Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,195

when she talked about dildos, grandma, and orgies, especially when her eyes dance with excitement.

My monster’s out of the closet now.

“We’re not doing anything. Talbot is Damien’s. He’s either really good, or really bad. He did plan to steal my monster. However, he seemed genuinely relieved that I could handle you,” I tell her, now feeling crazier every time we talk.

I’m talking to my monster.

There’s no need to put a pin in it.

There’s no need to hush my thoughts.

Shit…Demetria. I almost forgot.

Just because she fought for us, that doesn’t mean I should rush into trusting what I can and can’t think about. Not until I know her agenda.

And Jasper…what happens to him?

I can’t let him go back to the skin-walkers. With Idun down and done, will Demetria leave Sanctuary? Is she now my beta? Doesn’t seem likely, and given her vicious reputation, I’m not sure I want her here around my terrified omegas.

None of the wolves have brought it up. I half wonder if they know about it.

The skin-walkers know about me now. Anna deviated from the plan, because I can’t fully control her. But collateral damage was limited.

Zuela knows…

There’s so much to—

A knock at the door interrupts the beginnings of the internal, mounting list of things that need my attention—the cleanup after the Mad Hatter’s festival, so to speak.

I swing the door open, and there stands Arion…shirtless.

A confident smirk only adds to his smug, dark expression, as he twirls a long-stemmed rose in his hand. His right eyebrow lifts, as he deliberately sweeps his gaze over me in appraisal.

Suddenly, I feel self-conscious.

I accidentally mated Vance and had no idea that’s what we were doing. I didn’t have to think about it because I didn’t know.

Emit had to die, or I had to take his mark for all eternity. The choice was so simple that it made me realize just how hard I really had fallen for him. Then he spent three days ensuring I didn’t need sex for three weeks.

However, I didn’t have to think about it, because there was so much else going on.

Damien…

Damien’s always going to be the best in bed. My body will never feel anything but pleasure, even in places where pleasure isn’t ever felt any other time. And he makes it his job to ensure he’s stays at the top of that ladder. He’s also the man who avoids most everyone else in hopes they’ll forget him, but never lets me go for long without at least a small appearance.

I knew I loved Damien, and he’s special in a lot of ways. They’re all special in their own respective ways. Some are just more obvious than others.

Idun never forgot Damien. How did she manage that?

Maybe I’ll piece her together one day and ask that question.

Arion’s thumb at my chin draws me out of my own head once more, while I try to deal with my current debacle.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I tell Arion, treating him like Ace for a moment, because he’s really intimidatingly sure of himself.

His grin only spreads wider, as though he’s enjoying that for some reason.

“Tonight, we’re going to celebrate, and I’m very glad I had that pesky task you gave me to keep me away long enough for you to ready yourself. You look stunning, love,” he says.

“Let’s claim him,” Anna stage-whispers, as my knees actually wobble.

It’s embarrassing as hell, and I straighten them real quick. The vampire eyes my knees, keeps on grinning, and slowly returns his knowing gaze back to my eyes.

“You’d better fucking claim me, love. Use Anna. Or Diva. Leave the triplets and other young or creepy ones out of the bedroom,” he states like it’s some sort of easy compromise.

“We use Violet’s face for claimings,” Anna states with a smile, as she gives him a red-lipped air-kiss.

“Even better,” Arion says with his own scary grin.

Great. It’s already normal to him, while I’m just starting to pick up the mountainous piles of pins. I envy him sometimes.

That freedom…

“How do you do that? Make it sound so easy to simply see things as one way, and then another, and move forward with complete commitment, without a glance too far ahead to worry about what comes next?” I ask very seriously, needing an answer to this. “Especially since you know how much one little thing can change everything you thought you knew?”

Soft petals touch my chest, and I swallow around the immediate lump in my throat, as he slowly drags the rose down. It moves