Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,75

I call, just to ensure she’s coming back at some point.

“I’m still mad!”

Of course she’s mad. Any girl who thinks that wee monster is a match for the four of us…is clearly mad.

Damien answers his buzzing phone.

“Now’s not the time for a social call,” I point out.

I barely hear Shera’s nearly muted voice, before Damien quickly strides away.

“I genuinely believe you’ve all forgotten that Shera is my beta. I’ll loan her to Violet, but the rest of you should get your own,” I say, glaring at Vance and Emit.

“I have my own, but I’ve heard rumors he was turning wolf and not staying with the knights,” Vance grinds out, casting an accusatory glare toward Emit.

Emit struggles not to smile.

Why does this fucking wolf get Avery? I wanted Avery. I need more persuasive omegas. Clearly. Emit may be hard up for good betas, but he’s got all the good omegas, and I’m starting to realize I’ve gravely underestimated their value. Leiza is the sole reason Avery would be turning wolf.

Even I’m in on that bloody gossip, because…it’s Avery. He’s been as celibate as me.

“Vampyre, you’re with me!” Damien shouts, running toward the direction we left the vehicles.

I don’t want to leave. I want to explain to Violet how she should certainly not be provoking Idun.

“Where the hell are we?” Violet shouts from the other direction, in which she heatedly stormed off in.

“My back yard,” Vance says in a dry tone. “Mostly,” he adds, since this is the deep countryside portion of his expansive property.

Violet shrieks, and I almost go to her, when I hear Anna speaking.

“It’s just a cat! You’re embarrassing me too much right now to call you my best friend, you sad, pathetic waste of potential badassery,” Anna chimes in.

“You handle whatever Damien has. I’ll stay with Violet,” Vance says, smirking as he claps me on the shoulder and heads toward the woods.

Emit trails him, and I glare at the two of them. “You too, wolf? Clearly Damien needs help—”

“He only called for one of us. My curse was broken too. I’d like to fucking celebrate at some point. Thanks for not giving two shits, you fucking tossers,” Emit states in a flippant, bored tone. “Fucking ruined the highlight of my century, but no one cares. Typical.”

Cursing Damien for picking me, I chase after the deviant, landing in the passenger side of his car before he can even get behind the wheel. They’ll dick around, circle around the truth, and never tell her she’s not capable of fucking with Idun, all because they don’t want to hurt her damn feelings.

She’s going to paint herself too much of a target, and now we know she can’t walk the walk.

“Fucking fast vampire,” Damien mutters under his breath, leaving me to smirk.

“What’s the hurry?” I ask as he barrels out in reverse, and then slingshots us onto the road.

“I have a beta for the first time in ages, and he has a sister on her way to Sanctuary. What do you think the hurry is?”

I scrub a hand over my face. “Let me guess. Some ‘rogue’ shifters have attacked.”

“Shocking. I know. I’ve been preoccupied. I should have warned him this was possible so he could have accounted for it and sent decoys out to distract her,” he says under his breath. “Talbot may not know yet; at least, I hope he doesn’t. Shera caught wind of it and immediately called it in.”

“She’s my favorite beta,” I remind him. “Of course she caught wind of it. She’s kept me better informed than any prior beta. She’s not going to be happy about these new combat trials, though. I dread that conversation.”

He revs the engine, cutting a curve so sharp I’m certain we’re going to skid off the side. Somehow, he manages to keep control, never wavering.

I really need to get the lead out and learn how to fucking drive. It looks damn fun.

“Shera’s always held her own in combat with large House betas,” he says.

“But now those Houses will acquire more and more physically strong betas. Since we entered times of peace, we’ve all strayed toward the more useful betas, as opposed to the best combatants. Shera’s the most unevenly matched and relies a lot on her reputation to instill hesitance. Consistent fighting will eventually ebb that hesitation, expose all her weaknesses, and ruin her edge,” I grumble.

He’s quiet for a moment.

“How is it my beta is the one we should be talking about right now, given the reason we’re on this mission,