Gypsy Truths (All The Pretty Monsters #6)- Kristy Cunning Page 0,95

narrow my eyes, she disappears, her seemingly distant laughter echoing in her wake.

“If you’re awake when I return,” Emit starts, reminding me there’s a semi-serious conversation to resume, “I’ll pick things up where we left off.”

It’s a big day tomorrow, but I’ve gone much longer without sleep and been fine.

“I’ll be up,” I tell him, feeling my lips tug in a small grin.

I may hate Idun more than ever, and I hate that he’s so numb to this that it’s only taken two days for him to open up about it. However, I’m relieved to see it hasn’t shaken him as bad as I worried it would.

She doesn’t win.

How much more did she do?

How long was she really above ground?

How elaborate is she?

His lips tug up on one side, and I stop worrying about what else is waiting to be discovered.

“I’ll see you later, sweet monster,” he says, teasing me with a ghosted kiss once more before his touch disappears completely.

Swaying forward, I blink my eyes open to find myself alone in the room. Sighing, I sag to a chair, and pull the tiger head in my lap.

It still feels wrong to celebrate, but Idun can’t suspect anything is wrong. The more we know about what she’s been up to, the better. The less she knows about our new discoveries, the better.

Shutting the door to my office, I decide to read over the Monster Olympics program.

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Salt Wheeler tournament

Archery tournament

Crystal ball reading tournament

Salt Wheeler tournament? What’s a Salt Wheeler?

They can read fucking crystal balls? As in they can tell the future?

Maybe I should have looked over this sooner.

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Tag

Hide and Seek

Tug of War

Really? Did he also plan a kiddie Olympics or something?

I’m not sure what to say to that.

That’s all the information the program allows. There’s apparently a big meeting going on tonight about the big day, but Arion wants to keep most of the day’s festivities a surprise. Well, a surprise where I’m concerned. Everyone else gets to know more details.

“Think you’ll actually be able to have fun?” Anna asks me as she pops back in with a devilish grin. “Compared to Idun, you’re no fun at all, and that makes for a terrible main character. Loan me your body, and I’ll liven your story up.”

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I exhale a tired breath. “I’m the girl who loves to dance like an idiot, sing in the car, dance on a bar, and play with toys. I’m a lot of fun. Usually. It’s just that there’s so much—”

“I’ll stop you there. You’re in love with four alphas, who are all weighted down with some pretty major responsibilities. There’s always going to be something serious going on, Violet. Maybe you’re just not cut out for it,” Anna tells me.

Without a backward glance, I pull some salt out of my pocket and toss it over my shoulder.

“Motherfucke—”

Her hissed word is cut off when the salt connects, and I smirk to myself.

“You only get to stay when you’re being supportive,” I say to the empty room.

My gaze moves back to my tiger costume. I have no idea why it’s a tiger, but a small smile does curve my lips, and I allow myself a moment to enjoy a gift from a very oddly romantic, somewhat scary vampire.

Chapter 27

VANCE

“How’s the wolf?” I ask the deviant, my eyes on the sideline, where Violet is holding her head in her hands.

Well, her tiger head.

She’s talking to Arion. Actually, she’s laughing very freely at whatever Arion has said.

I can’t hear over the obnoxious music blaring from the vampire tent, where all the alphas are slathering on heaps of sunblock, all while wearing their designer glasses. They’re also demonstrating an alarming amount of excitement.

“Fucking vampires,” Damien mutters under his breath, staring with me, as the vampires all grin with giddy excitement over the day’s gruesome lineup.

Arion’s a fool if he thinks this day is going to work out in his favor. But he won’t listen to reason. Also, he may love Violet, but he doesn’t know the first thing about appropriately wooing her.

The odds are that she’ll knee him in the bollocks before this day ends.

Violet laughs harder, drawing my attention back to her. Her head is tipped back, and she’s laughing almost hysterically, as Arion dances while wearing that damn tiger head.

Then my gaze drifts a little behind them, where I spot Idun in her very tight, short, barely-there red shorts and red sports bra. Her gaze is