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“Joanna will not be mortal for much longer,” I say with complete certainty. “So there will be no issue. Now who would like to speak first?”

“Finally,” Kragnash growls and begins the meeting proper.

The rest of the meeting goes on with as much ease as possible. There is tension among the lesser monsters, the weres in particular, seem a little more cagey, but that will most certainly be because of the full moon this weekend. Arlo recounts his side of the events of Tuesday night. But since he has yet to actually kill a human, I do not mark his number of days as changing. Of course, Kragnash is back to seven, just like I am. The battered security guard Arlo found in a closet of that basement had to be sacrificed for the blood ritual to work on Joanna.

Once everyone shares what they wished for the evening, Deg’Doriel ends the meeting with a reminder that our existence in harmony with the humans is like balanced scales, that if it swings in either direction, it could topple all the work we have done to build our community. The lessers leave. Arlo also tries to slink out of the room, but Deg grabs him by the scruff of his oversized jacket and drags him back to the inner circle.

“I really don’t think I need to be here. The good shelter near the mortuary will fill up if I don’t get there soon,” he claims, his fingers digging into his dirt-stained jeans.

“You’ve proved yourself useful, O’Shea.” Deg’Doriel drops him into a chair. “So you are staying. Make sure everyone else gets your phone number before you leave.”

Arlo pulls a flip phone from his pocket and begins to pass it around.

“Kragnash,” I say, before Deg’Doriel can begin his lecture on balance anew. “You still need to restore your power, correct?”

“Yes, sir.” He grunts, “Emmi has been running me like a dog for the past week, so I haven’t had a moment of peace.”

“Well, I have the information of a man who needs to be removed. I meant to do it Saturday, but something came up.”

“Since when have you ever shirked a duty like that?” Nora snorts, a ghastly noise.

“Exactly,” Deg growls. “Since everyone clearly needs another reminder of why soulmates and bonds and all the lovey bullshit with humans is a dangerous risk, let’s start with Augustine Ravenscroft’s Horrible Mate history, shall we?”

“That was told to you in confidence, Deg’Doriel.”

“Yes, but last one ended with the human committing suicide because they couldn’t handle their world becoming so scary. Nightmares that are actually real. The scales tipped.”

“Jamie was an accident.”

Saying his name out loud brings a chill to my skin. I have not spoken his name in decades. My accident, my innocent lover from an era of secrecy and closed doors even between humans. Much like Joanna, I had never planned to form a bond with him. The opium and refined wine that blurred his senses had also affected me that night. I would have loved him, could have grown fond of him over the years we would spend together. But when he saw me outside of his dreams, he could not handle it. The young man overdosed before I could save him.

In the end, when the urges of the bond faded, I was left feeling oddly relieved. There had been disgust flavouring his emotions during our last meeting. It taints my memories of him, only leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Jamie’s death was never my intention, but I do not think I would have ever actually completed the bond.

“Joanna reacted impressively well to seeing us,” Kragnash says. “But that could be shock.”

“She is different,” I argue. “For starters, she has told me she would complete the bond with me. She has fully consented.”

“That doesn’t matter if she is more trouble than she’s worth.”

“Deg’Doriel,” I scowl, the skin of my cheeks stretching as my sharpened teeth are revealed.

“Question,” Ramón says, ignoring the struggle between us. “What exactly does a soulmate feel like?”

Ambrosia, nectar of the gods, fulfilling.

“Pure light,” Nora sighs, and I swear I can almost taste a wistfulness in her emotions.

“Victory,” Kragnash says with such certainty. I do not know much about orcish cultures, but I do know they form bloodmates, which can cause war or peace between clans.

“Hogwash.” Deg’Doriel finally states.

“Well then,” Ramón grins, “I have one. She is a human as well. So mark that in your little notes on me, Auggie. She is my princess.”

I cannot stop the sounds that bubble up out of me like a fountain. My chuckle turns into a raucous laughter that shakes the room. Deg’Doriel’s anger, in combination with Ramón’s absolute certainty, is just too much for me to contain myself. This has turned into one of the greatest group meetings we have had in years. An honest to god tear comes to my eye as I look at the horror on Deg’Doriel’s face.

“Look, let’s put it to a vote,” Kragnash has to shout over my laughter. “I move to drop the rule regarding bonding, mating, or engaging humans in long-term relationships.”

“I second,” I say, with a nod at Kragnash.