts with something else and comes up with her own take with expressing my feelings.”

Only about half of that ramble made sense to me.

She’s adamant in assuring us of that—

“So all the creepy stalking and overt perversion…is that your suppressed desire, Little Monster?” the sexual deviant muses, while Violet continues to hold Idun’s head in a sling. “Because I can make your monster really come out if that’s your thing.”

“How is it possible you’re already okay with this?” Violet asks him very loudly, giving him an incredulous look. Flippantly, she gestures to the vampire, before adding, “Him, I get. But you…you’re too suspicious and overbearing when it comes to alpha stuff. You’re the one who points out the pecking order more than anyone else. Why are you already okay?”

Damien’s lips twitch, and his gaze drops to the sling.

“Because the bitch has been dethroned,” Damien says, his smile only growing, as his eyes light up. An almost sinister look crosses his expressions. “And you have a weakness for my power, because Talbot fucking forgot about me.”

Fuck. Me.

Judging by Vance’s look, he just thought the same thing.

Arion’s expression is one of nonchalance, since he hated his turn atop the wheel of power. He was happy to never revisit it.

None of us wanted the role, aside from Idun.

“Once. I forgot about you once,” Talbot cuts in.

Vance pales when Damien turns to flash a grin at all of us.

“That means you fuckers can’t ever leave me out. Or single me out. Or fuck me over. She can kick your ass. I can delicately hand her ass to her, though. That means I’m technically more alpha than all you pricks.”

The bastard actually grins.

I’ll punch him later. I’ll also punch Vance, because my lip still aches from that sucker punch he delivered me.

Anna purrs as she