This is when I hate being a redhead, because the blush hits hard. My cheeks are on fire, heat radiating from them as my queen’s grin splits her face even wider.
“Mhm.” She stands—since the Luna bond, she’s grown taller. Now she’s almost eye to eye with me as her pitch-black eyes travel over my face, down to my neck and back up. “Tell her, Connall. Isn’t that the advice you’d give one of your clients if they came to you in this exact situation?”
I smile. She’s not wrong. “I wouldn’t encourage a client to enter into a love triangle scenario. Dirk has expressed his interest in Lou regularly, andloudly,” I tack on, my tone bitter. “And we all know that, despite the way she needles him, she likes him too.”
It’s more than that, though.Ilike Dirk. He’s fiercely loyal and intensely interesting. We could be friends. I don’t begrudge him his interest in her. Any smart single male would be interested.
Lola nods, dark eyes focused on mine. It’s been like this since she developed the ability to read auras. She stares so deeply, I can practically feel her in my soul, poking around and exposing all the wounded, tender parts of me. Can she see how badly I want to ask Lou out and how conflicted I am, knowing Lou cares for Dirk?
“She’s never actually gone on a date with Dirk, despite him trying for months,” Lola hedges.
“Has Dirk ever actuallyaskedher on a date?” I give Lola a look. “Because it seems to me that he follows her around like she’s his queen, and he can’t wait to be of service.”
Lola throws her head back and laughs, the sound bright and joyous despite a topic that has my heart shredded. My queen wipes at her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Moons, Connall, do you even know how fucking funny you are?”
I cross my arms and scowl, but she reaches forward and rubs her cheek against mine, purring softly. “I’m not laughing at you,bestie; I’m picturing Dirk in medieval knight gear carrying a glass slipper on a pillow.”
“What does that even mean?” I whisper as I rub her cheek with mine, telling her we’re all good, that there’s no discord between us or our wolves.
Lola pulls back. “Ah, it’s a human fairytale where a girl loses her shoe, don’t know why, and the guy rides around on a horse to find her and give it back.”
I snort. “That’s weird. She didn’t notice she lost it?”
Lola shrugs.
“And she couldn’t just…find it immediately? What kind of monster is this girl?”
Lola laughs. “Not monster. Human.”
I curl my nose up. “Are other humans not like the triplets and Lou?”
The queen’s eyes drift up as she considers that. “You know, I’ve met a half dozen humans at court over the years, and they’ve all been very interesting and intelligent. I can’t see anyone losing a shoe and not noticing. So, now that you point it out, what kind of dumbass was this prince chasing?”
We share a knowing look, and then one of Lola’s black brows rises in a devious fashion. “You know who would never lose a shoe and not notice?”
“Don’t say Lou.”
“Louanna.” Lola giggles. “Louanna would never lose a shoe and wait for you to bring it to her.”
“Don’t I know it,” I mutter. My imagination immediately runs wild, envisioning crawling up the trellis on the outside of the Annabelle Inn to Lou’s room with a random shoe in one hand. I could slip through the window and eat her alive until she woke up and begged for my knot. I could?—
“Rein it in, lover boy,” Lola says with a laugh. “Your aura is red-hot.”
I blush again and turn to focus on the nearest stack of books, pretending I want to learn something new, I suppose.
Red hot.
Cool blue.
Dirk and I are opposites in every way.
Do I want Lou? Absolutely—but I don’t think I’ll ever get the chance to have her.
CHAPTER THREE
DIRK
Iwalk up Main Street in the tiny monster haven of Ever, Massachusetts, admiring the red and white awnings over every shop. Flower pots dangle from the street lights, overflowing with blooms in every possible shade. Monsters stroll in pairs along both sidewalks, enjoying the perfect weather.
