With Max’s fur clean and frosting-free, Destiny grabbed a clean dishtowel and dried him before setting him on the floor. He gave his body a shake, and his damp fur fluffed out, turning him into a little poof ball.
She set the towel on the counter, her face pinching as she tried to make sense of his story. “How does destroying my bakery help Helga take over Easter? And why were you hiding in a vat of frosting?”
“Stencils.” Pete scoffed and crossed his arms. “How many different designs?”
“Just one, sir. One stencil for billions of eggs, and she doubled everyone’s quotas. She’s working them to the bone.”
Pete shook his head like he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “How can I help?”
“Hold on.” Destiny raised her hands. Stencils were the least of her worries. “I need you to start from the beginning because none of this makes sense.”
Max climbed onto a stool, getting closer to their eye level. “A vampire is killing the hens. The rest are too stressed to lay eggs, so Pete came to this realm to get help from his vampire friend. But he ended up with amnesia.”
“I know that much. I’m the one who gave it to him.” She leaned against the counter and crossed her arms.
“Helga, the golden goose, offered her supposed help,” Max continued, “and Eostre agreed to let her supply the eggs. That’s all she agreed to, but…”
He looked at Pete, his eyes full of sympathy. “Before Eostre allowed Helga into the studio, she asked me to keep an eye on her. She thought something about her had changed, but she didn’t know what. I haven’t been able to reach Eostre since. She doesn’t answer my calls. She doesn’t check in at the studio. I don’t know where she is.”
“So, Helga has hijacked Easter, and Eostre is MIA.” She drummed her fingers against her biceps. “What does my bakery have to do with any of that?”
“Right.” Pete wrapped an arm around her waist. “There are too many pieces missing from this puzzle.”
“Eostre recognized your bond when she visited this realm,” Max said. “She told me about it, and I’m certain she told Frigg too. Helga must have overheard and come here to sabotage you. She’s always been jealous of Pete and anyone close to him.”
“So, she did all this because she wants to be the Easter Bunny? Because she wants Pete’s job?” Jealousy was the ugliest of emotions, but Destiny still couldn’t fathom her reasons. “Did you date her?”
His lip curled in revulsion. “Never.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “Your memory isn’t what it used to be.”
He opened his mouth to defend his answer, but he paused, his brow furrowing before he shook his head. “I’m positive. The thought of it makes my stomach turn.”
“He has never and would never,” Max said. “And though I don’t doubt she’s also jealous of you for winning his affections, her intention here was to make him feel the need to protect you.”
“Because if you return to your realm, you can reclaim Easter.” She rested a hand on Pete’s chest. “She’s trying to keep you here.”
He nodded. “She knows there’s no way in all the realms I would leave you alone with the culprit still on the loose. That’s one smart goose.”
“And take a gander at this,” Max said. “I’ve been following her, which is why I’m here. Helga has been in cahoots with beings from your realm. She’s gotten powers she shouldn’t have, and I’ve seen her drink blood.”
“Blood,” Pete said, and Max nodded his head.
“Helga the fae golden goose was turned into a vampire?” Destiny rubbed her chin, smearing frosting onto her face. “That would explain how a vamp crossed into your realm, but…” She gestured at the mess and then at the window. “It’s daylight. How could she be out in the middle of the day?”
Pete offered her a towel. “She’s still a fae. Maybe that’s the difference. Can she shift to a human form?”
“Not that I’ve seen,” Max said. “But she’s unnaturally strong and ornerier than a rabid honey badger. I hid in the mixer bowl because it was the only thing heavy enough to withstand her strength. I didn’t realize it was full until I dove in.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this.” Destiny wiped her face and hands. “Helga destroyed my bakery, hoping I’d blame it on someone else and feel unsafe in my own home.”
“Exactly.” Max nodded. “Because the mating bond between fae is unbreakable. Pete will never leave your side.”
“That’s true,” Pete said. “Whether our bond is fae, shifter, or plain old man to woman, nothing is going to happen to you on my watch.”
Good gravy. This mess was thickening like someone added way too much cornstarch to…well, to the gravy. Still, her stomach did flutter a bit at Max’s mention of an unbreakable mating bond and Pete’s adamant confirmation that it was true. She could appreciate silver linings, no matter how big and messy the cloud.
“You have to come home, sir. Theelfenneed you. Eostre too.”
