“Are you even listening?” Anaki waved a ladle in my direction and grabbed it in front of my face. “I was telling you that Delilah just entered the equivalent of the human second trimester and has the cutest bump.” He rubbed his non-existent belly and waddled his way toward the fridge. “We are all taking bets if it will be a boy or a girl. What do you think it’s going to be?”
I heard the water in the tub shut off and Nadia’s tiny moan as she slipped into the water. I grabbed my cock and turned away so Anaki didn’t see me adjust myself. I didn’t need him seeing it standing at attention and pointing in his direction.
“I hope it’s a girl, too, so Hawke has to deal with the awkwardness of her liking males,” I huffed and turned on the stove.
Anaki smirked and pulled a tin of food from the fridge. He lifted the foil off of it, stirred the gravy on the inside, poured it over the meatloaf, then stuck it inside the oven to warm the already-cooked loaf. “That’s what I guessed. Most of the bar seems in agreement.”
Anaki closed the oven and returned to the fridge, pulling out another pan. From the looks of it, he stocked the fridge with a ton of food, and I leaned over to catch sight of an overly full fridge.
Anaki was the epitome of a damn mother hen. Despite his lack of cooking skills, he had the uncanny ability to command the kitchen, ensuring food was promptly prepared and delivered to those in need. He had an impeccable talent for crafting tantalizing cocktails that delighted the taste buds. On ladies’ night, he would take center stage, dancing on the bar with a finesse that mesmerized the crowd. His infectious laughter could fill the room, bringing joy to all in his presence. In times of need, Anaki would be there, offering unwavering friendship and support.
Even the times when you didn’t want it but actually needed it.
Please let this pan have some potatoes in it.
There weren’t any potatoes, but bright green shit was inside. I shook my head, my bear nearly gagging in disgust.
“It’s kale salad. Nadia needs some greens.” Anaki rolled his eyes and leaned his hip on the counter. “Don’t worry, I will get your potatoes out in a minute.”
Thank fuck.
Anaki’s arms crossed, and he settled into a normal state of conversation. The playful banter about the club faded as his tone turned serious. Worried, I noticed the sparkle leaving his eyes and glimpsed the dull, lifeless soul inside him that he seldom revealed to anyone.
“Have you noticed that Locke hasn’t been calling you?”
I nodded and mimicked his stance, my arms crossed and leaning on the opposite counter. “Yeah, I thought that was why you were up here at first. To get my ass moving and come back to the club.”
Anaki placed his hand over his heart, his eyes furrowing. “You wound me, Bear. I’m here because I missed my big Teddy Bear.”
I growled and rolled my eyes. “Don’t. I promised my mate I wouldn’t kill you while she bathes.”
“I knew I liked her.” He glanced at the door. “Anyway, Locke isn’t doing well. In fact, he’s gone downhill drastically. He’s questioned Cyran’s mate, frequently actually causing Cyran to nearly have an aneurysm.”
I had nearly forgotten about Cyran, too wrapped up in my mate. Vampires were certainly different when finding their own mates, different species, different cultures, but I heard it can be quite drastic. I couldn’t imagine what Locke had done to piss off a vampire.
“Has Cyran claimed the female?”
Anaki shook his head. “Locke forbad it. Said she could be a spy.”
“What?” I said incredulously. “That’s fucking insane!”
A mate has immunity. A mate can be claimed no matter what circumstance, especially if it is a second chance. That was the new law of the club to save those who were dying. The rest we would figure out later.
Anaki laughed, rubbing his chin. “Yeah it is. Grim and Journey finally stepped in and had to overthrow Locke’s decision.”
I ran my hand through my hair, letting out a ragged breath. Things were worse off than I thought. Grim was second in command of the club, along with Journey, since she was his mate. Technically, Grim could overpower Locke because Locke had no mate and was making the wrong decisions.
“Did Locke find anything out by the questioning? Anything that can help us with the Cunningham estate? Duke Idris?”
Again, Anaki shook his head. “Not a lot that can help us. Cyran’s mate had only just arrived a week before. She doesn’t have a firm grasp of the house. She was only allowed in certain rooms and was mostly a kitchen maid. What she knew was they were targeting women with no families. She grew up in foster care, like most of the women taken to work in the mansion. She heard a lot of them were going to be shipped off to auctions, put into online sex chat rooms like Journey, planned meet-ups, taking them to parties and strip clubs. The Duke is expanding, getting creative.” Anaki’s nostrils flared. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he is reaching out to just our kind, not humans. Humans are weak. Use them, dispose of them, or keep them around until they are used up.”
I gritted my teeth in anger and banged my fist on the counter. Shane wouldn’t get into this sex trafficking because of Delilah. He promised her before he forcefully married her. He became friends with the duke after they had been married for a few years, so the duke could run that side so Delilah would never see.
“Do you think the duke knew Shane wasn’t coming back when he ran after Delilah?”
Anaki pursed his lips. “Possibly. The duke could have talked Shane into signing his estate over to him in the event of his death. That was why the duke didn’t show up to help save him. You found it odd that Shane didn’t receive backup right?”
I hummed in agreement. Oddly, he was supposedly buddies with Idris, but Shane fell so easily.
