They face me, and I wince.
Luca’s hair is wild, the milk chocolate brown strands sticking out in all directions. Alistair is barely moving, but his eyes are blood red, and they have been since we woke up and realized Celine wasn’t in the bathroom.
“Elaborate,” he hisses, fangs peekingpast his lips.
“She obviously went to check out that gateway Joshua mentioned at brunch.”
Alistair considers that and curses. “I know she’s worried about Malach, but going by herself is dangerous.”
“She’ll see it as minimizing the risk,” Luca groans.
Alistair snarls. “She must know we’d do anything for her. We’re stronger together.”
“She knows,” I whisper. “But it’s not about us. Not really. Celine knows what it’s like to lose someone. What happened with Malach has cracked her grief wide open. She can’t risk adding to it.”
“But why did she take the veydra?” Alistair snaps.
“We don’t know that she did.” Luca drops down on the bed and fists the covers. There’s a yellow glint in his hazel eyes that I haven’t seen this close to the surface since the monster realm. “They just disappeared at the same time.”
I roll my eyes. “No one saw either of them leave,” I point out. “That’s not a fluke. They’re together, we all know that, and gods, that actually makes me feel better.”
Luca shreds a pillow with his bare hands, bits of fabric and fluff raining down on his lap.
“Chill out,” I snap. “They’re two of the deadliest supernaturals alive. He’ll watch her back, and you fucking know it.”
“It’s not her back I’m worried about him watching,” Alistair says.
I grab the trash can and rake pillow fragments off the bed. “I’m confused. Didn’t you both encourage her to hop on his dick like two days ago?”
Luca groans. “That was different?—”
“She’s not choosing him over us,” I insist, inhaling their collective fear and shaking my head. “You’re scared. You aren’t thinking straight.”
Someone knocks.
I hurl the trash can at the door. “Fuck off!”
“Fuck you,” Callum shouts back. “You’ll want to hear this, asshole.”
I stride to the door and yank it open. “What?”
“There’s a new report. A shifter cop from a town in the middle of nowhere believes he just encountered two unknown supernaturals. He wanted to bring it to our attention.”
I drum my fingers on the doorframe. “Description?”
“Blond male, about six feet tall, black eyes, described as ‘the douchebag type.’”
“Motherfucker!” I smirk at Luca and Alistair. “He’s wearing my face.”
Callum’s lips twitch. “The second person was a woman.”
I raise my eyebrows. “And? Get on with it, bro, we’re freaking out.”
He scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. “Please remember these aren’t my words. I’m the messenger.” Callum fishes a scrap of paper out of his pocket. “Female, red hair, big”—he coughs—“tits. And this part is a direct quote: ‘Man, oh my fucking gods, man. She was the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen.’”
“Where?” Alistair demands.
Callum looks at him, and his forehead creases. “You know you can’t kill the cop, right?”